It turns out those oh-so cliched phrases such as ‘this too shall pass’ are true!
I haven’t been my best self lately. I’m exhausted. I’m short and irritable. And I’m brain fogged.
My best friend and I always joke that we need a little 10 year nap and we’ll be just fine. But these days who get’s 10 minutes of nap time nevermind 10 hours, let alone more.
It’s been real the past few months. I got Covid in September (and had to deal with long Covid), then I injured my knee which stopped me training completely (you can imagine what an uhappy Lisa that makes) and work (in addition to my work in my own books and courses, I write for team Whale) went to a whole new level. On top of this I’ve been frantically trying to finish my novel.
I don’t care who you are, I’m sure there’s been something ‘real’ that went down for you in 2022 or perhaps is still going down.
Sometimes it just feels all too much right?
What’s worse is that it’s usually a downward spiral when things are going wrong; you feel bad so you tend to be more negative and don’t keep up the habits that make you feel good and so it goes.
Whilst I’m a firm believer in having a good cry, sometimes that just doesn’t help.
Here are a few things I’ve found to help.
Apply the rule of 1
The truth is that most of the time you just need to do 1 thing. We get so overwhelmed with tomorrow or how we’re going to do something when there’s so many steps still to go that it becomes too much.
Bring it back down to 1. Can you do 1 cup of coffee? 1 breath? 1 hour? Just this 1 task? Do this 1 and then you’ll think about the next.
It reminds me of this quote by Zig Ziglar
“The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs, one step at a time.”
This too shall pass – and other cliche phrases to remember
“This too shall pass” is a phrase that is often used to provide comfort and reassurance in difficult times. The phrase suggests that even the most challenging and difficult situations will eventually come to an end, and that it is important to remain hopeful and resilient in the face of adversity. The idea of “this too shall pass” has been expressed in many different ways throughout history, and it is often seen as a reminder to stay strong and persevere, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.
It’s funny how these things pop into my head at the oddest of times but apart from “This too shall pass”, I love;
- When you’re going through hell, keep going
- It always seems impossible until it’s done
- “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible!” by Audrey Hepburn
- When life gives you lemos, make lemonade
And my personal favorite
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain”
I’ll write more about this one next…
Find purpose in the pain
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain”.
I’ve been trying to put this one into practice more and more but mentally saying to myself “this is a gift”. And boy sometimes is it tough! I love these helpful steps by Limor Weinstein of Bespoke Wellness which included;
- Acknowledgment
- Asking for help
- And taking action
As humans we tend to want to live in optimal state; perfect weight, relationship, homem career etc but that’s impossible because life isn’t like that. Life throws curve balls. I often wonder why we aren’t taught at school ‘problem solving ability’ or a specific class on ‘facing challenges’ because that’s life.
How do we deal with it when love ends? Or someone passes away? Or we don’t get the promotion we wanted? Or we’re sick or injured?
Certainly these are not gifts?
No, I would never imagine that someone getting cancer is a gift but perhaps not landing the job you really wanted, could be. Often we only see the gifts years down the line so it requires faith and self compassion.
I loved my conversation recently with Ariane Lüthi on how she used long Covid to start a professional development cycling team.
It was a similar conversation with Chanelle Zackey-Prinsloo who 6 years ago put together a mentorship program at Scuderia Ferrari after her own experience of battling to get work experience post-university.
If you’re going through a challenge, I have no doubt whatsoever that sometime down the line, you will harness that to bring good to your life or the lives of those around you.
So keep the faith.
Do something small to make you happy
Just today I woke up with a sore throat. I drowned in my to-do list and then I decided to go out and buy some faerie lights for my little tree. I changed my whole day. I felt happy and like my usual self again.
Sometimes we think we need to get that elusive thing we’ve been chasing for 100 years to make us happy; the final weight goal, the house, the car, the job, the relationship but it isn’t true.
Research has shown that happiness is fleeting. Even if and when we achieve the things we’ve been chasing, we don’t stay happy for long.
It’s the little things;
- A warm cup of coffee in the morning
- A hug from a loved one
- A walk on a sunny day after a long stretch of rain
- A good book to get lost in
- Your favorite sheets on your bed
- A favorite song that brings back memories
- A handwritten note from a friend
- A perfectly ripe avocado
- A day off from work to relax and recharge.
Try to do something, however small, each day or week to make you happy.
Look back at 2022 and celebrate
“We all want to be successful in our goals but along the journey to reaching our big and ambitious goals, we can feel demotivated sometimes. This is why celebrating small wins along the way is so important in giving us motivation to push through difficulties and move forward.” Leon Ho, Founder & CEO of Lifehack
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by everything that’s going on in the world and in your own life. And there’s probably so much going on at the moment that you haven’t had 5 seconds to breathe. But make an hour sometime this December or January to reflect on how far you’ve come.
Or course you learned lessons and yes you have a long list of objectives for 2023 but use the victories as stepping stones to achieving more, not as evidence of what you didn’t achieve.
Add a good dose of self compassion
IF you’re sick, you take vitamins or meds right? Well if your soul is sick or you feel sad, add some self compassion.
If you haven’t seen this yet then I highly recommend checking it out but I leave you with this thought…
Read Naomi’s post here.
On this happy note, I wish you and your families every blessing these holidays. Take a moment to breathe and just ‘be’.
And I’ll see you for another round soon.