Well, we’re already four months into 2019! For me, that means having already done some new exciting projects and planning many others. But also that I’ve been all go, go, go – as probably have you. So sometimes the feeling you’re a bit stuck and out of energy does hit – do you agree? We tend to plough through daily life, without stopping to breathe and take a pause. If this sounds like a familiar issue, you may want to consider these three signs you need a break. Here are some personal suggestions on how to recognise these signs, and how to quickly get back on track!
Waking up in the morning is a huge chore
I’m not talking about being too lazy to get out of your comfortable, cosy and warm bed. Who doesn’t have that moment in the morning? I’m talking about the genuine feeling that it’s impossible to get up, as if you didn’t have the sheer strength for it.
Perhaps you feel tired and sleepy all day, which hinders your ability to be productive and efficient. Yet once it’s nighttime, you find it impossible to close your eyes and fall asleep – and you end up being stuck in a vicious circle of frustration.
You constantly focus on the past and the future, but never on the present
In any of the tasks you carry out daily, you can’t help but focus on something other than what you are currently doing. At work, it might be worrying about your boss’s feedback. In your relationships, you constantly go over things said and done. In any case, you never put your attention into what you are doing, you never enjoy what you are currently experiencing.
You just don’t really care
You may have hit pause on your social life, not replying to calls or answering messages. You find yourself cancelling your long-desired plans and postponing everything you can.
Personal care takes second place, your meals start to be unbalanced if not skipped. The gym subscription card you were so proud of buying a few months ago remains untouched.
My solutions to get back on track
Do something crazy
The idea behind this is to do something that you don’t think you’re capable of, or something you’re too scared to do. In other words, something that takes you out of your comfort zone.
For instance, if you’re not really comfortable with strangers, why wouldn’t you say a warm and nice hello to the cashier at your supermarket? Alternatively, set yourself a challenge at the gym even if you don’t feel like going. Try to beat your personal record at your favourite sport. Or call that friend you should have called weeks ago but never managed to.
Set yourself manageable tasks, which are still small challenges. And if you don’t succeed immediately, try again. Once you’re there, you will feel amazing and be so proud of yourself. You will strive for more and this will help you go in the right direction!
For instance, why not try a naked yoga class?
Be grateful and mindful
Stuck in your daily grind, you probably never stop to focus on what you’re grateful for. So start with very simple things: ‘I’m grateful that I’m alive’, ‘I’m grateful I feel air on my skin’, ‘I’m grateful to hear this bird sing’. The more you do this exercise, the more it will come naturally to appreciate things. If every morning you take five minutes to be grateful, you create positive energy to help you keep going for the rest of the day.
Try also to be mindful, which means being aware of what you are currently doing. If you’re eating, don’t watch YouTube or read your emails at the same time. Instead, focus on the food you’re tasting. Be attentive to the experience. The same goes for any daily activity. Take some time to step back and fully appreciate what you’re doing.
Do yoga and meditate
For me, yoga and meditation are the best way to disconnect. By going to a yoga class, you clearly let your mind know that you are taking time for yourself, whether it agrees or not. Choose a more energetic style of yoga, like Vinyasa, if you would like to move a lot and feel powerful. Or go for a slower type of yoga, like Yin, if you’d like to feel super comfortable and incredibly relaxed. In any case, the point is in trying to be present in the practice. Eventually, you will get inspired to improve every time you go, which will nurture a virtuous circle.
Doing yoga is so helpful to acknowledge your existence, your body and its needs, that I simply can’t think of a better way to unwind. So if you recognise you may be in need of a break, it’s certainly the path to reach that balance you’ve been striving for.
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