The Balance Between Funk and Fire

A client, Joan, recently shared that she was having a rough week. She felt she wasn't getting the "right things" done, and she felt alone in the work she had to do. Joan thought the roller coaster she was on was "normal" but she was hoping for a way to get off the ride. rnAnother client, Annie, shared how, one week she was feeling very motivated and productive and on fire and then the next week she had fallen into a deep, unsettling funk. And she had lost all sight of the importance of the work she was doing. Both women are involved in big projects. They are doing big work from their hearts. And yet, they had forgotten to acknowledge how hard they'd been working. No wonder they landed in a funk. We all move from high to low. It is as natural as the tides, ebbing and flowing. It is in this flux that we experience movement. We couldn't possibly sustain always feeling high and we couldn't possibly survive if we were always feeling the lows. The question is, does the fluctuation always have to be so extreme? If we can practice actions and thoughts that keep us more balanced, then the shifts between ebb and flow might be less extreme, more manageable and healthier for our minds and bodies. Sometimes the best thing you can do when you are roller coaster-ing between funk and on fire is to get into your BODY. We find our true balance in our physical body. Our thoughts tend to knock us off-kilter and then our ego takes us on a wild ride of insecurity and doubt. Don't listen! Instead, tune inward and get in touch with your physical body and ask yourself what do you really need right now. Maybe it's taking a delicious nap in the middle of the day. Maybe it's going for a long walk in the woods, or riding your bike, or standing in tree pose, balanced on one leg and then the other. Whatever your body is asking for, DO IT. Then come back to your work. (I promise you that you will feel different!) And try this: If you were feeling unproductive and unmotivated, take out a piece of paper and write down EVERYTHING you've been doing these past few weeks. Then read the list and acknowledge your accomplishments. Choose a way to celebrate all that you have done. If you were feeling overwhelmed with everything you have to do, then take out a piece of paper and write down EVERYTHING you need to do.rnFrom big jobs to small tasks.rnSpit it all out onto the page. This creates some much needed space in your brain. If you like index cards, it might help to put one thing on each card so that it visually breaks the BIG THING OF IT into smaller, more do-able actions. Then you can put the cards in the order of importance/priority so that it feels more manageable and much less overwhelming. These are just a few suggestions.... How else can you stay focused and balanced so that you remember how much you believe in this great work you are doing????