It was all going so well. I built my lovely new coaching website, my coaching practice was doing well and I had delivered some great training. I was really feeling fulfilled and right on life purpose. I was thriving. Then life got in the way.
In October I had an amazing holiday in India and Nepal but instead of coming back recharged and ready to go I came back exhausted – exhausted by the culture, the poverty, the effort of life. Exhausted by hard beds and grey sheets. Exhausted by the noise of the cities and in Kathmandu the earthquake devastation.
Then to add insult to injury I had a horrid reaction to a general anaesthetic in November. Extraordinary how much this affects a human body. I was very ill for a week, then a couple of months not feeling great and even now my eyesight is just getting back to normal.
Christmas and New Year passed in a daze. I mostly stayed at home catching up with work and frequently found myself in bed by late afternoon watching Christmas movies! This is a first for me!
Work has felt very busy. My diary has been full of meetings. My daily exercise has been pushed aside. I have put on weight. I am not feeling good.
But that is life isn’t it – life gets in the way. Just sometimes we have to give in and ‘cope’ rather than ‘thrive’.
So how to get back?
I have come to my beach house in Portugal for 6 days to pick myself up, dust myself off and get back on track. I love it here in February. The place is deserted – just me and a few fishermen mending nets.
I have built myself a mini retreat. 6 days to get back to my cherished rituals and routines in a kind and gentle way. My priority will be early mornings with my journal, daily exercise, some meditation and of course long walks on the beach. I probably won’t brave the sea in February! I have bought lovely fresh food – the fresh oranges are amazing here already. I will go to the local cafe for sardines and maybe a glass of wine. I will be asleep by 10pm – and I definitely won’t watch the evening news.
I will make sure work is contained – I am limiting myself to three 2 hour slots each day. I am not going to open emails until 2pm. I love my work but right now it has become all consuming and needs to be put back in its box so that I can get myself back to peak performance.
Already I feel better……
