Be Kind To Yourself.

We have a bit of a rollercoaster ahead!

The unknown looms, and with it comes anxiety, stress and worry.

These pressures can result in us turning to increased alcohol consumption, reduced sleep and poor nutritional intake.

Whilst in the short term, these measures seem natural reactions to stress, they are not without their pitfalls.

Now, before you get too much into “typical CrossFit nerd, bet he’s all functional fitness and full of keto/paleo/vegan self holiness”, I had two moa lagers and the best part of two of Rizzo’s finest pizzas last night!

I’m glad we supported a local business who will probably be doing it tough right now.

Did I feel good during this fast food massacre, you betcha I did.

Did I feel better this morning when I got up to coach, not so much!

There’s No Magic Bullet

The unknown we all face can cause us to lose sight of our normal routines, the kindness we usually show others, and the patience we normally have with simple tasks like driving and grocery shopping.

This combination of factors can see become miserable, stress-filled and unkind to both ourselves and others.

Now, I don’t have a magic bullet to fix all of that, but what you can do is get the ball rolling in the right direction.

Be Kind

We can do this by being kind to ourselves and others

A quick review of the Hutt Community Group on Facebook will demonstrate kindness in buckets.

There’s been talk of street captains to look out for neighbours young and old, assistance notification stickers those in need and/or isolation can use and more.

Our clients see the same. We focus on the high points rather than the low, their successes and goals rather than what they perceive they failed at or where they thought they should have done better.

As a result, our clients are happier and more confident in their daily lives.

How To Start

A gradual increase in treating yourself kindly will see you achieve the same.

Start small and work from there.

1 – Write it down.

A simple way is to journal each night before bed.

First, write down all the things you have to be grateful for (weird I know, but it really works), you’ll have way more than you think.

Second, write down what you’re going to achieve the next day, in order of importance. You’ll be surprised by what you currently feel important and you’ll see that change as you become more sympathetic to yourself.

Third, re-read what you’ve written when you wake up so you have a clear focus for the day ahead.

2 – Breathing your way to success

Parasympathetic breathing is a great way to trigger the bodies natural relaxed state. Check out this post for more on how to use your breathing to your benefit

3 – Get some fresh air

Fresh air has been shown to help digest food more easily, improve blood pressure and heart rate levels, and boost the immune system, all combining to you being healthier.

So, get the dog, a friend or just yourself and take 20-30mins to soak in the wonders of nature. Leave the beats at home though.

4 – Be patient

Being tough on yourself is a habit.

Habits form over long periods of time, so can take equally long periods to change.

Start with one day, turn it into two, then three and so on.

If you miss a chance to be kind to yourself or others, don’t let it defeat your efforts.

Take the next opportunity to get back on the horse and continue.

Have some patience, be kind to yourself and others and you’ll be golden.