Working With the Bad as well as The Good

man looking at his watch - symbolising staying focused with a to do list

Business is a tiring world sometimes, so learning to navigate it smartly, can give you a leg up. And learning to ride the waves of what’s coming at you is a skill in itself. But what I’ve found, is that learning to accept the journey for what it is, allows for huge relief. Embracing the fact that we are all human, has allowed me to relieve a lot of stress. Learning to accept the bad as well as the good. The ups and the downs, and just take them as they come. Trying not to resisting.

 

Wellness

A while ago, I found I’d submerged myself in a ‘wellness space.’ Trying to be the best that I could be. And that’s because I wanted to optimise myself, and avoid those times when we’re down or not in the place where we want to be. I wanted to be constantly ‘primed.’ And I learned the hard way, that that’s just not how life works.

image of coconut oil in a jar - discussing wellness and wanting to be optimised as an entrepreneurI had myself stuck to a rigid, uniform schedule. Up at the same time every day, eat these foods, sleep at this time. It was this mad, crazy, disciplined regime I’d set out for myself.

But the thing is, I would flow through it in the good times. But when I felt drained, it was near impossible to stick to. It was a fight to keep up, but I did – because I wanted to be at my ‘best.’

And what I found was – it worked for me some of the time – and it didn’t at other times. And I found myself really exhausted – burnt out.

What I’ve come to realise is that you have ups – and you have downs. And if you work with the bad as well as the good, rather than against it, you get a much greater sense of enjoyment from them.

And you actually get much more from yourself.

 

Things are Easier When You Feel Good 

man in gym exercising - discussing how it is easier to do things like exercise when you are feeling good When you’re up – it’s so much easier to exercise, eat the right foods, etc. You enjoy these things so much more than when you’re feeling crap. It’s easier to have those difficult conversations that you need to have. It’s just easier being you.

And other times – it’s not. You want to curl up into a ball and pull the duvet over your head. You go to the gym and you can’t do anything. You don’t want to eat healthy food. In fact you crave the opposite. And if somebody comes near you for a deep meaningful conversation – you run a mile.

And that’s fine. There’s obviously something inside you telling you that hey, you need to take some time for yourself here. And the thing is – rather than fighting that, the key is listening to it. Don’t drown those feelings out. Our feelings are messengers that are trying to tell us something. As are our bodies. If our body is feelingwrecked –  listen to it. Slow down.

 

It’s Never Permanent

And knowing that this is only for now. In a few days, you’ll probably back up to your better self again. Because that’s just how life works. Sometimes you’re at the top of the Ferris wheel and other times, you’re at the bottom. But the thing to remember is the Ferris wheel is always turning. And it will be your turn to be on top again soon.

picture of half a ferris wheel turning in the sky - when you feel good and when you feel bad

Trust that these feelings will always pass. No feeling is forever, it’s impossible. You will again feel passion, and motivation, and feel you in your skin and completely comfortable. Maybe not today, but maybe tomorrow. Or next week. But it will come. We are constantly in peaks and troughs.

 

The Benefits 

It’s truly revelatory to stop fighting those slumps. Since I’ve stopped resisting the feeling that I need to stop and not be ‘perfect’ every day, I’ve actually had more ups than downs which, ironically, I was only ever trying to create in the beginning.

picture of a pait of fett on a hammock looking out on to the sky - talking about making time for yourself as an entrepreneur and taking pressure off

The down times are shorter as well. And I’m learning to just enjoy them. They’re fun. I know those are the days I’m going binge (guilt-free) Netflix and I’m gonna eat that thing I really want, and I’m not going to feel any anxiety about it at all. Because I’ve just accepted it for what it is. I need a cocoon day – and that’s okay.

Welcoming in those phases into our life is actually a very healthy thing. I know in those days I won’t be going out or seeing people because that’s just not where I’m at.

 

Going with the Flow 

It really is learning to go with your own flow. Everyone’s is different. Learning to listen to yourself and honouring what it is that you need. And learning to tune into that, and embrace it, is such a relief. It takes all the pressure off on those days where you know you just want a Chinese and god awful reality TV.

woman and her dog sitting on her bed, relaxing, taking a day off work

I’ve gotten used to it now. Learning to play with the ups and downs and prepare for them. I’ll now rearrange work to accommodate for downtime, eat a little better so I can bounce back even better. It really is about learning to enjoy the process and trusting that you will flow back into another stage.

So if you’re struggling trying to be your best self all the time – try and go a little easier on yourself. Our culture rewards productivity over happiness and wealth over health. We all need to rest. Our bodies will make us burn out if we don’t eventually, so we may as well do it now and enjoy it.