Last time I shared what my greatest fear was about setting up my own business and the reality of what being self-employed is.
This month, I can’t believe it’s November! I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since I gave my TEDx Talk at TEDx Telford titled, Putting Emotion Back in Business. A subject still very dear to me and one that I continue to promote throughout my work.
Where were you this time last year? What were you doing? What were you thinking about? How were you feeling?
What’s changed and what’s the same?
How do you feel about your answers to those questions?
Your emotions are there to guide you, but we need to take time in our daily life to slow down and acknowledge how we’re feeling. Our lives are so busy that the faster we go, the further we get away from our emotions. Dare I say, it’s like we’re trying to avoid them! I know that’s what I do sometimes for sure.
If I don’t acknowledge how I feel and carry on, it’ll just go away, right? I’ll focus on the positives, what I need to do, meet the demands of my work, deadlines and so on and whatever was making me feel a bit grumpy will sort itself out in the background, won’t it?
I am an expert at that method! I have been implementing it brilliantly for 40 years I reckon! In many instances, I’m sure it’s served me well and allowed me to let go and move on. But what this method teaches us, is that ignoring any negative feelings means we are only allowed to ever show our positive emotions.
On some level, I think we’re also telling ourselves that the way we feel doesn’t matter; that we don’t value ourselves. And this is the road that leads to a lack of self-worth.
Most of my clients come to me with varying different challenges they’re experiencing at work and I am never surprised that at the crux of the issue is often their conditioned ability to never put themselves first. We’ve been so conditioned to put others first that we think self-care is being selfish.
If you’re starting to think about how you’re going to make 2020 different for you, promise me that in your top 3 will be to prioritise you and your needs.
You deserve to be happy.
You deserve to live a flexible life.
You deserve me time.
You deserve all that you would give to another without a second thought.
Be your own best friend.
Imagine what you’ll be able to give to others when you take care of yourself. Imagine what you’ll teach those around you about self-care, self-worth and how to acknowledge and process how they’re feeling. Emotions really aren’t anything to be fearful of – none of them will last forever and you can only feel one emotion at any one time. It’s not possible for us to feel happy, excited, strong, satisfied without every experiencing, sadness, boredom, weakness, emptiness. Otherwise, how would you know what happy feels like?
I wonder how different your life could be then?
I wonder how differently you might start to perceive yourself and the world around?
I wonder how you would answer the questions at the beginning of this blog this time next year?
Here are my top tips for looking after yourself, especially at this time of year:
1. Drink a daily shot of ginger juice (juice a whole ‘hand’ of ginger root, 6 small apples and 1/3 of a peeled lemon leaving the pith on. Pour into ice cube trays). I shot = 4 thawed ice cubes.
2. Go to bed 1 hour earlier than normal.
3. Make up a batch of soup for your lunch this week (it’ll take 1.5 hours max).
4. Plan quick & healthy dinners for the week ahead (I swear by stir fry!)
5. Say no more often.
6. Exercise daily (even 20 mins walk at lunchtime will help).
7. 10 mins meditation every day.
8. Treat yourself as you would your best friend.
Take care, Jenny