Feeling Stuck

We all experience times of stuckness. I've recently found myself feeling stuck with regards to my purpose in life and not knowing how to move forward. Stuckness can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, low self esteem, lack of confidence and a general feeling of being lost and not knowing how to move forward.
Stuckness can give you a sense of panic and make you want to move out of the situation quickly creating a quick sand effect.

It's OK to feel stuck. Accept how you feel and instead of fighting against it, give yourself some space to breathe and think. Feeling stuck is a sign that you need to make a change in your life and only you will know which area of your life this signal is highlighting for you, be it work, relationships, health, home etc.
The stuckness signal can be one of the most important signals you will ever receive and it's important to sit up and take notice. Don't give into to the feeling and let it overwhelm you. Use it and take the steps needed to make the change in your life.

Ask yourself some important questions.
What am I not happy with in my life at the moment? (this is usually the area where you will feel stuck)
How can I make positive steps to begin making changes in this area?
Don't overwhelm yourself. Make small attainable goals which will leave you with a feeling of satisfaction and control over your life.
What is one thing you can do today that will make the biggest change in your life?
What am I not admitting to myself?
How can I begin each day more positively, creating more energy and productivity? 
A morning routine is a hugely valuable renewing step to take, Again, don't overwhelm yourself by setting a goal of getting up an hour earlier and going for a 45 minute jog followed by meditation and eating a bowl of spinach. A drastic change will give you a sense of fear and dread. This should be enjoyable.
Wake up 30 minutes earlier, no snoozing of the alarm. Before getting out of bed take a deep breath, smile and think of 3 simple things you are grateful for in your life. E.g The sunshine, your comfy bed, music... anything that rings true to your heart. And really feel the gratitude. The more grateful you are in your life the more the universe will create things for you to be grateful for.

15 minutes of gentle exercise like yoga or stretching. Youtube has a wonderful selection of free yoga tutorials. Check out my links for you page to try some of my personal favourites.

Review the areas in your life that you need to change and start to take the necessary steps you need to pull you out of the quick sand.

What do you truly want?

Be brave, take risks, you can do this!

Morning Ritual

As a sufferer of bipolar disorder I know how hard it is to drag yourself out of bed and face the day. I was one of those who would snooze the alarm 15 times, then lay there huffing and puffing before slowly dragging myself out of bed all hunched over and feeling heavy and depressed. This would set the tone for the rest of my day. Spilling the milk when I make my tea, running late for work and generally feeling like life is a bit mundane and rubbish and this is how it will be, day in and day out.

I had a reality check, I realised that I was causing this crappy feeling every morning and I decided to change the way I woke up. I set my alarm earlier and as soon as it went off I stretched my arms above my head, took a deep full breath and jumped up out of bed. This small change makes a HUGE difference. Trust me, Please try this. The way you get out of bed really affects the way you feel in the morning.

After getting up I would take myself to the living room and meditate for 15 minutes. For me meditation works best in the morning, I can connect with my inner consciousness more easily and it sets a positive and loving tone for the rest of the day.

When I open my eyes I sit there a moment longer taking deep full breaths and think of everything I am grateful for in my life. It doesn't have to be big things. I make the effort to think of 3 things I am grateful for every morning.  For example: The energy to practice yoga, the sun beaming through my window or the sleep I have just enjoyed in my safe warm bed. Practicing gratitude will help you to notice all the wonderful things you actually have going on in your life, it will also attract more things for you to be grateful about.

If I have time before work, after my meditation, I will do some yoga. Sometimes just 15 minutes, other times I can do an hour. Yoga will fill you with energy, wake up your whole body and get breath into stagnant areas of you body where the energy isn't flowing. I will dedicate a post to yoga in the future but I highly recommend it. I love fitness and it is a massive benefit to my mental health. Of all the fitness I do, yoga has made the biggest changes in my body, fitness and mind.
If there is no time to exercise, just do a few simple stretches to wake up the body and set your alarm 15 minutes earlier for the next day.

Finish off with a healthy breakfast and a detoxing herbal tea or simply hot water with fresh lemon and ginger and congratulate yourself for the amazing thing you have just done for your body and mind. Starting your days like this will have  a big positive impact on the rest of you day.

So start now. Think of how you can create a simple and doable morning routine to make a positive difference to the rest of your day, Even if you just make one positive change it will make all the difference.