Why is it that we seem to lose track of our positive daily practices just when we need them the most?
We all have things that get us down. We make mistakes, get sick or something can happen that is beyond our control. These things can take us temporarily off our path. The good practices and positive habits we were nurturing and were working for us drop by the wayside and the doubt and fear creep in. Productivity diminishes and this feeds the doubt and the spiral goes down the hill.
How can we hold on to our best habits even when we get derailed, depressed or lack energy?
For me jumping back in as soon as possible makes a difference. But, I also think we must take a bit of time to mourn the setback, recover from being sick or even take time for a loved one in need. Then we must jump back in as soon as possible to our best practices. Even if it is only for 5 minutes a day, set that time aside for yourself, then next week add 5 minutes and so on. Put the time for yourself in your calendar, set an alarm, do whatever it takes to notice yourself and take care of yourself.
We all know that exercise builds confidence and energy. So, we need to make time for it. We know that eating well and actually taking time to eat helps us feel healthy and mentally alert. We must make time for this. Hydration is imperative for optimum performance, no matter what we do. Let’s pay attention to this.
There is a kind of stigma around taking care of ourselves first. We are taught that self-care is selfish. However, if we don’t take care of ourselves then we can’t be there for the other people in our lives.
A few of my favorite quick tips for getting out of that rut as quickly as possible:
- Talk to your good friends.
- Start recording your wins.
- Do 5 minutes of exercise first thing in the morning before you get lost in the day. Add to it over time, because it feels good.
- Spend one healthy meal with yourself (and others) daily
- Drink water, add lemon, mint, cucumber whatever makes you happy, drink water
- Change all self-talk to positive self-talk; I can’t do this becomes I can’t do this yet, or who can help me with this, or how can I figure out how to do this. It might be difficult when you start noticing all of the negative self-talk, but it is necessary to notice it if you want to change it!
Please feel free to share your good ideas about getting out of a rut with me at [email protected]