Listening to my Body & Joyful Small Wins!

Ever had one of those weeks?

It’s been a doozy… well, nothing over the top (thank GOD!) but just a week that I had planned to get a lot done and then there was….. hormonal joy (NOT), exhaustion and not feeling physically well. Big sigh.

When I have a plan to get a lot accomplished on a particular project and I don’t feel physically up to it, I have a bunch of choices I can make. Of course, as each day goes by and I still don’t feel up to the tasks, I can make new choices in each moment..

Below are the different ones I made throughout the week:

1)      Give in, cut the cord and rest. If I’m really physically not well, I do listen to my body and relax. It’s all about me-time. I’ll make myself tea, take a salt bath and do a short meditation… things like that.

2)      Write down all that IS going well with my life and all I’m grateful for. Stay in gratitude and know “this too shall pass.”

3)      Rest but not too much because I feel guilty and bad that I couldn’t or didn’t push through. So I’m not really resting and not really getting much accomplished. (NOT a good choice but sometimes I go there)

4)      Get out of the house or office to clear my head, absorb energy from nature and allow my body to be regenerated. Years ago when my mom was still here and I felt stuck, she used to say “get out of your four walls.” Many times just getting out, switching your mental focus and taking in the sensory information in front of you (mindfulness practice) can really give you a boost.

5)      Take the easier path for a “joyful small win” that builds momentum. If I’m needing a lot of energy for a new project but I really don’t have it within me, I can switch course and do something easy that I naturally like to do that will bear fruit in the future!

• I employed this technique yesterday. Since I clearly wasn’t working on my main project (I didn’t have the brain power), I thought about what I LIKE to do and what’s easy for me.  Since I love to research new retreat locations and it’s fun, I spent 5 hours joyfully putting together an awesome future retreat idea. It wasn’t exactly my goal this week but I’m excited about it and it will bear fruit later on. The best part is that I felt productive but didn’t push my body. It was easy and I felt good about myself during and after.

I say all this because it’s so important to listen to your body and spirit. It’s also essential to be kind and compassion with yourself when you really need it.

When I was in a bit of a funk, I thought “what would my mom tell me right now?” I do this a lot. If you have someone in your life that always had/has your best interest at heart, think of what advice they would give.

So… basically I made all the above choices this week. Choice 2 wasn’t good but luckily I didn’t stay in that one too long. The truth was that I didn’t feel well this week. It’s OK. I’ll get more stuff done next week.

We have to be kinder to ourselves. We have to stop beating ourselves up for not being insanely productive every moment of our lives.

It’s easy to get into comparing ourselves with others who seem to be doing it all (on FB or Insta) and then feel bad that we’re not doing the same. It’s BS. Nobody is happy all of the time. No one is productive all of the time. There are cycles and we must listen to our bodies. If we don’t, we will create insane stress and serious physical depletion. Use these de-stressing techniques for self-care.

We are all on different paths and are doing our best. Sometimes, it’s good to push ourselves and other times, it’s good to listen to our bodies and stop the push.

When I can, I employ what I call “10% better.” I ask myself “What can I do right now to make myself feel 10% better?” When you lift your spirit a tad, then it’s quite possible to lift it another 10% etc. Baby steps my friend.

If you find yourself having one of those weeks, make loving choices for yourself. They can be moment-to-moment choices or each day, you can make a new one. The key is to find ways to be loving to yourself and boost your energy little by little. Because next week, you’ll be ready to go!

You are a choicemaker! Every day you have the power to make a positive choice. If you find yourself in the middle of a depleting choice, switch course and make one that will nourish your body and spirit!