I don’t know about you but in previous years when the Christmas parties have ended, the chocolates have all been eaten, my trousers are feeling tighter and the cheer has disappeared I find it hard to get myself motivated. I see all the posts about setting your resolutions, about creating the new you and start to feel pressure because I am not conforming; which if I am not careful will drag me down further.
So what do you do when you have lost your New Year, New You Mojo?
Here are my 5 tips to banish those January Blues:
1. Take the pressure off...
Resolutions don’t have to start on 1st January, if you want to set yourself a challenge and objective you will have more success if you start when you are feeling energised, when you feel committed and have a clear reason for doing it.
So if now is not the time its ok, let it go, after all who said everything has to start on January 1st! Instead get active go for a walk, take yourself down the gym, we all know how exercising can be the key to feeling better in ourselves. Try this trick, before you head out list 5 benefits/feelings you will get from going to the gym or taking that walk. Once you have completed your workout remind yourself that you have now created these 5 benefits/feelings and decide when you will next work out.
2. Watch the negative chit chat...
So you are feeling fat, you argued with your relatives and all the thought you put in to buying those Christmas presents didn’t seem appreciated. Your idea of the perfect Christmas was shattered! Maybe you find yourself making comparisons with friends and other families who seemed to have the perfect Christmas. But remember this, you are only considering one aspect of their life and the picture they painted.
STOP! This negative thinking and negative talk is not helping you. What we focus on expands, so when you focus on all that went wrong we have the ability to pull ourselves into a negative downward spiral as our subconscious brain stores this negative thinking. Your subconscious brain also controls your emotions so if you fill it with negative stuff it will pull you into a negative mood. We have to focus on balancing our subconscious and conscious mind. The conscious mind is your logic and reasoning. It controls your actions and intentions of the present moment. Start to become aware of when you are talking or thinking negatively about yourself, so you can use the conscious part of the brain to deal with it. Make an intention to stop focusing on the negative or making those comparisons. Ask yourself what value is it serving by giving this negative thought your focus? And physically change what you are doing, get up move around and make that cup of tea. Instead focus on what you have, not what you don’t. Take a moment to acknowledge the positive things in your life, your successes and the people who support you. If you focus on what you don’t have rather than what you do have you will always be left feeling unfulfilled and a failure.
3. Set your daily routine...
How you finish your day and start your next morning will set the tone for the rest of the day. Think about it for a moment, have you had one of those days when you are ploughing through your to do list? The likelihood is that you kick started (maybe unknowingly) your day by the actions you took the night before and in those first few hours after you got up.
My evening routine consists of me thinking of what I am grateful for during the day and what three things I want to achieve the next day. I literally do this before I switch the light off. I then have set myself a positive mind before going to bed which helps with my sleep and I am clear about my objectives for the next day. When I wake up, I get up, (I am not a snoozer, as I don’t find this restful, how does it help constantly thinking ‘oh god I’ve got to get up in 20 minutes, I’ve only got another 10 mins and so on…?’ I have my cup of tea, drink two glasses of water to make sure I start the day hydrated, breakfast and shower. I feel refreshed and ready to start the day and am ready to start on my three intentions I set the night before.
4. Find your energy boosters and stay away from those energy drainers!...
We all have them those family and friends who are negative nellies. Bless them! You know the ones who are continually moaning about something, whether it’s the weather, the Government or the traffic. If you are struggling to find your mojo being around these people can hold you back. Let’s be realistic though, I’m not saying don’t ever see these people again but maybe just look at how you can limit your interaction with them while you are feeling defunct yourself! Instead look for those friends, family members, your gym buddies who are cheerful, who are supportive and spend time with them. Make some plans with your energy boosters and inject some fun into your life, let their enthusiasm and energy infuse you.
5. Break it down...
Maybe you do know what you want to do in 2019, but sometimes we can feel overwhelmed when we are facing a big challenge or objective in our lives. People tend to feel overwhelmed because either they feel they don’t know how to do something or because of the sheer volume of action they perceive they need to do. The first thing is to break it down. Just identify three small things you can do today or this week. It may be identifying someone who can help you fill in the knowledge gaps, or it may be tackling the most time sensitive tasks. But by focusing just on these three items it helps you to feel back in control and the momentum of achieving these tasks will carry you on to the next and the next.
If nothing else, then this January when you are struggling to get going, know that you are not alone. Look at this list and select one of these suggestions that you feel is achievable and just go with that. Be assured that I will be with feeling the same and will be working hard putting these tools into place to get my groove back so I can ensure 2019 is a year I can get excited about.
Kerrie Maitland is a Qualified Life Coach and Member of the International Coaching Federation, specialising in career coaching working with individuals or groups. Life can be hard and sometimes we need an independent person to help bring about the changes we want at work, in our careers, business or personal life. Coaching takes a practical and action orientated approach giving you resources to manage your challenges. With a coach you will look at what is holding you back, explore tools to help you manage your fears and remove obstacles and together develop a plan to get you to your desired goal. A coach is a thinking partner that can help keep you on track to achieve the goals you desire. For more information or to contact Kerrie visit www.positivedimensions.co.uk