RUOK Day is coming up next week, and there’s probably never been a more important time to ask the question. And while we should all be checking in on family and friends, we also need to check in on ourselves.
We all wear many hats across a day. Mine include business owner, teacher, coach, mentor, mother, and carer to my terminally ill husband. Whether we’re forging forward with positive momentum in business, or facing the realities of life, the many demands take their toll.
That’s why over the years, I’ve got much better at refuelling, and I thought I’d share some of my techniques.
Over the past few months, I’ve felt my appetite getting out of control. Driven by my insatiable appetite for work and progression, I lost focus on what I was putting into my body. I was overeating and never feeling satisfied, so I booked an appointment with a nutritionist colleague and now feel better than I have in years.
More importantly though, I’ve added meditation to my morning and evening routines, which has settled my mind and quelled my cravings for work, progression, and food.
A quote that I’ve come across in this process is an old Chinese proverb: “Dig the well before you’re thirsty”. This has taught me to think preventatively, getting ahead of issues before they become problems.
Many years ago, I commenced a morning and evening ritual, which my recent journey has helped me to refine.
Each morning…
I wake before the rest of my family, make a cup of tea and drink two large glasses of water. I then sit and do some roll-downs, side-bends, and twists. I affectionately call this my “Spinal Floss” routine (check out the video for a demo).
Next step is to meditate for a few minutes, before making breakfast and writing my “morning pages”. This is a routine I started in my 20s where I write whatever is in my mind, filling as many pages as necessary until I feel satisfied. Out of this generally come my priorities for the day, and many of my business development ideas.
Then I take a walk or a run with our loyal black lab Rajah, before supporting my husband (who has terminal cancer) with breakfast and whatever he needs.
Now I’m ready to face the day.
Each evening…
At around 5pm each day Rajah and I go out for another walk, before heading back to prep dinner with the whole family, including my husband and two kids (18 and 20). We pop some music on, sing, dance, chop and cook, before sitting together to eat.
After dinner, while the others plonk down in front of the TV, I like to disappear to repeat my “Spinal Floss”routine, before meditating again and heading to bed for a restful sleep.
I find these morning and evening rituals help to clear my head, allow me to focus on what’s important, and take the time to appreciate all that I have.
And whatever you have going on in your life, I hope these techniques, or some others that you might develop yourself, can help you feel a bit more “ok” too.