What a rut!

Good morning everyone. Happy Monday...or so they tell me. I am feeling particularly bluck this morning so I am not sure how this Motivational Monday piece is going to go. There is no specific reason for my bluckness, it just seems that everything is on top of me right now and it's all too hard. I guess you could say I am stuck in a bit of a rut. It is the same thing every day and I think I am feeling a bit over it. The only thing that changes is what kind of injury Elliott sustains...today he is sporting a black eye after a run in with the slide yesterday. Poor thing!! So perhaps today we can talk about being stuck in a rut and how to shake things up a bit...

No matter how motivated, driven and enthusiastic we are, it is inevitable that we will all find ourselves stuck in a rut from time to to time. Here are some pretty good signs that you are indeed stuck in a rut:

• Your energy levels hit the floor and picking them back up does not come to easily;
• It seems that overnight you find yourself putting on weight, not sleeping well and generally feeling "bluck";
• You feel that you are indecisive and confused about what the next step should be;
• Looking towards the future and dreaming is just too hard because it is taking all of your energy to get through what is right now;
• You wear your flannelette pajamas every chance you get...even after returning home from the Kindy run and typing up your blog for the day. Not me specifically of course, just a generalisation.   

So I did a bit of Googling and came across some tips on what to do if you find yourself stuck in a rut. The basis of these top 10 tips come from Jeff Smith, the Author of "Achieving Extreme Greatness":

• Convince yourself that it will indeed pass. When you are in the thick of a rut it is hard to see anything beyond the doom and gloom right in front of you. Convincing yourself that it will pass can help you come out of your rut much quicker than if you admit defeat and let it consume you. Remember the saying "This too shall pass"...say it again and again until it sinks in!
• Exercise. We all know the benefits of exercise so I wont go into it here but just remember the endorphin rush you get after moving your body...it is well worth the effort!
• Get social. It is a normal rut like reaction to withdraw and become a bit of a recluse when you are down. Try really hard to do the opposite and get out there and socialise. Perhaps I should get out of my PJ's and go out today...if it was me I was talking about earlier of course. 
• Change your diet. I don't know about you but I tend to gravitate towards carbs and sugar when I am feeling down. Apparently, hitting the healthy food is a better way to deal with getting out of your rut. I will ponder this while I eat mud cake and drink hot chocolate for morning tea. I promise, I will give it great consideration!
• Break your routine. A rut is well and truly succumbing to a pattern of bad habits. By breaking this pattern, it is one strong step towards change. Remember the saying from Dr Phil "If you continue to do what you have always done, you will continue to have what you have always had. If you do different you will have different". Love that quote!
• Baby steps. Don't wait for some profound event before making a change. Take baby steps and it will all accumulate to become the epic change you were waiting for. 
• Change your company. If you are surrounded by negative people, of course it will be even harder to get out of your rut. Surround yourself with positive people and be inspired to live a better life. 
• Take responsibility. Look inward and understand that you have everything you need to succeed wildly today, it's just that you are relying on external factors for your success. If you only take one thing away from today's blog, let it be this point...so empowering!!!
• Meditate. I love meditation and always feel better afterwards. There a truck loads of studies providing evidence that meditation is beneficial for our health, not just our physical health but our mental and emotional health too. If you haven't tried meditating before, opt for some guided meditation CD's and you will be amazed at how great they make you feel. 
• Know the signs. The best way to stop yourself getting into a rut in the first place is to recognise when you are slipping. Knowing your goals, inner purpose and desires will help keep you on track. When you feel you are not living in such a way that keeps you in line with these, get on top of it and stop yourself falling into a rut. It's all about being self aware. 

Do you know what is amazing? After writing today's blog, I can feel my bluckness lessening. There are some really valuable lessons in here and I am going to take them on board and move my arse out of this rut!! Right now, I am going to get out of my flannelette pajamas (alright, I confess, it was me I was talking about), sit down with some cake and hot chocolate (baby steps remember) and plan my moves for today. Look out rut, your days are numbered!!

Kate xox