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Bounce Back Into Health Routine For When Life Is Kicking Your Butt

Sometimes life just doesn't seem fair. No matter what you do, and not matter how positive you try to be, nothing seems to go your way. How do you get past that? How do you get back to being yourself? The answer is by dialing back and doing the small healthy things that you can control. Here is my Bounce Back Into Health Routine

1. Connect

It's important to remember that you aren't alone. Isolating yourself mentally and emotionally when you are at your weakest is a poor strategy. Connect to people you know you can lean on, or sometimes it's easier to connect with a professional who doesn't know you but can listen and offer support. Either way, connecting with others and communicating your challenges is a critical component to getting through difficult times.

2. Small Win Habits

Create small victories everyday by routinely doing things that you can control and do well with. Here are my suggestions:

A: Start the day with 5 deep belly breaths. The first response to stress in the body is a change in your respiration rate. Slow deep belly breaths can reduce stress and even stop an anxiety attack. Another action I know I can win at is staying hydrated with a cup of water upon waking and with every meal, and finally at lunch time I know I can take 10 minutes to do some mobility exercises and 5 minutes to play some guitar (a favourite hobby of mine). Before bed I listen to the headspace app before drifting off to sleep. This routine has helped me greatly to reduce my stress and focus on things I can do and that I am good at.

3. Be Present In The Moment

Spending more time in the present moment and not in the past where the "gremlins" in your head like to use "could've, should've, and other self diminishing thoughts. Think "What can I do right now in this moment?" Even if all you can do right now is sit and breathe. And if you are a big meanie to yourself pretend it's your best friend who is down and out whatever you would say to them say to yourself. Usually that's a good way to be more compassionate with yourself.

4. Have Faith In You

You are enough, you have the ability to reach out when you can't do it alone, you have the ability to survive and be human about it. It's ok to not be at your best, it's ok be down and out for a while. Focus on what you can do, and find others who have faith in you as well as empathy.