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I DECIDED I WANT TO SWITCH UP THE TYPICAL HEALTH TALK AND DIVE INTO A PART OF HEALTH THAT OFTEN GETS LOOKED OVER; EMOTIONAL HEALTH. WITHOUT DIVING TOO DEEP INTO THE SCIENCES BEHIND IT ALL, OUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH PLAYS A BIGGER ROLE ON OUR PERFORMANCE, STRESS, AND RECOVERY THAN A LOT OF US GIVE CREDIT FOR. TODAY, I’M GOING TO GIVE ONE OF MY BIGGEST TIPS (AND PERSONAL LIFE SAVERS) THAT HELPS ME KEEP CONTROL DURING LIFES CRAZY MOMENTS.
TO KICK THINGS OFF, LET’S JUST FACE THE FACT THAT IF WE AREN’T MENTALLY/EMOTIONALLY IN A GOOD PLACE THEN HOW CAN WE EXPECT OUR TRAINING SESSIONS OR LIFESTYLE HABITS BE IN A GOOD PLACE? NOW, I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT A SEMI-STRESSED DAY OR SOMETHING SMALL; TRAINING DURING THOSE TIMES ARE SUPER BENEFICIAL, BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE HITTING YOU AT ONCE AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE ABOUT TO CRACK? I’M TALKING ABOUT THE TIMES WHEN YOU FEEL SO MENTALLY BURNT OUT THAT YOU JUST WANT TO SHUT EVERYONE OUT AND STAY LOCKED AWAY IN A CAVE. THESE ARE THE MOMENTS THAT I FEEL CAN REALLY BREAK SOMEONE DOWN OR DERAIL US FROM OUR PROGRESS AND TRUE POTENTIAL. WITH ALL THAT SAID, WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN LIFE TURNS INTO A SHIT STORM? TWO SIMPLE WORDS, BE GRATEFUL.
YEAH, YOU HEARD ME RIGHT, BE GRATEFUL. I KNOW THIS ISN’T PROBABLY THE ANSWER YOU WERE LOOKING FOR OR EXPECTED, ESPECIALLY COMING FROM A “HARD-CORE FITNESS ENTHUSIASTS”, BUT IT’S TRUE. WHEN WE STOP EVERYTHING WE’RE DOING AND TAKE A MOMENT TO BE GRATEFUL IT CAN REALLY HELP US START TO PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE OUR LIVES AND GOALS. BY DOING THIS, IT THEN HELPS US REALIZE WHAT IS IMPORTANT AND FROM THERE A GOOD NUMBER OF THOSE STRESSORS THAT ARE CAUSING US TO CRACK; SLOWLY MELT AWAY.
NOW, THAT YOU KNOW THE START OF CALMING THE MIND; HOW DO WE PUT IT INTO ACTION? THE EASIEST WAY I’VE FOUND TO HAVE A GRATEFUL ATTITUDE AND PERSPECTIVE IS TO KEEP A GRATITUDE JOURNAL. AND EXACTLY HOW IT SOUNDS, THIS IS JUST A JOURNAL THAT YOU WRITE IN ON A REGULAR BASIS THINGS THAT YOU’RE GRATEFUL FOR. HOW DEEP, DESCRIPTIVE, OR PERSONAL YOU GET WITH YOUR “GRATEFULS” IS COMPLETELY UP TO YOU. THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS HERE IS PUTTING DOWN ON PAPER WHAT YOU REALLY ARE GRATEFUL FOR. IT CAN BE ANYTHING FROM PHYSICAL THINGS LIKE YOUR HOME, CAR, OR MONEY, TO MORE EMOTIONAL THINGS IN YOUR LIFE LIKE CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS.
I’VE FOUND THE BEST TIMES (AT LEAST FOR ME) TO WRITE DOWN MY GRATEFULS IS IN THE MORNING ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES AFTER WAKING. I JUST GRAB MY JOURNAL AND THEN GO OUTSIDE OR INTO A ROOM BY MYSELF AND MAKE MY LIST. IT’S NOTHING CRAZY AND TAKES MAYBE 5 MINUTES TO JUST GET WHATEVER IS IN MY HEAD ON PAPER. MY LIST USUALLY GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS:
Grateful for:
-Today
-My home
-My ambition
SIMPLE AND EASY. AND AS YOU CAN TELL, IT CAN BE A BROAD RANGE OF THINGS. I THINK IT’S GOOD TO BE GRATEFUL FOR PHYSICAL THINGS AS IT CAN BE A DRIVER TO KEEP DOING BETTER, BUT ALSO, IT’S GOOD TO HAVE PERSONAL THINGS LIKE “MY AMBITION”. TOO OFTEN WE OVERLOOK OUR OWN PERSONAL SUCCESSES, ESPECIALLY WHEN LIFE DOES GET CRAZY, SO BY HAVING THESE LITTLE DAILY REMINDERS IT CAN HELP OPEN OUR EYES TO HOW BAD ASS WE REALLY ARE!
AT THE END OF THE DAY THIS CAN JUST BE ANOTHER TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX THAT HELPS US STAY MOTIVATED, FEEL ACCOMPLISHED, AND CAN KEEP LIFE STRESSORS AT BAY (SOMEWHAT). THE MORE YOU LOG YOUR GRATEFULS, THE MORE YOU WILL FIND THAT THEY BEGIN TO GET DEEPER AND DEEPER REALLY BREAKING THROUGH TO THE THINGS THAT MATTER THE MOST TO YOU; RELEASING THOSE LITTLE LIFE STRESSES THAT DON’T MATTER IN THE END.
GIVE IT A GO FOR A WEEK AND I PROMISE YOU’LL START TO FEEL A NEW TYPE OF MENTAL CLARITY THAT YOU’VE NEVER EXPERIENCED. NO, THIS ISN’T A CURE ALL TO STRESS AND EMOTIONAL BEATINGS THAT MIGHT COME ALONG, BUT IT’S A POWERFUL TOOL THAT CAN HELP US DEAL AND PRIORITIZE THEM AS THEY COME.
STAY GRATEFUL FAM!
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