HOW TO ESCAPE A RUT

I get it, and I’ve been there. I know those months where you’re simply just watching your chest as it rises and falls with air, but are lacking motivation (not to mention wild, vivid LIFE).

So how do you shake your rut, and get back to momentum? I recently made a little checklist of steps I find helpful in an attempt to pull myself out a watering hole and reset my drive.

Take it outside

It’s easy to get stagnant when you’re staring at the same four walls everyday. It’s easy to lose sight of your purpose, your values and your passions when you become too familiar with your surroundings.

Step outside – whether it is just for a brisk walk, a challenging hike, or a leisurely swim. Reacquaint yourself with nature and the wonder that our planet has to offer! By reminding yourself how vast the world is, it might help bring you back down to Earth, and see the larger picture.

Analyze your relationships

I am not a promoter of displacing your personal blame on the people around you. By no means am I suggesting that your relationships are the cause of your rut. However, it is important to evaluate the people you share your life with.

We should hold all of our relationships to the standard that we hold our romantic relationship to. Whether it is your boyfriend, your best friend, or your brother, they should encourage you to always vibrate at a higher frequency and chase your dreams! Attempt to surround yourself with people that are driven and motivated, and follow by their example. You and your tribe can celebrate each other’s triumphs!

Know your roots

When crawling out of a rut, recognize your roots. Revel at how far you have come, whether it be in terms of your career, your personality or your relationships. You are allowed to be a work in progress, but appreciate how many lightyears away you are from the little girl (or boy) that you once were.

Look at how far you’ve come as an example of how much further you can go.

Understand your comfort zone

When you hit a plateau, you may need to evaluate what is blocking you from moving forward in your journey. It’s easy to set barriers for yourself – this is called your comfort zone. Make tiny moves to step outside of your comfort zone.

“If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.” – Thomas Jefferson

Set little goals

This point can resonate with understanding your comfort zone. Set little (achievable) goals, and celebrate when you surpass them. This exercise can help you reevaluate your comfort zone, whilst simultaneously giving you a little pat on the back when you complete a task.

A sense of accomplishment can always help push us out of our ruts, and motivate us to continue in a forward motion.

Emphasize your passion

Don’t lose sight of your strengths and your passions. Passion is the one thing that can keep us ticking when motivation and determination fade away. When the promise of a dollar is no longer incentive to push forward, evaluate how your passions play into all of your decisions.

Let me know the little tips and tricks you use to push yourself harder and further,

 

THE LITTLE THINGS

Hey loves,

I have officially hit the January blues. All of the joyous Christmas festivities are over, and as a Canadian, I am looking towards another 3 months of dreaded, snowy, miserable winter. January blues is a reoccurring thing for me every year, missing the festive season and counting down the moments until I can put my short shorts on for the first time of the year.

Due to this awful feeling, I’ve decided to compose a list of all the little things in life that make me truly, genuinely happy. I figured it would be worth the share to lift any of your spirits who are experiencing the same down feeling as I am.

1. Which leads me to my first point – the first time of the season that I slip into those denim short shorts and suddenly feel FREE.
2. Waking up and realizing you have 3 more hours to sleep before the alarm goes off.
3. Sore muscles the day after a good workout. They are just telling me “you worked me good, you’re on the right path!”
4. The green hue from the distance that the trees get in the spring when the buds are just starting to pop up.
5. Getting a whiff of your favourite perfume throughout the day reminding you that you smell great
6. Opening a hot, fresh box of delivered cheese pizza after a 45 minute wait
7. A quiet Saturday night after a hot bath, with countless hours to look forward to of Netflix, silence and alone time
8. The highly anticipated first kiss that sends butterflies down to your very core
9. That “ah ha” moment when learning new information when everything just clicks
10. The birds chirping on a summer morning
11. The scent of freshly mowed lawn
12. When you get an unexpected flower delivery
13. Remembering a fond memory so vividly that it feels like a warm hug
14. Just happening to see strangers do something so beautiful that it makes you smile – maybe a mother kissing her newborn baby, or an elderly couple holding hands sitting on a park bench
15. First stepping into the hot bath
16. As women, we pick ourselves apart. We are our own worst enemies. However, those moments where I offer myself complete acceptance – I look in the mirror and can think “you look nice today, and I like your heart”. The moments where I can see myself offering love and friendship to myself, those are good days.
17. Running past your breaking point, and that feeling of accomplishment after.
18. Getting home from a salon appointment and appreciating your new ‘do.
19. Lighting a brilliant smelling candle for the first time.
20. Recognizing your yoga poses are improving.
21. Having your pup cuddle up on your lap and look at you with loving eyes.
22. That little noise a pop bottle makes when you crack the seal.
23. Getting into bed after a few drinks and feeling as though there is literally nothing that could ever beat the feeling of your head on the mattress.
24. Making a new friend.
25. Deep, genuinely happy, belly laughs.

What are some things that make you the happiest version of yourself?