Spring Is Just Around the Corner!

Spring is nearly here

We are on the home stretch of Winter now, with one more month to go before Spring returns, and with it all of that invigorating springtime energy. Despite the year feeling like it's flying by, Winter always seems to drag for me. I love the blustery, stormy days spent inside with a good book and a hot cup of tea, but I find myself scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to energy and motivation by this point in the year.

If you've seen me in clinic you know I'm a big advocate for taking a mid year/winter break to give yourself time to unwind, rebuild and restore (I disappeared into the Kenepuru Sounds this year for mine, and it was lovely!), but there are other things we can do to perk ourselves up and make it through that final month if taking a short holiday doesn't feel workable, or if it wasn't quite enough.

Shutdown Complete

One option is to set a concrete end to your work day. Pick a time and make the commitment to put your work down then, and leave it alone until the start of the following work day. Depending on your job it can be easy to let your work carry over into your home time. Checking emails, answering calls, or trying to solve problems when you're out of the office and home with your partner, kids, or pets is a great way to exhaust yourself.

Have a set end to your work day

Set a time, be clear with yourself about it, and stick to it. Cal Newport suggests creating a shutdown ritual that you go through at the end of every work day. He does this by making sure his to do list is up to date, reviewing it, noting anything urgent that needs to be done and scheduling a time to do it in the next day or so, and enters this into his diary (this way he doesn't forget it, and he doesn't have to worry about potentially forgetting it). He reviews his calendar for the next week or two, makes any necessary revisions to this plan, and then he says out loud "Shutdown complete."

He then has a rule - if he says "Shutdown complete" and finds himself thinking about work, he reminds himself of these three points:

1. He said the shutdown phrase, his workday is over

2. He would not have said it if he hadn't checked everything and made sure he was on top of things

3. Therefore, there is no need to worry or be thinking about work.

I LOVE this. Being self employed, there are always things on my to do list and it can feel like I need to be constantly doing, even in my down time, in order to stay on top of it all and run a successful business. But the truth is, if I structure and organise my day well, am realistic about what I can get done, and put work down at a set time every day, then I perform better when I am working, and I rest better when I'm not. Which leads us to our daily scheduling.

Schedule Less

There are only 24 hours in a day, and we need on average 8 hours of sleep in order to function well and be happy and healthy. The rest of those 16 hours need to be scheduled carefully. It's easy to underestimate how long tasks will take and give yourself too many jobs in a given day. Assume you may be tired, or something else may come up, or the task will take longer than you think. Give yourself some leeway!

Schedule less tasks for your day and make sure you're sticking to your rest rhythms, which I talked about here. You'll find you feel more productive, get more done, and have more energy at the end of the day.

Eat to Nourish

When we get busy or tired (or both!) we tend to reach for comfort food, or pick options that are easier rather than healthier. This time of year especially it's important to be eating food that will nourish your body and build your energy.

Healthy homemade Ramen

I love to get into bone broths and home made, healthy ramen this time of year, but soups, stews, and roasts are all good options too. If you're struggling to eat well consider setting aside a few hours to meal prep for the week. I like to give myself an afternoon before the start of my work week to slice veggies in preparation for cooking later in the week, and to cook a couple of meals to get me through the first couple of days.

Make it a social occasion by inviting a friend over to cook with you, or making a stay at home date night out of it - pick something yummy, give yourself plenty of time so you don't feel rushed or stressed, pop on some good music and enjoy the experience.

Ask for Help

If you're finding things too overwhelming, or you're trying everything and you still feel worn out - ask for help! Most of us have friends, family and loved ones about that are happy to lend a hand, you just need to ask.

Book a treatment to relax and build energy

If you don't feel you can do this or you worry they're struggling too, then ask for help from a paid professional. Acupuncture is a great way to give your body a boost, put your body into a deep state of relaxation, and build your energy levels. Come see me in clinic, or reach out to your favourite massage therapist, osteopath, or clinician and make sure you're getting the support you need.

Chin up! We're nearly there - a month will fly by and spring will be with us in no time.

As always, if you have any questions just sing out. Stay warm! And take care x