Today I realised, it’s okay to be in the moment and to capture photos of the moment.
I don’t do enough of that.
And seeing fall leaves on the ground, I had another moment of realising the obvious – change is the only constant
We know this, but we still so often rally against it.
Why?
Because we love certainty and peace and control.
But these are illusions…well, the certainty and control part, anyway.
We can’t control the weather, but we can control whether we carry an umbrella, wear a hat and coat to protect us from the rain or simply…stay home and dry.
We can’t be certain that we will avoid catching the virus, but we can still have peace in the midst of the uncertainty.
For this is what the LORD says: I will extend peace to her like a river… As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.
Isaiah 66:12-13, NIV
So the sun has disappeared (well, at least it has in Manchester)?
But look what’s replaced it…autumn leaves!
I had forgotten how thankful I could feel to see such bright, happy colours on the ground, especially in the middle of a wet and miserable day. But here’s the thing…there’s always something to be thankful for. There’s always something to appreciate.
And on that note, let me share with you my wind-down, wellness strategies and the power of effective journaling for a good night’s sleep…
Wind-down Wellness Strategies For A Good Night’s Sleep
- HIGHLIGHT
- GRATITUDE
- VICTORY
- LESSON LEARNED
- QOTD
[1] Highlight
What was today’s highlight?
Mine was: taking my 30-minute walk and noticing the fall leaves on the ground, and their bright autumnal colours – orange, red, yellow… feeling a sense of relief being outside and away from my desk that I’ve felt chained to of late!
How about yours?
[2] Gratitude
What are you thankful for today?
Some people suggest ending the day with 3-5 things that you’re thankful for. For me, I suggest you just choose one. Just because it’s good to keep things short and sweet before bed, and I also believe that if you truly feel the gratitude, one can be enough.
I got this pointer from my wellness coach, Iris a few years ago and it’s stuck with me ever since.
Feel your gratitude. Take yourself back to the memory. Be in that moment. Relive it. And you can’t help but smile before you sleep.
Today, I am thankful for… good friends. It’s been a day of reminiscing as I was made aware it was recently Bill Murray’s 70th birthday. So I asked my Insta peeps – what day would you relive over and over again? My answer was: my 21st birthday. Because I had all the people I loved around me all at one time in one place. That was truly special.
Share your response with me here!
[3] Victory
How did you win the day?
Here’s my WIN – I wrote this blog! I missed last week’s #WellnessWednesday post, so I was determined to ensure I regained my winning streak! Wahoo! (P.S. Sorry if this reads a bit like garbage. It’s rushed and unedited. I’ll do better next time…)
I also cooked a perfectly-spiced, autumn-coloured meal of butternut squash and home fries!
[4] Lesson Learned
What lesson did you learn today? (Either through a failure or success of your own, a challenge faced or…whatever!)
Today I learned… 3-7pm is the best time for me to take business calls, do admin work and get some proper work that requires clear communication done rather than trying to get going in the morning.
[5] QOTD – Question of the day
Choose your own question of the day from a book or consider a question that you’ve been asked during the day, e.g. the Groundhog Day question. I have a 5 Year Q&A A Day Journal that I get my questions from for each day. Here’s a question from April 14th…
If you could acquire a talent (without any extra effort), what would it be?
Hmmm… this is a tough one! Linguistics – to just pick up languages super easily and gain fluency with the click of my fingers… to sing and dance like a pro… to jump far… like, really far…like world record far! Obviously!
Summary
Anyway, there’s a lot of content in here. But ultimately, if you’d like to share this with someone it may benefit, let me sum it up like this:
Autumn signals change – and it’s time to embrace this change, not rally against it! Control what you can, give God the rest in faith.
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Or if you’d prefer a more practical share…
Today I learned 5 simple steps to go to bed with a smile and at peace every single night… Check it out!
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Thanks for reading, liking and sharing.
Stay blessed.
Abs xx
More Than An Athlete: Introduction to 1-2-1 & Small Group Coaching
P.s. I’m more than an athlete. I also help people move from where they are to where they want to be by providing 1-2-1 and small group coaching and talks on resilience, wellness and high performance, having gained qualifications in NLP, CBT, Athletics Coaching and currently attaining my Level 5 ILM Coaching & Mentoring Diploma. Clients include: IBM Manchester, Trafford Council Home-Start, Connell College and private individuals.
Get in touch for a complimentary coaching consultation and prices for private 1-2-1 and online group coaching sessions if you want to bounce back from setbacks with a smile (!) and to boost your confidence and performance in work and life!
