Beyond exhausted.
Does anyone out there feel fully energised? Anyone feel like doing cartwheels down the street? Or like most people I know and speak to, do you feel sluggish and exhausted? Feel like you’re running on empty lunging from one sad conversation to another? And when you sit down to watch the TV or listen to the radio, it’s all doom and gloom? Well, you are NOT alone.
Life is really tough at the moment. We thought the pandemic ending would ease things a bit but then along comes a war, cost of living crisis and for a lot of people, myself included, COVID!! I am under no illusions that my energy levels were depleted so a week after I tested negative again, my energy levels are nowhere near where they should be so personally, I’m going into Coaching mode to see if I can share any pockets of wisdom.
Acceptance.
Let us accept that life is tough. Let us accept that we are exhausted. We have had more thrown at us in the last 2 years than possibly we ever have. Telling yourself to be thankful for what you have got doesn’t help. Would you speak to your best friend like that? A lot of people are very good at being very kind to others but now is the time we need to be kind to ourselves. Because that kindness is needed, and we can control it. And we can crank it up for when we need it, even more, dialing back down on those good days or even good moments.
Control.
What can we control? I would recommend you write this down. Grab a large piece of paper, draw a circle in the middle, and put in that circle what you can control, right now. Anything however small or large put it in that circle. Put around the edges what you cannot control. And then focus on the inner circle. Where our thoughts go, energy flows. Or so they say. Read it, feel it, embrace it and feel proud that you’ve given yourself 15 minutes to just breathe and focus. The eye will naturally be drawn towards the circle, focusing on what you can control. What time you go to bed, what food you put in your body, what media exposure you have. And update this as frequently as you need to.
Action.
I am not going to sit here and tell you what to do or how to feel. Because a good coach doesn’t tell you what to do. A good coach gives you a safe space, the time to think and as a result, you deep down usually know what you need. And with probing questions, challenges, or gentle nudges, what is needed is found. Do not think that Coaches are superhuman and that we do not feel exhausted at times and overwhelmed. I can vouch for the fact that I absolutely do. But I know quicker than I used to, how to get back to what I need to do. And once I shake this pesky fatigue post-Covid, my next session with my coach will give me what I need to move forward.
So, I hope some of this resonates with you and maybe even helps. I spoke to a friend in April 2020 who said the problem will be coming out of the pandemic and returning to normal. Never did I imagine those words to be so true. And if you still feel a little bit lost after reading this, if you do one thing, ask for help. From a friend, colleague, family member, stranger, me, anybody. You are not going through this on your own. There is a world of people struggling at the moment and if we pull together, and show compassion for ourselves and others, we will turn a corner. And hopefully, there is a world of kindness and calm around there.
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