Stewed frog - you’ll probably have heard the story about how a frog that falls into boiling water will hop straight out again, but one that sits in cold water that gradually heats up, won’t notice and will eventually be stewed! Now I’m not sure how accurate that story is, but I do know that it can be very easy to ignore stress until eventually you burn yourself out. Or, less dramatically, to simply get used to feeling run down, tired and out of sorts much of the time. So…think about the last time you felt GREAT? Remember? And what feels normal for you these days? So what do you need to do to get more GREAT in your life?
Blinkered horse - Are you always at full tilt? Are your days filled with endless activity? Blinkers stop horses from seeing things outwith the direction they’re going. Constant "busy-work" can sometimes be a way of blinkering yourself - helping you avoid seeing those areas of work or home life that you're not so happy about. There is an antidote: Trust yourself. The past can always be released and the present is always being created. So try taking the blinkers off for a while - and if you'd like some company on a re-viewing of your life, give me a call.
Captain Indispensable - Are you the company superhero? Do you subscribe to the belief “If you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself”? Does the thought of how your staff/boss/kids/etc would cope if you took time out stop you from working on your own goals? The problem most superheros face is that, while they're out saving the world, their own careers & needs are neglected.
The truth is: the only place you are indispensable is as captain of your own ship. Why not switch-off the autopilot and steer a fresh course. Or (at the risk of taking this metaphor a little too far) could you use some time in dry-dock, scraping the barnacles off your bottom!?
Closely related to Captain Indispensable is Ms Martyr - “If I just keep doing everything then someday someone will notice and my sacrifice will be rewarded…” The key word here is sacrifice. If you recognise a tendency for Ms Martyr to pop up in your life, then take swift action: resentment is always detrimental to your well-being. Stop waiting for your sacrifice to be noticed and start rewarding yourself. You don’t need anyone else’s approval.
Of course the world is a better place when people are helpful and do things for others. The key to giving Ms Martyr the boot is to start thinking in terms of being of service, rather than sacrificing yourself.
One of the most fundamental blocks to taking care of your well-being is the feeling that you don’t really deserve it. If your self-esteem is low (whether temporarily or as a long standing issue) tending to your well-being is an excellent way of raising it. Proving to your inner self that you are worthwhile and loveable, by giving yourself nurturing food and experiences, really does help.
By Helen Ross-Hamilton
helen@theresultsage
www.theresultsagenc
© Helen Ross-Hamilton, All rights reserved
