Break Free From a Rut

Some days are all moonbeams and rainbows and others feel as though the monotony of the moment may be enough to swallow you whole. Too much repetition of the latter becomes a rut and drains you of all energy and excitement. While we can’t be all starshine and dreams every day, there are a few ways to break up the monotony and feel a little more optimistic about how your life is tracking.

Be Grateful

Take a moment to recognise the things you’re grateful for, It seems hokey in the beginning but as you begin to notice the smaller things and convey your gratitude for them, your outlook does indeed become significantly brighter. If you struggle to find things, be grateful for the basics – that you have a home, an income, family, friends, then move to more detail such as the way a vase of flowers in your kitchen makes you feel or the way the sun creeps in your window in the morning, waking you gently and warmly.

For us, those small things have always been full moons, fairylights, bubble baths puppy cuddles and morning light and then you add to it as your eye expands.

Take Time For Exercise and Relaxation

For me, my favourite way to unwind is a long bubble bath, playing in the bath like a 5 year old, listening to Asaf Avidan with a glass of brandy or pinot gris but there are so many ways to unwind and reflect on the positives. For you it may be snuggling up with a movie on the couch, a yoga class or meditation – whatever it is that relaxes you, take time to specifically focus on that.

Exercise releases endorphins, endorphins make you happy – so get out and hit the gym, go for a run or join a local sports team to work out those niggly negatives on the playing field. Pound the pavement until your steps lighten and you’ll find yourself relaxed (exhausted) and calmer by the end of it.

Embrace Positivity

As you express gratitude (and not necessarily to a religious icon, your gratitude can be just to yourself or the universe in general), you will become more positive. If you’re the kind of person to focus on the negatives you’ll probably find that those things come true , the more you expect something bad to happen, the more likely it will happen so similarly focusing on the positives can have the same effect. The more positive and optimistic you are, the more likely you are to achieve those goals. Create goals, create positive mantras and visualisations and rid yourself of negative thoughts before they have time to form in your mind.

Look for Jobs in Other Industries

Take off the filters on your online job search and search broadly, look at what’s available, you’ll find roles that leap out at you. You may be exactly what they need or if not yet, you’ll have an idea of what you might want to do and how to get there, having a goal is a brilliant way to focus yourself out of a rut.

Reinforce Your Strengths

Again with the hokeyness but looking yourself in the eyes in the morning through the mirror, while a bit disconcerting at first, is the best way to get through to your inner self. Your mind can’t deny the things it sees itself saying to you in your own voice. They say there’s nothing more powerful than an audio visualisation in your own voice but add to that the visual of your own self saying the words, hearing them, feeling them, is incredible. Every time we have something to say we can feel a change inside, as if we’re taking it on board and accepting the message. IT’s liberating. So too is encouraging yourself outside of your reflection.

When you’re running or doing a physical activity you’re not amazing at, take the time to appreciate your efforts, what you’re working towards, your progress. Thank your body for healing a cut or express to yourself how proud you are that you achieved a certain task.

Be kind to yourself first. When you realise that your happiness relies on you and not on anyone else, it becomes a lot more liberating and you’ll find it easier to be happy with much less than you were before.

Don’t Compare Your Life With Those on Social Media

You see your friends and friends of friends on Facebook and Instagram living the life and feel stuck in your own because your multiple pics of dinner aren’t as exhilarating as Mel’s trip to Greece but bear in mind that people only share a small part of their lives on social media – even those who post 80 times a day.  People will only show you the good things and often greatly exaggerate them. One such example with this girl who told her family she was going on vacation and documented it all without ever actually leaving her bedroom.

Social media is not what it seems, the lives of others aren’t greater than yours. 

Revamp and Refresh

When you were young, you probably changed your bedroom furniture around as often as you changed favourite popstars and yet now as adults, we rarely make changes once they’re set. It’s easy when we feel in a rut to let our home life go, let the dishes pile up, leave the tidying for a weekend that never comes. Take a weekend to do abig spring clean, throw out all the stuff you really don’t need, take your old clothes to a second hand store and make some money in the process, rearrange your furniture, buy a few new cushions or home décor items and give your space a general all-around spruce.

JAGGAR International

JAGGAR International is the ultimate resource for the discerning, ambitious woman. It seeks to inspire and motivate young women into their careers, to help them build self confidence and go confidently in the direction of their dreams. It seeks to mentor young women and seasoned female executives in the pursuit of success and entrepreneurship.

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