It's OK not to be OK!
Do you ever have days where no matter what you do you just feel low? You can't shake your mood, you feel tired & you seem to get nothing done? You see other people looking happy & sharing positive material & it pisses you off! Everyone gets on your nerves! The day is a slog, you feel useless & you can't wait for the day to end so you can go to bed!
I get it! I have these days too! Yes, really! I am human!
It's totally normal to feel shitty from time to time & that's OK! If we didn't experience low mood, sadness or down days we wouldn't recognise feelings of joy, excitement or happiness on the good days!
However!
I want to ask you an important question! How long do you allow your 'funk' or low mood to go on? (Notice I use the wording 'allow' as being in this mood is ultimately a choice!)
It's OK to have some off days but be careful they don't slip into bad weeks, months or even longer! Are you even aware of it or do you just blame other people for it? Do you wonder what may be causing it or do you you just accept that this is just how life is?
You might be quick to blame the weather, your kids, your spouse, your boss, the news, social media or someone else or something else, things might be stressful for you right now, you may be concerned about something however ultimately how we choose to react & respond to circumstances & events in our life will effect how we think, act & feel.
One of my strengths is that I am quick to recognise if I'm in a funk & I look for possible causes & solutions that may help. This is why most of the time I am in high spirits!
Some of these include -
- Am I tired/have I over done it? Too may late nights & not enough sleep = Rest
- What am I eating? (Yes food has an impact on how we feel & our energy levels) If I find I'm reaching for convenience, easy food or sugary stuff it's time to make some changes! = Take some time to plan meals & snacks that are healthy, enjoyable & nutritious
- Have I exercised? When things get busy I can often put working out on the back burner! I find when this happens I become less productive = Schedule some home workouts to up the endorphins!
- Social Media overload - This is a biggie for me & for many people I know. The apps on our phones are designed to grab our attention. The designers want us to spend as much time on them as we can so they have been designed in such a way that they become addictive! As I run my businesses through social media I can sometimes find I slip into a social media black hole & before I know it an evening has been wasted & I feel like shit! To combat this my phone has no notifications anymore & it is often on silent or aeroplane mode (hence if you know me & you reach out to me, you very rarely get an instant response!) I admit I still can get distracted by social media once I am on it, even for business as different things pop up, notifications fly around & one video turns into 10! I'm aware of it though so if I catch myself I put my phone away or turn it onto aeroplane mode! Try it!
How am I feeling about me? If you leave your feelings to chance, have them dictated by society or find yourself constantly comparing yourself to others chances are you will feel pretty rubbish! I am aware that we have full control of our mind & the thoughts we create ultimately determine our feelings. For these to be positive & empowering WE need to be the ones deciding them, not others = Take time to highlight your strengths! If you struggle with this ask someone you trust to tell you your strengths! You have many!
How am I feeling in general? If it is still a bit 'blah' then turn to gratitude! We take soooo much for granted every single day that when we really start to count our blessings & learn more about the art & practise of gratitude our lives can change beyond recognition. Think its a load of flaff? Then definitely try it!
My last tip would be to speak to someone! Call a friend or arrange to go out for a coffee or dinner. Even jumping on a Facetime call & having a chat (not to have a moan fest!! Keep it light hearted & fun!) will help you to feel better in yourself.
The important thing is that when you are in a low mood, don't be hard on yourself! We all those days! Be kind, reflect, take a bit of time out & look for ways to change things up! You always have a choice!
So here's to the days when we wake up feeling amazing! Our morning goes super well, we feel energised & ready for the day, we have clear intentions, we're productive, we get lots of things done, we even manage to boss being a mum (if you have kids) and we end the day on a complete high!
We can all do it!
The choice is yours!
I'd love to hear how you get yourself out of your 'funk' & change things up!
Share in the comments & be sure to like & share this post with others!
With thanks & good vibes
Louise xx