what you see is not always what you get
by Dede, Health and Wellbeing Manager
“I started writing a personal blog. My hope is that people will see that even I have my down days but that I am trying to do something about it; and I hope this will encourage them to so the same.”
What you see is not always what you get. Behind the cheery smile, the positivity, the encouraging words are thoughts of the unknown, uncertainty, anticipation. When will life feel normal? When will I be able to travel? When will I see my friends? When will I leave my mask at home and for that not to matter? When will the gym open? All of these thoughts have filled my head and are now creating anxiety for my immediate future.
Now I know many of you feel this way; I’ve seen class numbers drop since the New Year, a time that would normally bring in new members and class numbers would be high. I feel you, I really do. If I’m not teaching, I can’t bring myself to exercise… but when I teach I’m in my happy world.
So, what can we do to get ourselves back on track? Since the beginning of the week I’ve started thinking about the best approach for me. I love being active, it makes me feel good. I paint, I write and I read. These are the things that I’ve (so far) lacked motivation for this year; yet I need them in my life.
Today, I’m setting myself some easy tasks and I’ll write them down on a ‘to-do list’ because if it’s a plan, I’ll do it. I’ll exercise at least 30 mins a day (1 hour on days when I teach!), I’ll find my sketch book and do a doodle every day, and as I’m travelling on the tube, I’ll bring a book to read. I also have a pack of WordSmith cards and will pull one three times per week and write about the subject I’m given.
I know that if I do this then I will feel so much more positive, as doing the things I love brings out the best of me.
So over to you: what are the things that you enjoy, what inspires you, what makes you smile? Whatever these are; take them and make a plan, even if you do only one in a day. It just might start your motivation again, start those positive vibes flowing and even inspire you to try something new.
If, like me, you love a good chat and a sweaty workout, then I hope to see you online in class soon!
Dede x