Getting Inspired Again
At the beginning of summer, I felt so worn out. I had just come off of a four-month push in my business and at work, my daughter broke her elbow and had surgery, and stress was at an all-time high. I felt exhausted and uninspired. Have you recently been there, too? I’ve learned as the years pass that life comes in waves. Sometimes you are riding a high and then the valleys in life happen. As I approach being 36 in two weeks I’ve been reflecting more and more about these seasons in my life. How do I manage the lows better? How do I encourage the high points to stay high longer? How do I stay inspired when I don’t feel like I have much energy? As I’ve reflected I found a few things that help me get through the waves of life.
Maintain your basic health - ie… eat good, workout, sleep and get rest. I know it’s easier said than done but a daily workout does wonders for all aspects of my life. When I start feeling uninspired I look at my apple watch’s activity to see what my active calorie burn has been. Usually, it’s dropped over a few weeks to months and I know it’s time to get my body moving again. When I run, do HIIT, and yoga I feel like a better human being and sleep better. If I sleep better and exercise I tend to eat better. If I eat better I tend to have more capacity to be creative. Think of your body like an ecosystem and make sure you’re doing the basics at a bare minimum.
Get out of your comfort zone. Being someone who works from home it’s easy to get stuck in the same routine day over day and week over week. I’ve found taking a weekend trip or a road trip like I did in June jumpstarts creativity. I came back feeling refreshed and excited. I came back and felt like a million bucks again. I was invigorated to tackle things that left me feeling wiped out. The road trip exposed me to new places, people, and sights. I took endless photographs and videos to share. I made conversations with musicians, artists, photographers, and business owners. It was truly one of those incredible times in life. If you’ve never taken a solo trip I highly recommend it.
Give yourself some grace. Goodness, how I wished I had done more of that in my twenties. I had this idea for years that I needed to be perfect. All of that perfection was tiring and created a fixed mindset. I now know that to grow I have to be willing to fail along the way. Part of growth is accepting the low points as temporary. It will all blow over. Life is dynamic and just because today I’m struggling with headaches or overwhelm doesn’t mean tomorrow, next week or next month will be that way. If you’re stressed, go ahead and let yourself feel it. Then put on your running shoes and sweat it out. It may take a few days, weeks or months but I promise it works. You’ll be back to being inspired all over again. One of my favorite yoga instructors said in the middle of the hardest part of the class, “Move the body, train the mind.” You can absolutely feel better.
Speaking of feeling better - these pics were taken at the incredible historic Anchuca Bed and Breakfast in Vicksburg, Mississippi. I absolutely loved my stay there and would call this the highlight of my trip to Vicksburg. You can check out more photos over on my Instagram here!
