Last week was my first ‘proper’ week back at work.
Officially, I resumed work on 9 January but it usually takes me a few days to start work properly. While I wrote a list of what I wanted to achieve that week, I was plodding along instead of starting and staying strong.
Low energy levels
I woke up on Wednesday morning and knew it wasn’t going to be a productive day. I was so tired having stayed up to watch a movie the night before (thanks to the school holidays).
I had a PT session that day and it was too late to cancel it, so to psych myself up I reframed what I was telling myself about feeling tired and began repeating this sentence in my mind while eating breakfast, “I have enough energy to get through my workout and have a productive day.”
I must have repeated this a dozen times before my session not expecting much, but then something wonderful happened.
What happened next
My energy levels actually improved and I ended up having a GREAT workout and ticked off 9 things on my list.
As a side note, reframing hasn’t always worked for me. But this time it did. So what did I do differently?
I realised that I’d reframed my sentence positively by setting a baseline for my day without being too specific in how many tasks I wanted to tick off. It had taken the pressure off me so naturally I ended up doing more.
As a business owner, I know it’s so important to have a positive mindset. It does dictate your day and reality. But it’s also hard to feel positive day in and day out IF you feel low on energy, have blues or feel unmotivated.
Consider setting a minimum baseline, especially when the thought of work feels as challenging as escaping quicksand.
My tips for changing your mindset
Here are some quick tips from me on changing your mindset on those tough days:
- Choose one positive thought and repeat it mentally. As many times as you want.
- Set yourself a timer for tasks and do focused work. Stay off social media or unnecessary Google searches!
- Walk for 45 minutes.
- Treat yourself to a coffee or lunch.
- Work somewhere else apart from your home office, like the library.
- Be kind to yourself.
- Write down all the good things that happened to you during the day before going to sleep or tick them off mentally in a gratitude practice.
Sometimes, the simplest things are the best ones. Which tip will you try the next time you find yourself in quicksand?
