It was a tough week by all accounts last week. The tiredness continued and a few work things didn’t quite go the way we wanted which was disappointing. One of the biggest issues with tiredness is that it raises your stress levels whilst simultaneously lowering your ability to cope. Not exactly what you need in the middle of a bad week. The challenge last week was trying to stay focused and on track when that was the last thing that I wanted to do.
I would say I find it pretty easy to stay motivated. I know what I want to achieve, I focus on it and, most importantly, I actually do not expect it all to go perfectly. I try to talk to my clients about this regularly as I feel it is a key part of progress to expect the unexpected. The issue is not really the problems themselves it is how to deal with them in the best way possible. I like to think I am quite pragmatic in this way, I expect problems so when they happen I do not dwell on them, I look for a way around them and move forward. This is something my training taught me. It gave me that resilience and those problem solving skills. Most people will think that exercise is a physical sport but it is far more mental.
With that being said I found it really hard to get into that positive frame of mind last week. I just felt things getting on top of me, I felt tired, fed up and not in the mood for anything really. I hate that feeling and fortunately it rarely happens to me. Not one to sit and dwell I had to find a way to get myself out of this funk. I decided to take the afternoon off during the week and just relax. I took Paolo out for the afternoon and after he went to bed I didn’t do anything. No training, no work, I just had dinner and watched some tv. It really was what I needed. I wouldn’t necessarily say the next day I was fully back to normal but I definitely felt on the up. I decided to start that next day with some simple work tasks. This is a trick I use quite a lot when I am not feeling full of energy, I get some simple tasks done just so I can tick them off my to do list. I then feel as though I have achieved something and my motivation normally starts to pick up.
This is something that I cannot stress enough when it comes to feeling low in energy or motivation and that is that action is the single best antidote. Rest is important too, which is why I took an evening off but action will always lift you out of that funk. Normally when people feel this way the temptation is to let the lethargy continue for too long. They stop eating well all week and every workout goes out the window. Give yourself a day or an evening to have some down time but get back up the next day and take action. The energy to do something won’t necessarily be there so you may have to force yourself to do something easier or simpler than normal. Instead of doing a big workout, go for a walk or instead of cooking your meals just buy something healthy. Completing those simple tasks will help you build your motivation and energy levels.
After I had completed some simple work tasks the next day my mood and energy levels started to lift and after I smashed my Friday night workout I felt far more like my usual self. Having down days or tough moments is so normal. This in itself is not a cause for concern but how you react to these feelings is really important. A few years ago I would have used a bad week as an excuse to eat junk food and to do the bare minimum that work required of me but I am pleased to say that by working on my response to these moments by the end of the week I was happy with what I had achieved in pretty difficult circumstances. I have no idea what this week has in store, it could be similar to last week or it could be far more positive. The only thing I do know is that whatever happens, I can deal with it.
Fit Bird
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