At the time of writing, I am feeling pretty ‘meh’.
Can’t quite put my finger on it. Fatigued, tired, bored, distracted, away-with-the-fairies… 😒
You see, even those Coaches (like me) who give loads of advice, tips, and help. Always looking energised, motivated, and healthy. They have shit times too sometimes!
Let’s face it, that’s life.
I have a lot going on right now. But that is basically the norm these days isn’t it. We are so ‘connected’ with our digital world, that there is no respite.
What’s my point here? (I’m not looking for sympathy I promise! 😉)
Well... it’s that, it’s okay to not be okay!
I know that I need to recognise it and do something positive to help myself.
Being Mindful and deliberate in trying to turn that around.
I’m no expert, but I’ve learned from helping so many other people now, that I need to turn the spotlight on myself from time to time…
First up, some work with the Mind…
- Talk to someone, even if it's only a little bit, it helps to vocalise some things, get some thoughts out. It can help to re-organise those thoughts and maybe that’s enough! You may also get a great idea from someone else, or at least some morale support.
- Write things down! It may not be as effective as a conversation, but it still helps to re-order things. Maybe get that jumbled list of priorities down on paper, put them in order, select one thing to do first, and take some meaningful action.
- Practise some Gratitude. Doesn’t have to be ‘journalled’ or formal, it could just be taking 5-10 minutes out to think about what you’re truly grateful for. Maybe you’ve forgotten some of the positives because so much is feeling negative or out of control.
- Switch off. Perhaps it’s time to take a break from that work. Maybe an hour of your favourite Console Game or TV show would be a welcome distraction (but don’t just choose distractions for ever, you will need to take some action at some point).
- Do something (else) mentally challenging or stimulating, like a puzzle, quiz, crossword, read a book, etc. Doing some other brain work, away from the stressful challenge might be beneficial.
- Digitally disconnect. Yep, turn off notifications or devices and just stop looking at that whole world. There is so much (irrelevant) opinion, negativity, and things happening that are waaaay outside your control, that it can be a toxic space to occupy.
If your phone broke, or your internet was down for a day – you would not die! In fact, you’d probably have a largely positive day. So why not deliberately switch it all off for a break?
And then do some work with the physical Body…
- Hydrate! And maybe not just water, consider getting some electrolytes on board too. Especially if you’re suffering with headaches, frowning, squinting etc… this could be a game-changer. Your brain (and body) needs to be adequately hydrated for so many reasons. It’s easy to let that slip.
- Go easy on the toxins… Too much caffeine won’t help you in the long run. Alcohol and (non-prescription / medication) Drugs put your body into a state of emergency. Causing stress, inflammation, and imbalance. Do yourself a favour and try to not rely on those to get through tough times!
- Eat well. When we’re feeling crap, we tend to lean towards salty and/or fatty foods. This is because they give us a dopamine hit (pleasure hormone), and they ‘feel’ and taste nice to consume. However, they will also cause imbalances, hormonal disruption and unhelpful blood sugar and energy spikes.
It can be a slippery slope which can then also lead to an emotional response which causes more stress and unhappiness! Opt for whole food options, keep your protein intake up, you’ll feel fuller for longer and have better energy levels. - Move your body. Yep, it feels nice to tuck into bed under the duvet or curl up on the sofa with a blanket. But moving is far better for the body (and mind). It doesn’t have to be a ‘gym session’, even a short walk can make a massive difference. It’ll improve your hormonal balance, give your body and mind a lift, lower stress and actually increase your energy levels!
- Hug someone! Seriously, close physical contact to someone else is therapeutic on a deep psychological and physiological level.
- Breath! I know, I know…. You’re breath all day and night. But how often do you actually pay attention to your breathing. How often do you deliberately improve your breathing. Even just taking a few minutes of deep breathwork can make a massive difference to your whole body and mind. Lookup box-breathing techniques for a really simple exercise you can do anytime, anywhere…
- Look away from the screens! Yep, give you mind and your eyes a break from constantly looking at bright screens, monitors, phones, tablets, etc... we typically spend so many hours a day staring at flickering screens, it adds to that exhaustion.
- Sleep. If you can, get some quality sleep. This is where the body and mind repair, recover and grow. If you’re exhausted, sleep is the best medicine in a lot of cases! Maybe its time to review your sleep-hygiene… the whole routine around how you prepare for and conduct your sleep. Ideally you wind down, have the right temperature and environment, get enough time, and create a cycle/routine that is reliable.
If your sleep is random, so is the quality it provides… Nailing Sleep is absolutely a game-changer when it comes to Health!
That is by no means an exhaustive list… but from my experience, these are the kind of things I’ll be doing for myself right now. If they don’t help and I find myself still in this place in a few days’ time, then I’ll take those conversations further and seek some professional help and advice.
It’s okay not to be okay.🙏🏻
👉🏻I always try to recognise and work on these things (and more) with my 1-1Clients.
Maybe you’ve been considering making changes to improve your health, but you’re put off by being stuck in a state of ‘meh’?
You should know that it is possible to change your health, even from a place of difficulty, with the right approach and an understanding of how life ebbs and flows.
I currently have space to take on 2 new 1-1 Clients. If you’re interested, fire me an email and let’s chat.
Take care of yourselves!