I've been wanting to write this piece for years and each time I want to begin, I didn't know what to say because I felt so great and couldn't write about getting out of a slump if I wasn't in one. Then when I was going through a slump, I thought I couldn't offer any inspiration or motivation and just generally felt bad for not being a happy person. So, I thought STOP it. This is it. I'm busy getting out of a slump right now and this is the best time to share. Maybe someone out there needs to hear this or even better, I can read this in future and remind myself how to feel better. It's more important for me to be true and authentic anyways.
So here goes:
SEVEN WAYS TO GET OUT OF A SLUMP AND FEEL GREAT
1. MEDITATE
This word is equally overused & misunderstood as much a LOVE, GOD and COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.
How many times in my 'career' have people told me: "I can't meditate", or "I'm not good at meditation" and so they just never attempt it again. Or people think it's this unattainable magic only reserved for mountain goats of India, 80 year old yogis or Persian cats. When a person tells me "I don't have an hour to meditate" I usually reply with "then meditate for 2 hours". First of all, meditation is not complicated and you don't have to sit in terribly uncomfortable positions with your spine as stiff as a golf club. Secondly, honing your thoughts the way sheep dogs excitedly heard their sheep, is no easy task. Simple, but not easy. So chill. It's a practice. And thirdly, you can meditate in as short as 3 minutes and feel great. The magic I find with meditation is that even during times where I feel that I have absolutely zero time to sit still, but then do it, by some miracle I get things done faster, more effectively and end up with more time.
Always wanted a 25hour day? Meditate.
Don't know where to start? Here is a video to help:
2. MOVE YOUR BODY
Your body loves to move. Now, even though you're not your body, you guys are still in this together, so help each other out. As a yoga teacher, people think I get up at 6am, do my daily practice and bounce around town. Sooo far from the truth. Sometimes a few days go by without doing any kind of movement or activity and then when I do get back on my mat, it's like my body is crying tears of joy and shouting "YES". When I don't move, my body is unhappy, it gets stiff, it yearns and begs for some kind of movement. Do yoga, dance, climb, hike, walk, breathe, raise your arms over your head and stretch, roll around on the floor. Just move!
3. LISTEN TO SOMETHING POSITIVE THAT CHEERS YOU UP
Be it uplifting music, an inspirational podcast, a motivational video or whatever has put you in a good mood before. I like to listen to Abraham Hicks's Finding My Core Beliefs:
4. LET'S GET DEEP MAN
Read non-fictional books that affect the spirit and make you think differently than mainstream society and helps you to go from a sheep to a sheep dog (lol). I recommend books by Ekhart Tolle, James Redfield, Richard Bach, Krishnamurti and so many more.
5. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
Seriously. When you're in a crap mood, it feels there is absolutely nothing to be grateful for. Why even live. But dig deep and just find ONE thing you're blessed with, and then find 2 more. And practice gratitude EVERYDAY. Finding things to be grateful for will become easier, you'll find more things faster and life will bring you more things to be grateful for.
6. EAT WELL
Eat as if you actually give a damn. Put good stuff into your body. When one is going through a tough time, all your mind tells you it wants (even though you think your body craves it) is pizza, carbs, cheese, junkfood. Drink more water, let the feeling pass and eat something nutritional.
7. SLEEP WELL
You'll wake up in the same mood you went to bed in. So make the effort to harvest good feelings. And after doing all the things above, let go and get a good night's rest.
Count some sheep. Let go of the sheep.
Photo credits go to:
2cherries Photography
Photo credits go to:
2cherries Photography
