I would say that 2024 has been a total roller coaster for me. So many positive things have happened and I have been moving forward at a very quick pace. I’ve been marching towards my goals and taking things as they come. I credit a lot of that to that fact that I laid out detailed plans for the year in advance. That roadmap has enabled me to stay on track and keep heading towards my goals.
Unfortunately, I can also say that I have been hit with all kinds of unexpected challenges as well; situations that came out of the blue and that I’ve needed to address while having very little control over. It is true what they say about life being a mixture of the good and the bad. Overall, I would say that the good has outweighed the bad for me this year and I’ve made some amazing progress. Still, I’ve had to grapple with some seriously stressful situations along the way.
Here a a few things that I did when I hit those tough patches to bring myself back to center:
- Pilates. No matter what the level of stress or the situation, I feel a thousand times better after leaving my pilates class. I do pilates 6 days a week unless I’m traveling. Nothing does more for my peace of mind than this activity. Sometimes I like to engage in other fitness activities as well such as walking, rowing and more. Either way, they do the trick.
- Prayer or mediation. Calming your mind is a key aspect of dealing with stress. Through either prayer or meditation, I can redirect my thoughts in a more positive way. Dealing with negativity has a lot to do with calming our inner voice.
- Deep-breathing exercies. Engaging in deep-breathing techniques really helps me feel more comfortable and less stressed. And, when I feel more comfortable, I am better able to deal with the situations at hand.
- Outdoor activities. Nothing beats getting out into the sunshine to and soaking up a little Vitamin D. Doing so causes a reset in my mind which mitigates stress and encourages positive thinking.
- Change of Scenery. Sometimes, particularly since I work from a home office, it is very helpful for me to mix things up and get out of the house. Changing my environment helps me change my mind.
- Dancing. As silly as it sounds, if I move away from my desk and play one of my favorite songs, swaying along, I immediately feel so much better and am ready to tackle the current problem.
- Laughing. As they say, laughter is the best medicine. It can make you feel happier and any obstacle feel smaller.
- Finding joy in others. I am intense Type A person who can work for hours and days alone. If I am feeling low, I do well to push myself to spend some time with friends, and relish in those connections.
You can also use these same strategies to pull yourself to center when you hit a setback! Good luck.