Do you find you lose track of which day it is? Is every day starting to feel the same? Are you losing the joy or adventure in life (and in your business)?
I think I can help.
It’s our natural reaction to resist what we don’t like, what doesn’t feel good. And there’s been a lot this year to not feel good about; closures, virus, social unrest, political polarity, fires and environmental upheaval. It may seem like there’s no where to go and nothing new to do.
It’s no surprise we would attempt to create some amount of control in our own worlds and containment of those parts of our world that just don’t jive with who we are and our vision for life.
And…what do we know about what, we resist? That’s right….it persists. And not only does it persist, but the harder we push away, the more vividly it pushes back so it appears to grow.
The alternative, is we turn away, hunker down, do our best to go on as if it didn’t exist for us. But…you see this is becoming a theme…it seems to grow as well; or… we become somewhat “flat-lined”, losing our energy all the while as we do our best to “hold it at bay”. For those who choose this route they may be feeling varying shades of minor (to major) depression, anxiety, frustration, edginess, teariness, irritation.
So maybe you are noticing some of that a bit? If so, you are not alone.
I have several ideas to help if every day is beginning to seem like every other:
- Lean In
The temptation is to turn away, don’t look, don’t feel. What I’m advocating is grabbing a big ol’ flashlight and flood the situation with light, curiosity, and determination to see what is really going on.
The fastest way to get somewhere useful with this kind of self-examination is to ask yourself, “what do I need?” Keep asking until you get some answers. Keep asking until you get some deeper answers, the kind that can make a difference.
You may be so disconnected from your body that you don’t realize you need hydration, supplementation (vitamin D anyone?) or rest. Or your soul may be crying out (too quietly) for time to move, listen to music, connect more deeply with another human (or nature) you trust, express yourself creatively or simply pause to sink inward and just “be”.
Listen to your body, your emotions; first. Then listen to the thoughts in your head. They all have guidance, but it’s more helpful to let them all contribute together. - Find a New Horizon
It may seem counter intuitive to be looking toward a future in a time we’re all just trying to get by, but I encourage you to stretch and consider a fresh vision for where you want to be, for who you want to be, and the life you want.
Pole vaulters are coached to think at least 6 inches beyond the mark they are aiming for. Bill Murray escaped his personal Groundhog Day when he stopped trying to escape and instead used it to become a new person.
When you become clear on what you, personally value, what you prefer, your vision for your life and even the horizon beyond that, it can ignite a fresh energy to guide you and you can feel like you are “moving” again. - Engage Your Creativity to Have What You Want in New Ways
Can’t go to the beach? Could you pull out the beach towels, install a full spectrum light bulb, put on the Beach Boys, and facetime a friend to hang at the “beach” with you?
Can’t go out on a Friday night? Who says?! My daughter and her friends turned their kitchen into a bar and their living room into a dance floor. They invited their “pod” to dress for the occasion and they posted selfies of the event.
I’ve begun hosting intimate “roundtable” networking meetings on Zoom that have been a huge success. (Let me know if you’d like to attend one, I’ll put you on the invitation list).
There are endless ways we can engage our creativity to create moments, events, and connections never imagined before. Let’s give our minds something useful to do. This is what clears the fog of Groundhog Day Syndrome and begins to bring a wider range of color and experience.
A few tips to get you started:
Get a good nights sleep. It may seem counter-intuitive to my 3 steps above, but each of those steps are more easily accomplished if you are well rested. What creates genuine rest for you? Maybe you need to plan an hour before bed to begin winding down. My nighttime routine includes turning off or covering all electronics (so I can sleep in full darkness), time to gently stretch, 10 minutes of breathwork, counting my “gratitudes”, a hot-bag for my feet (heaven) and marking any last minute “to do”s that I need to start with the next day. As this has become a ritual, it now helps me turn from the doing of the day to the resting of the night.
Plan, and take “restorative time”. This doesn’t have to take a whole day, or even half the day. But at regular intervals, take time to break away, look up, take a walk or stretch, enjoy nature somehow (a bird feeder, gardening indoors or out, even looking at photos of nature are helpful), put on some music and dance it out, or read something inspiring to you. For those of you with pets…well, you know what to do. For those of you who play instruments, allow the instrument to “take you” somewhere. My friend, Kathy Magnusson, calls these “soul snacks”. If taking these moments for yourself produces anxiety or worry, take a moment to gently and intentional rock from side to side or back and forth; wrapping your arms around your chest or belly help even more.
Ask for help (before you need it). Reach out to a trusted friend, mentor, partner or coach. Ask them to help you find at least 2 activities, that fit for you, to keep your energy “up” and your days purposeful.
Cut yourself some slack. If it doesn’t work for some reason, you can’t bring yourself to get creative, and your day feels more grey than ever, let yourself off the hook. This isn’t a race. This is a much longer adventure. Tomorrow is a new day. Today, could you find some peace with yourself and open to the possibility that tomorrow could hold something new?
Final thoughts:
These don’t just feel like trying times, they are trying times. But trying times bring opportunities, fresh approaches, build inner muscles and clarity about what we truly do want in our life this time around. Rather than trying to “get out” of the same day over and over, can you embrace where you are and get creative? I’m here to help. Comment, share and reach out if you need support.