Are you ok?

Sometimes it feels like we live in a world where we are expected to be happy all the time. That if we miss out on a deadline, or feel a bit sad, or just feel somewhat overwhelmed by our current state of mind, that we are somehow weak or unworthy.

But we are all human and it’s absolutely OK to feel ‘not so great’ sometimes.

And we all may know a strategy to overcome an issue; then get frustrated when we don’t take our own advice. Again we are not perfect. I’m queen example for this – I have a lot of tasks to complete currently and just this morning was feeling rather overwhelmed on the prospect of getting it all done. I found myself multitasking – and you’ve guessed it – achieving pretty much nothing – which contributes further to a negative mindset.

So what is the solution?

First of all give yourself a break. You are human and you WILL feel crappy sometimes. Just as you WILL do stuff that will frustrate you further. So accepting that this is ok and part of parcel of living. You will never be perfect and so you will mess up time and time again on various things but it’s whether you allow yourself to learn from it that counts.

Try reframing your thoughts to view the situation from a different perspective. How can you relook at the situation to view it in a slightly more positive light? Or what steps do you need to take to get the result you are looking for?

What can you learn from what’s currently happening?

So back to me this morning. Firstly I need to slow down a little. I’m not superhuman, I’m just little old Nic with my little brain on overload! Then break down whatever I’m trying to achieve into smaller, easier to action micro-goals. Every time you meet a goal and reflect on the fact you have achieved this goal the brain fires off lots ‘feel-good’ chemicals such as dopamine. It doesn’t matter how small this goal may be. These early wins help to then give us the motivation needed to move on to the next goal as it feels bl*ody good. I’m a guinea pig to all the advice I post on these pages and am living proof they work.

Being mindful of your thoughts, actions and behaviours is one of the keys to happiness and success. Catching when you are in a negative frame of mind, and then mindfully breaking it down – so that you are able to reframe it in a more positive, productive light will help you then get the motivation to put the necessary actions in place so that tomorrow well and truly is a new day.

And finally, sometimes you may just need a really big hug. Also do not underestimate the power of support off others. Ultimately it’s ok to sometimes NOT be ok. But we must make sure we don’t stay there and it’s 100% in our power to achieve that.

How do you reframe your thoughts when you’re feeling sad? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments. Who knows – your experience may help someone else in a similar position.

All my love Nicola xx