“When we deny the story, it defines us. When we own the story, we can write a brave new ending.” – Brene Brown

It’s not even 8am on a Saturday, and I have already been up for an hour and a half. For me (and I am sure for many of you, too), it has been a long week.

There is no use in fighting it. Life will always have its ups and its downs. We already know this. And yet when we are “face down in the arena” (as Brene Brown would say) it can be hard to recognize at first.

Which is kind of a funny concept when you think about it. From an outsiders perspective, it can be pretty obvious when someone is on a downward spiral. But when it is happening to us, it is a bit of a whirlwind.

By taking some time to listen to what your body is telling you and recognizing what emotions you are working through, you can start to work with life’s ups and downs instead of spending so much time fighting them. It is certainly never easy, and it is always a longer process than we would hope, but it helps. It helps you gain a more steady foothold, and it helps you get that balance back in your life.

Through a lot of introspection and practice, I have learned my own cues look something like this:

I get extremely lethargic. I. Can’t. Even.

I start dreading my work outs. Not just the dread you feel on leg day. More like… I am avoiding work outs at all costs for a full week (or two).

I am emotional and irritable. I am also more prone to feelings like jealously, and I can sometimes get petty and self-righteous. Hey… Just being honest here.

I crave junk food. Usually the carb-heavy, greasy kind.

I’m not going to lie… the hardest part of working with life’s ups and downs is admitting to yourself when you are feeling down. It can be pretty sucky… and uncomfortable. But it is a huge first step, and it allows us to work towards something better.

So when I recognize that I need a bit more balance in life, I start by doing the following:

Notice 3 heart-warming moments a day. I read this tip years ago (I have no idea where), and it really stuck with me. It is amazing how much you can turn around your day by consciously noticing these moments – whether it is a child laughing, a fantastic bite of food, or snuggling with your pup.

Nourish your body. Eat right, get plenty of rest and make sure to get a good work out in. Nothing new here, but it is said over and over again because it is just that essential to living a healthy and happy life.

Reach out for support. It takes courage to reach out to someone else and admit you need help or could use a friend, but can truly make the biggest difference in the world.

Nurture your soul. Read a good book, take the time to get out and look at the stars, listen to the birds chirp in the morning. This is one I always take for granted and I am sure we could all use a little more of in our lives.

For more material on handling stress and working through anxiety, feel free to check out a few other posts I wrote on the topics here and here.

With all of this in mind, remember… if we were flying high all the time, we wouldn’t be able to fully appreciate all the great times we do have. 🙂

Cheers friends. Here’s to you!

xoxo