Sometimes I need a good swift kick in the butt. I really do. I get unmotivated and start to just want to sit on the couch and escape into the world of mindless television. Like those happy people on the netflix home page. All set with their remote control and smiles on their faces. Yay for mindless tv! 

And I’m not going to say that the urge to do this is a BAD thing. I think it is VERY important to figure out what you enjoy doing to let your brain rest and just enjoy your existence.

What I AM going to say is that if you have the urge to do this ALL THE TIME, then it’s time to re-evaluate your situation.

I know that when I get to the point of “I just want to sit on the couch all day”, that something is off. There is a significant imbalance that needs re-shifting. Sometimes it’s not enough sleep, sometimes it’s burn out, sometimes it’s unhappiness with a living situation or a relationship. And sometimes it’s just the weather.

And I will tell you, right now, that I want to stop typing this blog and go sit on the couch with the remote. For me, this time through, it has to do with the seasons. The time shift always does a number on me. I saw the sun shine for 5 minutes yesterday (still waiting for my 5 minutes today, but don’t think I’m gonna get it).

So what will I do? Here is what I will do and what I suggest that you do as well:

1- Determine if there is anything you can do about your ‘unbalancing factor’. If a friend is driving you nuts, dump the friend. If your kitchen needs an upgrade, figure out how to get it. In my case, I can’t stand the weather and there’s not much I can do about it. SO… moving right along.

2- If you CAN do something about your situation, brainstorm the steps you need to take. It could be a simple easy fix and you just needed to ask yourself “What’s bothering me that I want to escape so badly?” or “what’s going on that I don’t have any energy for anything that requires any sort of brain functioning?” And then you figure out what it is and BAM fix it! In most cases it isn’t that simple, and a lot of times you don’t even think you can do anything about it. So empower yourself by just brainstorming out the steps, and then figure out which step comes first. Take that step. 

3- If you CAN’T do anything about your situation, then accept it. If it means that you need more sleep- enjoy the sleep. If it means that you have cranky fits, then enjoy your cranky fits. In other words, instead of trying to swim upstream, just go with the flow. If your situation makes you irritable, then be irritable. Just give into the feelings and you will get through them faster. It’s true that this can snowball, but it’s also true that repressing your feelings makes them grow and explode in unexpected ways. My suggestion is to vent the anger and frustration but give yourself a time limit and then go to step #4… (So I just had to turn on the lights in my house and it’s not even 4pm yet! Cranky fit ensuing…)

4- Whether you are a #2 or a #3 the next step is for you. Find something that you enjoy doing. Something that presses your happy button. Maybe it is watching tv and sitting on the couch, but think a little more out of the box on this. Here are a few ideas: dancing around to your favorite music, creating a photo album or going through old photos, calling a friend, writing in your journal, going for a walk, going to the gym, buy yourself some flowers, meditate, go to a yoga class, read a book, take a kickboxing class, go onto groupon and pick something unusual to try- things like that. It could be anything. The goal is to spark your imagination a little bit. And watching tv, let’s face it, drains the brain so you are just good for watching more tv or passing out. Spark your imagination and do one thing today to make you happy.

5- Schedule the next ‘thing’ that makes you happy. Decide how you are going to add these  happy things in on a regular basis. I have a sheet of paper that I printed out and put on the wall in a place that only I see, with a weekly schedule of what it is that I want to do. This time around I am starting off super slow with myself. I have on the list a minimum of 10 minutes for reading (it will most likely go over, but committing to only 10 minutes gets me started). I also put on there to do something for work every day because I always feel better afterwards. For some reason I have been putting work on a back burner and going straight to the tv. Even though getting the work done makes me feel good. SO- if I have it on a simple checklist, I will more than likely follow through. Also, the schedule is for only 5 days. This is a super easy way to get myself back on track. It’s just a matter of where your head is at. At the end of the 5 days I will re-evaluate. If I followed through, I will add more. If I didn’t, I will back it down. 

 

Please remember that this balancing act is an ongoing journey. You don’t ‘get’ to a destination where you stay at perfect equilibrium. It’s a constant. Just get good at re-balancing and you’ll be good to go!

What does any of this have to do with fitness? Not really anything. It may be a fitness class that you put on your ‘happy’ list, but then again it might now. The point I am making is to take extra special care of yourself, which is what I am all about.

Oh, and every day when I complete the few minimal things I put on my list, I am going to treat myself with some mindless tv. Ha.

 

Your Fitness Coach,

Miranda

 

to find out more about Miranda, go to www.mirzukfitness.com

photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

 

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