Sometimes we all experiences phases in our lives when everything seems to drag along or harder than usual. In other times we are full of energy and ready to take life by storm. You probably understand already that your energy level and exhaustion does not always correlate to a number of hours you work.
Sometimes you might be drained by other factors. It might even be your personal life that is creating an imbalance. In my experience, most of the issues we face are born in our head. Once we learn to control our thoughts, we can almost control the universe (almost…do not try to challenge me on this one).
Do you remember the last time you almost had a nervous breakdown over a small error you made or the last fight you had with a loved one for something that seemed meaningless in hindsight?
Are you sometimes asking yourself what triggers these emotional reactions when you explode or break into tears out of nowhere? The issue is simpler than you think and at the same time more irrational than you think. It’s probably related to your early childhood. Unless you want to go through a long deep therapeutic process I want to advise you to observe your behavior and your judgment.
There are also a few actions you can take to rid yourself of unnecessary blockages.
Clean up your home and office space
Sometimes we feel blocked because we lost touch with ourselves, with our priorities and our purpose. In that case, it is useless to sit in front of a white sheet of paper ruminating about what we would like to do with our lives. It is better to shift your focus to cleaning up your home and office space. Throw out anything you don’t use or if you feel you will use it again try to put it in your cellar.
Use Housework as a Meditation Practice
Create more balance between your head and your body by going through your household tasks with dedicated Zen-like attitude. Focus fully on the task at hand, let your mind enjoy music or listen to a podcast while you iron shirts, clean the bathroom and do the dishes. You might want to take up a regular practice such as meditation, yoga, aikido or golf.
http://www.agility3.com/blog/learning-golf-rememering-rilke-and-the-secret-to-a-perfect-lawn
Battle Stress by Looking at the Root Cause
If you constantly feel anxious, get too little sleep or you seek distractions with medicines, drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, work and other additions you might want to seek a therapist. In the long run, you will benefit from going through this rough phase but you probably won’t manage alone or without a support group. Maybe it will also help you to follow our advice on how to get in control again when stress weighs you down.
https://globalpeopletransitions.com/when-stress-weighs-you-down-three-quickies-to-get-in-control-again/
Kind regards
Angie Weinberger
PS: If you feel you only need a few small optimizations to claim back your diary you might want to try these seven tips.
Stress written all over your body?
1) Take one hour out of your busy schedule and consult a therapist
2) Go for light exercise rather than the gym such as a daily walk outside
3) Clean up your workspace daily and mono-task
What do you do when you already have a bad day or you are not feeling up to your normal standards?
You start an emotional discussion on a chat until you want to smash your phone in the nearest shop window. The advantage is you can do this on the train. The disadvantage is that your conversation partner might not get the message. If you speak on the phone he or she will hear your tone of voice. I observed a woman getting engaged in a discussion using her other free hand to show her frustration. She seemed unwell. Yet, she went to a meeting. (I had done this so many times in my corporate life that I could relate to her feelings.) She was chatting with her boss and I could tell she was close to crying or shouting out loud.
It also reminded me of my own behavior the day before. I had agreed to do a resume update for a friend but was frustrated because he needed it the same evening and in print. My day was already a bit annoying and then I got angry at myself for lowering my standard and not attending my weekly brain & body remedy (a Bollywood dance class). I skipped the class, went home, did the updates and brought the print-outs to my friend. He was happy. My evening was ruined and my mood as well.
Sometimes we feel that we let other people (relatives, friends, clients) take over our schedule. We do not set clear boundaries and then we are angry. We often cut corners because of “time pressure” or “external circumstances” and then we hate ourselves for not saying “No” earlier.
With clear principles and a bit of distance we can work this out better:
1) Take care of your health first. If you are sick or unwell stay at home and turn off your communication devices. Distance yourself from the stress.
2) Once you feel better see what damage has been done. Was the conference call really that urgent? Did the presentation really save the world?
3) If you know you tend to express your emotions in emails use the “draft” function. Re-read what you wanted to send a few hours later. Tone it down.
4) Delete apps that encourage you to chat unless you want to develop an ulcer or remain in this condition for the rest of your professional life.
Let me know how this went.
Angie
