We’ve all been there, probably more often that we would like to admit.
Firstly, I don’t want you to confuse this with depression, if you have felt down, withdrawn and sad for example for 2 weeks or more, please seek help. Talk to a friend and click here to have a look at a very helpful checklist for identifying depression, by Beyond Blue.
What I’m talking about, is when you’re not feeling quite yourself, when for a short space of time you feel a bit lost, overwhelmed, emotional and confused.
Here are my top tips for getting out of that rut, to find yourself again and to help you recognise when you might be headed down the same road again in the future.
- Make a list of the positives in your life – What do you have in your life to be thankful for? Who do you have in your life who is there for you, supportive of you and loves you?
- Make a list of anything that is bringing you stress, making you feel overwhelmed and emotional and is making you unhappy.
- Next, work on each point on your list of stresses and see if you can find a small change that you can make to help ease the situation – Are you overwhelmed with work? Is there an opportunity for you to speak to your manager or supervisor about the issues you might be having. Are you overwhelmed with your child’s schooling needs? Perhaps create a schedule for each day to remind you what tasks need to be done on each day.
- Make a list of 5 things that you enjoy doing for yourself – when was the last time you did each of these activities? See if you can include one of those activities in the next few days. Self care is so important and we often forget to look after ourselves.
Lastly and very importantly…
5. Accept your needs – Accept that you need care, love and nourishment. Accept that feeling out of control is normal. Accept that it may happen again and again, but know that you have the tools to get yourself out. Remember, if you feel that you can’t, please contact help.
I would love for you to respond below with some examples of how you get yourself out of a rut.
Leisa Macnamara