The Hard Shift
I once tried to learn how to drive a manual transmission truck. After a crash course, I took the truck on to the road to give it a whirl. Overall shifting up and down gears was pretty easy, but I struggled going from a dead stop shifting into first gear. I would kill the engine after stopping at a light, and inevitably, the drivers behind me would start honking at me as I tried again to get it into first gear. Being stressed and flustered didn’t make it things any easier.
Do you ever have days that feel like that? Like you just can’t get it into first gear?
You wake-up and all you want to do is just stay in bed under the blankets. Maybe it was the being out late and third margarita the night before, or perhaps you’ve just been under a lot of stress and you just can’t seem to get it together to fight the good fight.
- Rather than struggling through a miserable day,
use my three-part formula to get yourself out of this funk and into gear:
- Get It Out. You’ve most likely got some negative thoughts lurking in your head or perhaps some feelings bottled up inside. Take some time to get it out through talking with a friend or journaling, and bring it to your awareness. Only then can you be mindful of shifting your thoughts and feelings into more a positive, supportive, encouraging space.
- Get Moving – Literally. Go for a walk, do some yoga, hit the gym – anything to get your body moving. Exercise helps you reduce anxiety and the stress hormone cortisol (the one that gives you belly fat…) and detox “the yuckies”. Not only that, it will increase your energy, elevate your mood, and help clear your mind to focus.
- Feed Your Soul. You can’t run an engine on empty. If your soul’s fuel tank is running low, it’s time to fill-up. Indulge in some yummy self-care, read an inspiring book, listen to some uplifting music, meditate, commune with your higher power – do whatever it is you know to do to fill-up your heart and feed your soul.
The super secret tip to making this formula work:
*Don’t give up: Be very gentle, patient, and compassionate with yourself when you’re in a funk, but that doesn’t mean letting yourself off the hook. Sometimes it takes me an hour, other times it take me until evening to go through these steps and fully shift gears from funk to fabulous. With a little extra TLC and self-encouragement, you can absolutely get yourself back in alignment and have a great rest of the day.
