Prelude:
I’m gonna speak my mind here in hopes that maybe 1 or even 2 of you can relate and walk away with tools to come out the other side when you feel stuck in a storm cloud with no sunshine in sight.
When you have an off week, it seems to last forever and this week has been one of those. This week I haven’t been feeling myself. I’ve felt unmotivated, fatigued and unexcited about…just about everything.
Realization– You’re not one to settle and neither am I!
The fact that you’re here, taking the time to read this tells me you know that this is no way to live. That you are dedicated to living life as your best self (cheesy but true!). And not just being the best person for your family, your partner, friends, or pets but for you! You are the one who has to wake up every morning and spend the day with you, and we all know, hanging out with señor life-is-a-glass-half-empty is not so fun.
When you are happy, amazing things happen. Opportunities present themselves, money flows, friendships flourish and we go to bed excited for the day to come.
Action Plan- Get me outttttta here
When I turned 30 I was doing a lot of self-work. I was not only charging every day straight Braveheart style, but I was also creating opportunities for myself. Leading boot camps, reaching out to big-name companies, and hosting events where I could connect with women and support them, which is what I truly love to do.
But then, something happened. I stopped. I was riding such a high enjoying the results, I forgot to take the time to do the work that had got me there in the first place. This went on for a couple of months before I made the connection. I was no longer taking the time to do the work. The result: No daily epiphanies, slim excitement to start the next day and certainly no pep in my step.
Which lead me here. Heading away for the weekend to take some time to bring it all back.
3 days later…
…….and I’m back! What? Do you think I was just going to hand out advice to you without first trying it on myself?! No way jose-phina!
3 days, no service, no reaching for the phone, no checking in on the gram or the f-book (Facebook for any of you with a dirty mind), and no tight schedule. I truly feel like a new person. I had many epiphanies in such a short amount of time. Not because I was searching for them but because I created space for them to come through.
I fully allowed myself to relax and destress. I also did something totally outside of my comfort zone. I took 3 days off from working out or any intense exercise at all.
Now you might be either:
A) rolling your eyes
B) confused to why this would be outside my comfort zone
C) scratching your head to why this might be outside my comfort zone as this may be a typical and sensible way for most people to relax.
The thing is- high-intensity exercise, gives me a sense of control. It makes my ego feel satisfied and strong. This weekend I was able to disconnect from that and give in it to the message my body was so clearly giving me. I was tired, fatigued in all sense of the word. Even coffee couldn’t kickstart my adrenals into actions. This became evident when I wasn’t even able to finish my favorite nitro brew coffee. Heartbreaking really, those things are expensive!
Anywho! The point is, I gave my self room to explore the uncomfortable, The permission to do….nothing. Because I knew deep down, taking a few days to embrace this, would put me much further ahead in the weeks to come. Physically and mentally.
And well, shit. I was right!
Monday morning came and I truly felt like a new person. My mood is enhanced, I feel more organized, motivated and clear for the next steps within my business and role as a team member. I practically skipped to the gym this morning versus 4 days ago when I could barely climb the stairs to get into the damn place. I also feel calm and in tune with my bodies needs which means making better food choices. Like I said, a new person!
So here is what I did to make all of this possible. Tried and true. Every single day.
I hope that you can take some time to practice a few of these and discover what works best for you. Just like the ______ sale of the year (you’ll have to fill that one in, I know nothing about shopping), try a few things on. Put back what didn’t fit and head over to the register with you new burn-out-bounce-back items that you’ll store in your tool kit for rainy days like these.
5 minutes of gratitude
The minute I start to roll around and come out of my sleepy slumber, I think of at least 5 things I am grateful for. It can be as simple as the roof over your head, the clothes you have to change into, or the ability to drink fresh water. I do this while deepening my breath and slowly waking up the body as a whole.
10 minutes of getting into the body and grounded
After tongue scraping, oil pulling and brushing my teeth, I make my way over to my yoga mat. This can be in your room, on your deck, or anywhere that you have a bit of space and limited distractions. I then move through my go-to slow-moving morning yoga routine. I use this time to not only stretch out my body but connect to my breath deepening it as I flow through the movements. This routine helps tone and stretch at a low intensity, relaxing pace. You can find the video here.
15 minutes of meditation
Before I went rogue for the weekend, I researched and downloaded a couple of meditation and hypnosis sessions I resonated with. I’ve had incredible success with hypnosis in the past and was excited to get back into it. Here are the 2 episodes I loved.
1. Programming Your Subconscious Mind – Morning & Evening Hypnosis Session
2. Cultivating Positive Self-Talk
20 minutes of journaling
Each morning I would follow my mediation with journalling any thoughts or revelations that came through to me. I also looked back through previous entries and set goals for the future. With a clear noggin’ and having just opened up the subconscious mind, I felt that my journaling became more powerful and authentic then previously. Also a fan of pulling tarot cards! See photo below.
25 minutes of creativity- at least
This one was huge. Getting out some paints and pastels and letting my hand flow without judgment or regret. My family and I giggled at what became of these drawings, which I loved and was able to do because I had no attachment to them. It was merely a release of energy and sparking my creative side. That accompanied by singing along to the A Star Is Born soundtrack, made for a pretty great Saturday.
30+ minutes in nature
For me, this came in the form of swimming. Allowing myself to be a kid splashing around in the water, swimming to the dock and back. I could pretty much feel my cortisol melting away. Whether you’re walking along the beach or forest, try your best to act on your childlike impulses. Maybe this is jumping over a log and playing tag with your siblings, or skipping rocks along the water. On a day to day basis, we tend to be very methodical and tightly wound. Simple acts like this give us the tiniest reminder to have fun in this process we call life.
If you were to do all of these tasks in your day, the total time would be 1 hour 45 minutes. If you’re awake for let’s say 12 hours (I’m being generous here as we’re referring to your vacation sleep schedule) that means you still have 10 hours and 15 minutes to anything and everything else.
Of course, all of these practices came with drinking plenty of water (no coffee- short term goals for long term results people!), eating 80% good wholesome healthy food. We also had a couple of glasses of wine over dinner and a few cookies and dark chocolate for dessert. It doesn’t have to be perfect. I just urge you to keep the big picture in mind. How do you want to come out of this weekend? For me, it was clearing up all the issues stated at the beginning of this blog and boy, did it pay off.
Two of my favourite weekend recipes. Vegan sushi & Mediterranean Hummus dip
Bringing it home
The hardest part, bringing these tools back home with you. You may not be able to dedicate a full 1 hour and 45 minutes every day to these self-care practices but maybe it’s 1 or 2. For me, it’s the gratitude practice and meditation practice daily (if not in the morning, at night, sometimes both) and daily journaling. I implement the creativity and walks in nature weekly which I hadn’t been doing further contributing to my burn out.
I hope that every once in a while you’re able to pull up this blog and dedicate a couple of days to reconnecting. A mini-retreat brought to you by your highest badass self.
As always, if you’re ever searching for outside support, I am here for ya sis!
All the peace and love to you beautiful!
