Are you in a downward spiral, and even though you know it is uncomfortable to be there, and might even know some ‘theories’ for self-development, you are finding that you cannot get yourself out of it?

Don’t beat yourself up, it happens to all of us sometimes. The wisest way of learning in life is a mixture of listening to ourselves, and learning from others, so there are times for us all, when an outside influence is needed.  It might be something from your environment, a book, a DVD, some music, or maybe another person (probably not a friend or relative, we often ignore their advice at our most troubled times!).

This month’s hint is about how to take the first step to get out, and from there you will be back on track, whether this is a little funk that has lasted a couple of days, or a longer deeper one.

Priority 1 - Your Physical Body - Your Physical Body, because that will only make matters worse, if it is also going through ups and downs. 

Walk for a 15mins and get fresh air every day – simple, but extremely effective

Drink - a litre of water today and try to increase it to 2 litres within a week.  Reduce caffeine to a few cups a day, nothing after 5pm.  Alcohol is a big downer, so remove it for the time being if possible, otherwise increase your water intake.

Reduce the sugar and chocolate in your diet - have a look at the Glyceamic Index diet (e.g. Rick Gallop, ‘Living the G.I Diet), it makes a dramatic difference, if you are someone who struggles with emotional highs and lows.  I said reduce, not remove ;o)

Priority 2 - Break the cycle - Break yourself out of the cycle by finding something External to jump start you and

Inspirational / Feel Good DVD’s – for example check out ‘The Secret’ DVD, which was at No1 on the New York Best sellers list and, is currently No 4 at Borders here in the UK.  Also available to download from a website for $4 so very inexpensive - http://thesecret.tv/home.html.  Or hows about ‘Mama Mia’!

Books with practical day to day skills you can learn – e.g  ‘Life Strategies’ by Dr Phil Mcgraw, and ‘How to have an amazing Life in 60 days’ or ‘The Heart of Love’ by Dr Demartini

Find free online info at YouTube & iTunes for videos and podcasts from people personal development teachers that you enjoy learning from.

Priority 3 - Get an Outside Perspective If this is more than just a funk for a day, and it has been going on for a while, then you might want to think about getting someone’s objective perspective and assistance in transforming your reality.

Get Professional help - Consider Life coaching, Demartini coaching, or Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.  Coaching is a practical approach to resolving your current challenges and making progress.  If you need to get clarity on older issues and talk to people to express some hidden issues, then counseling is more what you need.  Demartini coaching is a great mix of the two because it can help you to clear old pains and create a brighter future.

Take Responsibility for changing your life - once you are on an even keel, consider other books or CD’s by Dr Demartini or others who appeal to you.

Doctors

If this is a funk that has been going on for a while, probably connected to when you became pregnant, or just after your little one was born, then consider seeing your doctor.  I don’t often recommend doctors, for no other reason than I prefer self-responsibility.  HOWEVER, where children are concerned we have to be practical.  There is often not the time for getting your head straight, and if you need a ‘Time-out’ from the worries and stresses of this world, then go to the doctor and get some pills and help for Post-Natal Depression, and do it now, before things get worse.  This is not failling, it is a sensible, practical and safe thing to do.  We have all thought about throwing the baby out of the window at some point (oh yes we have, even if we don’t admit it!), but there are times when those thoughts happen too frequently, and we are unsure of our reaction, so the priority must be the safety of us and our family.

What do I do?

If you are sitting there thinking, ‘well how would she know, she’s some fandabedozey Coach who never has a bad day’, you could not be more wrong!  Yes, you are right, my training has helped me greatly to sort myself out.  BUT, I still go to other Demartini coaches for sessions sometimes if they visit the UK, because it ensures that I am not ignoring stuff that I might otherwise be able to shove under the carpet!  A couple of years ago when I was pregnant, we moved house and my Mum died.  The mix of hormones, and a new environment with no friends round the corner, and stress of snag lists with the developers was handle-able, but then add in a new red faced baby, and my husband being made redundant and I started to feel like I was drowning.  I knew what to do, but was frustrated, because I seemed unable to do it.  One afternoon, I downloaded ‘The Secret’.  The opportunity to listen to so many deeply inspired teachers, was the perfect medicine.  It reawakened the belief that I could break the cycle, and from then on I was back on track.

Summary

In all of the ideas above, remember that ‘Moderation is Queen’.  So I am not suggesting that you become a marathon runner, cut out all chocolate for the rest of your life, or become a ‘therapy junkie’.  I’m just suggesting, that at times our lives have big highs and lows, and at those times, it is wise to aim for more centered, calm and balanced choices.