Be powerful with movement
How movement could be your end-of-year game changer
We are nearing the end of another busy year. The rate of change continues to come thick & hard. People are either taking time to reflex or are keeping the foot on the accelerator. Now this is a longer piece, but I guarantee it’s worth your while - I also guarantee your mind will boss you around… Just thank it & keep reading. Notice yourself doing something important & keep acting.
OK….In amongst the mess of managing yourself in the chaos, where should our focus be?
Doing the year you’ve either slid from resilient to more fragile, or well to unwell. And this might feel hard to admit, but somewhere in there were choices. Your choices.
There is one core issue at the heart of all challenges in maintaining human performance — navigating the complexities of being human. i.e. doing silly things more than once. The world is busy & stressful, & in this conundrum, it's hard to self-regulate. And some of us have even become used to this sensation & have trouble slowing down.
We are all in the unders & overs at the moment as we drag ourselves to the end.
Overworked.
Overwhelmed.
Overstimulated.
Stressed.
Disconnected.
Sleep deprived.
Undernourished.
Undermedicated.
Overmedicated.
Burnt out.
What would it mean to you to course correct?
And there is more coming with Holiday Season around the corner & then ooooh just all of the change coming at us!
So, how do we do this – be things, move to this – without burning out.
What will it take to stay focused on wellness as your foundation for performance. I have zero doubt it’s about the soft skill that will never age or become redundant. And this is why it’s important to understand the YOU in the middle of self regulation.
Why do you behave the way you do? Many people fall ill as soon as they stop as a clear sign that they’ve pushed themselves back from resilience into fragility.
So, what’s a human to do?
STOP.
Get clear on your highest priorities
Is it wellbeing?
Is it family?
Is it pride at the end of the day?
How do you do those things well?
Set a goal
A self regulation goal is a really important one for this time of year.
This is a layered idea, but an easy starting point is to choose to ACTIVELY regulate either your physical, emotional or mental.
Now by actively, I mean you will need to stay committed to the process & operations around these ideas.
As you imagine yourself putting tools down for the final day of the working year, picture yourself & define:
How is your energy in your posture?
What colour is your skin, the circles under your eyes?
What can you hear yourself saying to others?
How do you feel?
Is overthinking present?
Now, what does your NOW self need to focus on, & what doesn’t make the grade at the moment.
What do you need to stop doing & start doing to fulfil this vision?
Creating goal accountability
Goals are also best achieved if we have accountability. Here’s how to create accountability & create that progressive step forward:
1.Set the goal.
Here, it’s important to be specific.
I will be home by 5:30 on a Tuesday & Thursday to help with my kids homework, I will have switched off from work.
I will get direct sunlight 3 times a day & pause & notice the sensation on my skin..
I will walk for 2 mins after every seated meeting, I will let my mind wander.
2. Set the time & date that you will start.
Again, be specific & put those reminders in.
3. Tell your accountability partner.
This could be your partner, a friend, a connection, a trusted advisor or mentor.
4. Set up regular check ins.
This could be a personal check-in or reflection time, but having this check-in with your accountability partner is where real accountability comes from!
By doing these 4 steps, you’ve moved your likelihood of success to the high percentages by doing all three steps.
Now how do I need to operate to assure I achieve the goal?
Analyse them & you.
Be more interested in you on your hard & bad days than the easy days.
Get clear on your challenges. What are the urges, memories, stories, beliefs that will boss you out of your decision & send you back to people pleasing & over committing & overthinking.
Grit + self compassion
As you go through this progress, it’s important to balance grit with self compassion.
Are you setting boundaries that are uncomfortable but important to maintain?
Is it the discomfort of staying in the savasana, or cold shower, or getting out of the warm blankets even though your mind is telling you to do the opposite with strong objection?
What is HARD with feeling? The now hard or the later hard.
Who is this for? And WHO needs to know.
Adding movement into the mix
You’ve set your goals. You have an accountability partner. How does movement help you get there?
Being active not only helps you reset mentally but also help you self-regulate.
To help you add movement into the mix, I’ve create an easy “pick your own movement” activity to get you started. This includes physical, emotional, mental movements to support you on your journey.