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Even those of us blessed with sunny Queensland winters can be affected by the cold and shorter days, and the nasty germs flying around that leave you feeling tired and miserable. So it’s even more important during these months to look after yourself, even if you have a demanding family, career or business. Seriously, you can’t afford not to! There are plenty of experts on nutrition, exercise and medicine, so these 5 tips concern your mindset, so you will take advantage of that other expert advice.
- Put your own oxygen mask on first. You’ve heard it before, but pause a moment and consider what that really means. If you haven’t been sensible about self-care, you’ll pass out, become a hindrance, probably die, without being able to help those you really care for. You know it’s so much easier to do it all when you’re able to breathe, on a daily basis.
- Give yourself permission. Permission to say yes to yourself, no to others. Or no to yourself from love not punishment (that extra glass of wine comes to mind). Permission to give your body what it needs to perform well for you – nutrition, movement, rest, water. Permission to continue learning and growing, not expecting yourself to know how to do absolutely everything first go. Permission to make mistakes, learn and move on. Permission to leave the chores and have fun.
- Live by your values. Decide what is really important to you, across all areas of your life, and make decisions based on that. People generally and naturally have their own agenda and self-interests in focus, so ensure their agendas don’t override yours. It’s OK to say no. (See Points 1 & 2)
- Stop expecting perfection. Perfection can sometimes be found in Nature, but never in humans. Just like in the natural world, aim for progress, to the best of your ability, and let that good or great be enough. “Holding your ground in a hurricane is progress.” Unknown
- Be present and supportive. The past and future only exist in your head. The only moment that is real is the present, so live in the present, taking actions to bring you closer to the future you desire. Mind your self-talk and the (horror/fantasy) stories you tell yourself. Self-talk is self-programming, so what are you talking yourself into?
Integrating these tips into your daily life will make a difference to how you feel and show up in the world. You’ll feel healthier, more confident and connected, and happier. There will always be ups and downs, cold and hot times in your life. You can’t control it all, but you can control how you choose to respond. The more self-care you’ve practised the easier it is to flow, and surf those waves rather than flounder, gasping for air. If you need help fine-tuning your mindset, ask for help from an expert mindset coach.