You feel stuck. You’re working crazy hours, commuting almost two hours a day like a sardine. When you even think about how little left there is in 2019 you can feel your blood pressure rising. Maybe you have kids you had to drop off to school on the way in. Maybe one of them wasn’t feeling well but you took the chance and sent them in the hope they’ll survive the day and you won’t get the dreaded call from their teacher. Maybe you don’t have kids but you went out last night, drank all the wine and smoked 100 cigarettes, got in at 2 am and had to rush in this morning because you almost slept through your alarm. You have eaten shite all day and your skin is crispy and dry from dehydration. If you wear makeup, it’s sitting on the top of your skin. We have all been there sis.
You are tired, demotivated and quite frankly unhappy. You don’t feel fit or healthy. You barely have time in the day to eat lunch, so how are you going to manage a workout? Who’s abs blast should you try? What is the latest fad diet? Mary from Accounts met you at the printer earlier and mentioned a Netflix documentary she watched the other night. 'That's it, I'm going plant-based. Don't let me look at another ham sandwich again'. Who should you believe? Who should you follow out of the millions of Instagram influencers and their tiny unrealistic bodies? Why is Kayla Itsines always a sponsored ad on your feed even though you unfollowed her? You don’t have the brain space to reply to your best friend who’s been sat on read for 3 days not to mind getting your head around all of this. You have googled tips on how to live a healthier life and but you’re completely overwhelmed by all the information online, it's conflicting, confusing and none of it sticks.
Start small, find a reliable source to follow (Women's and Men's Health mags are always a safe place to start). You can find highly regarded nutritionists or coaches online. You will quickly sniff out the poor ones who only care about their own image versus your health or goals. Make sure the source of your information is legit and without any hidden motive. It's difficult not to believe a well made Netflix documentary, but the facts need to be right.
You are never too old to change your habits or your life. I am positive with some reflection and space you can really turn things around. It takes time, discipline and patience. If you do one thing today, buy a book (something to inspire you) or download a podcast and go on a nice long walk. Think about what direction you want to go with your life because this is the deciding point. Before you know it, ten years will have gone by.
Your beliefs are what control your life from a very young age. They shape all our thoughts and behaviours. The average person has 75,000 thoughts a day. 91% are exactly the same as the day before. It isn’t too difficult to see how people get stuck in the same spot in their life. Let’s try and be more aware of our thoughts and I truly believe if you invest in yourself in the right way, a tiny thing each day is the key to changing your life. If you are unhappy, begin to put some small steps in place to create that change because it's down to you. It's the compound effect (great book).
I've heard of people keeping gratitude journals, personally I have not tried this but have heard great things especially if you are in a funk. For me, after a lot of effort through the years I very often in a state of being grateful. I think when we see all the negative things in the world today it’s important to really recognise what we have in our lives. It requires a shift in your mindset, look at what you have in your life (the good things hun) and take a moment to acknowledge and be grateful for them.
Try a new class, go for a short run (try couch to 5k) or take a long walk in the country. If you are scared that is ok, just embrace the feeling and I promise you'll be so happy you tried it. It literally starts with one decision. Speak to someone who inspires you and ask for their advice. Watch a documentary, download Audible or again listen to a podcast (I can recommend my faves, go to my running blog post and scroll to the bottom). Take a nice hot bath with some calming music (maybe have some chocolate ice cream in there too). Be kind to yourself and for the love of God, get some rest. You’ll see the change, it won’t even take that long. Be patient with it. It is the choices we make that can determine our health and happiness.