Vlog: Super Bowl Aftermath

Happy Monday!  Did you watch the Super Bowl yesterday?  Did you have or go to a watch party?  I did.  This video is about how we balance our health needs and socializing.  Something I didn't mention in the video is getting enough sleep prior to the event.  Sleep is so important if we're going to socialize and have fun.  It keeps up healthy, energized, and better able to enjoy the festivities.  Also, pace yourself.  Don't try to go go go through the week right up to the party.  Give yourself rest breaks, chill time.  And prep everything ahead of time that you need to bring, whether it's food or a bag of medical maintenance supplies.  Anything you'll need for the time you'll be out.  

Any other suggestions?  Comment below or email me at amy@acnlifecoach.com.  Catch you back here on Wednesday.  Take care.

Vlog: Knee Update: Saw the Surgeon Today

Hey there!  I finally saw the surgeon about my knee again today.  This vlog talks all about what he said and what happens next.

If you're celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, I how you have a wonderful day surrounded by those you love and who make you smile the most.  Or, if you're perfectly content to have a quiet day by yourself or with a couple people you're closest to, that's cool too.  However you prefer to spend the day, I hope that's how it goes.  I'll catch you again on Monday with another vlog post.  Be safe!

Vlog: Fitness and Chronic Health Issues

Hi!  I hope you're having a great Wednesday.  Today's vlog focuses on fitness and chronic health issues.  I discuss how to get started, the importance of talking with your doctor or medical team before starting a fitness program, and how to advance your fitness program to get better results.  I hope you find this video helpful.  Exercise is so important to our well-being.  Whether you use a chair, walking aids, or you walk without aid, there are exercises you can do to get and keep fit.  I'm a former certified personal trainer.  I gave up my certification recently, but I still know a thing or two about fitness.  So if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.  If I can't help you, I can refer you to other professionals who might be able to answer your questions for thoroughly.  Good luck with your fitness program and have fun!

Attitude Is Everything

Your attitude is how you view your life.  You get to choose your attitude.  It's not a done deal that is pre-programmed within you from the start.  It is learned, and it is everything.

How you perceive your life has a huge effect on how you live it, how you behave, how you react to different people, how you work, the chances you take, how you handle crises, the people you meet and relate to, the opportunities you take advantage of and those you let pass by.  Everything!  

For those of you who have chronic health issues, a positive attitude can make the difference on how fast you heal.  If you mope around and complain and refuse to do what the doctor tells you to, then you'll most likely be faced with a longer recovery period, and you might just shoot yourself in the foot and not recover at all.  But if you try to find the positive in any given situation, there's a good chance that you'll come through your health crises much faster and healthier. 

I've gone through periods in my life when I didn't have confidence in my abilities.  I would shy away from jobs I could very well have done, just because I was scared to try, or didn't want to drive in that particular area of town.  

I've also dragged my feet, putting off important decisions until it was too late because I didn't have confidence in my abilities.  I've given up too soon on jobs, educational opportunities, community involvement opportunities, and relationships.  I've also hung on to jobs, ideas, and relationships way too long because I had an unhealthy attitude about them.

But it doesn't have to be like this.  Commit to an attitude adjustment and you'll notice a huge difference in how your life plays out.  

Ways To Improve Your Attitude

1.  Discover your "why:"  Why do you want to change your attitude?  Have you been ridiculed, lost friends, or missed out on important opportunities because of it?  Or, do you feel it just doesn't serve a valuable purpose in your life anymore?

2.  Daydream:  Use daydreaming to practice conversations with others.  Role play them to see if you can come up with more positive ways to communicate: use upbeat tones, smile when talking, use positive, non-judgmental words, practice good listening skills, and so on.  You could even role play with a close friend and ask for feedback as an alternative to daydreaming.

3.  Wake Up Grateful:  Practice waking up grateful for all the good in your life.  There are days when this will be difficult, but stick to it and see what a difference it makes in your attitude.  Starting your day on a positive note can spill over to the rest of the day and make it awesome.

4.  Be Enthusiastic:  Find the good in any situation.  Tackle each problem with curiosity and enthusiasm.  Of course, not everything is going to warrant enthusiasm, but make a point to infuse your attitude with enthusiasm as much as possible.

5.  Take Time For Yourself:  Get away from the craziness of life often to just be.  Be quiet, be contemplative, be you.  Connect with your inner self and really listen to it.  What is truly important to you?  What do you need to let go?  What do you want to do with your life?  What makes your heart sing?  Answer those questions and then go out and do those things, find true happiness.

6.  Laugh!:  Humor is a great tool to change your attitude and get you through tough times.  Try to infuse your conversations with humor.  You don't have to joke all the time--that's annoying--but now and then break out the funny in you to lighten the mood and give your attitude a jolt of positive energy.  Learn to find something funny in your situation.  Learn to laugh at yourself and with others over silly things that happen at the clinic or hospital.  I remember one time when I was at the doctor's office for a pre-op physical; I was pretty nervous as I was headed for major surgery.  The doctor came into the exam room where I was waiting for him and said, with a totally straight face, "So, are you scared poopless?"  I had to do a double-take to make sure this was actually my usual conservative, quiet doctor.  Yep, it was him.  I had to smile.  He came through for me when I really needed him.  Through pre-op, the hospital stay and recovery, every time I thought of what he had said that day in his office, I had to smile or giggle.  And that was the perfect medicine to help me get through that difficult ordeal.  Kudos to him!

7.  Move!:  No, you don't have to move away, although that could be what you need.  That's your call.  But definitely, move your body.  It was meant to move, not be stuck in front of the TV or computer for hours on end.  Find activities you enjoy doing and get out and do them most days of the week.  Running, walking, tennis, cycling, team sports, swimming, lifting weights, wheelchair dancing, dancing, paralympics, and so on.  It's all good.  Choose a variety so you don't get bored.  Ask your friends and family to join you as well.  Having a workout partner helps keep it fun and helps keep you accountable.

It is important to find a balance in life, so you take the opportunities that are presented to you, have a healthy attitude about them, give them a good go, let the unhealthy situations and relationships go, and cherish the ones that turn out to be magical, or at least pretty darn cool.

I welcome your comments.  I'd love to hear how you have made attitude adjustments and how your life changed as a result.  

Get Some Perspective on Life

In Friday's post, Choosing the Life You Want, I talked about how I finally got the life that I wanted.  Today, I'm going to share an exercise with you that can help you figure out where to start in making your own life the best it can be.  This exercise is called The Circle of Individual Perspective (see example above), and it can help you see where you are now and what you might need to work on in order for those dreams to come true.

First, draw a circle on a blank piece of paper and divide the circle equally into six sections. Don't worry if they aren't even.  Place one of the following labels on the outside edge of the sections (one label per section):  career, relationships, financial, health, spiritual, and well-being.

Now, rate each of the six categories on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being "least satisfied" and 10 being "most satisfied."  For example, if your relationships are very satisfying/you have many good friends, you would label that section a 9 or 10, but if you're going through a divorce or you're lonely/don't have many friends you'd probably label that section a 1 or 2 instead.  

Okay next, imagine that the circle represents a bicycle wheel.  Draw a straight line across the "career" section at a point that represents your rating.  Say you rated your career a 6. The line you draw from spoke to spoke on the "wheel" would be pretty close to the middle of the section.  If you rated health at a 9 then the line would be very close to the outside edge of the wheel.

When you've drawn all the lines, color in the sections that are closest to the center of the circle.  Now, what does the "bicycle wheel" look like?  Does it look as if it's pretty even all around?  Is the wheel large, or small?  The bigger the wheel, the smoother your ride of life will be.  If the wheel is even but small, it still might be difficult since you've rated each section of life lower than optimal.  If you've got numbers all over the place, as in the above example, 4, 7, 9, 9, 6, 8, you're looking at a pretty funky looking wheel and thus a rough ride in life.

Look at your wheel.  Are you satisfied with it?  Will it provide you with a smooth or bumpy ride?  Take what this exercise has taught you and begin to make little changes in the areas of your life that you most want to improve.  Set goals, devise a plan of action to begin the journey of meeting those goals, and then make them happen.  Dream, imagine, believe, achieve!

If you have any questions about this exercise, or if you would like to find out more about life coaching, please contact me at amy@acnlifecoach.com.  Take care.

What Hobby Brings You Joy?

Do you have a hobby that brings you utter joy?  This marks the fortieth year that Jim, my hubby, has been collecting breweriana.  He started out collecting both soda and beer cans with his brother, but when the garage started filling up, their dad said they had to pick one or the other, so they chose to continue on with the beer cans.  

Eventually Jim bought his brother's share and then added other items, including signs, posters, bottles, trays, and coasters, to the mix.  The collection has grown to nearly 3000 items.

What makes collecting breweriana so enjoyable?

"It's neat to accumulate all the brands from all over the world, all the different designs,"  Jim said.  "It's like a treasure hunt.  I've found cans anywhere from yard sales to a hollow tree."  

Jim's favorite brand of beer is Falstaff, which hasn't been made since 2005.  

"It was our local beer in Nebraska; the brand my dad drank."

Some brands that he has in the collection aren't made anymore.  

"It's nice to have an example of a brand from the past that no longer exists," he said.

The collection is in one room of the house.  Unless he puts up shelves all over the rest of the house (um, no), he'll run out of room eventually.  Now, he's limiting new additions to personally emptied cans only.  It should take him a little while, then, to fill the remaining 200 slots left.

Having a hobby, whether it's collecting, or something else such as knitting, furniture making, quilting, or genealogy, can bring considerable joy.  It can also reduce stress, improve memory, boost problem solving skills, increase self esteem, and improve sleep.  

Some hobbies involve more expense than others.  Pick the ones you enjoy and can afford to keep up with so you don't run into financial road blocks down the line.

Do you have a favorite hobby?  If not, start thinking about what you would like to try.  Do some investigating; scope out several hobbies to see which one(s) spark the most interest.   Then dive it and have fun!

My favorite interests are reading, writing, exploring thrift stores and secondhand book shops, volunteering, and exercise.  What are your favorite interests and hobbies?  What makes your heart sing?  I'd love to hear about it.

What to Wear to Work Out

Me in 2008 when I was in the best
 shape of my life, hitting the gym
2 hours a day, 4 days a week.

When you walk through the doors of the gym, you can expect to see patrons dressed in a variety of workout clothing.  Some wear shimmering spandex, others come in wearing an old tee shirt and baggy sweatpants, and still others don muscle shirts and basketball shorts.  All of these are appropriate.  Don't think you have to go out and buy fancy new gear.  It might be a motivator to buy one or two new outfits, but you don't have to go hog wild.  There's no special clothing required to work out.  Just remember to wear something that's comfortable, cool, breathes well, absorbs moisture, and allows you to move freely.  

Wear comfortable shoes, as well, that provide overall support for running, walking, jumping, or whatever activity you will be participating in.  Whatever type of shoe you're comfortable in, go for it, but skip the flip flops, dress shoes, and work boots.  Go for rubber sole that aren't too fat to help avoid tripping up.  If you don't already have appropriate shoes, look for them at discount, department or sporting goods stores.

My favorite clothes to workout in are tee shirts and stretchy shorts or sweats.  They're simple, affordable and easy to care for.  They do retain odor, though, I've noticed.  I have to replace them quite often.  But I just don't personally like the ones that are more absorbent and breathable.  It's my personal choice.  You'll need to make your own choices as well.  Go with with feels good and motivates you to hit the gym for fun, effective workout.  

What do you prefer to exercise in?  

The Benefits of Hiking

Huntington Beach Central Park, 2010

Walking is my favorite form of exercise.  Jim and I walk the trails that meander through the city as often as we can.  We also love to head for the mountains to hit the trails there for some hiking.  It feels awesome to get outside, breathe in some fresh air, and get the heart pumping with some serious moving about!  It wakes me up, gives me more energy, improves my mood, clears my head, and just makes me feel good all the way around. But those are only a few of the very real benefits of hiking.  Read on for more.

Regular aerobic exercise provides many health benefits.  Hiking is a great form of aerobic exercise.  Some of the benefits include:

• Boosted cardio-respiratory fitness (keeps your heart, lungs, and blood vessels healthy)*
• Increased muscle
• Ability to give pretty much your whole body a workout  
• Reduced risk of stroke and heart disease (can help by lowering blood pressure)
• Reduced risk of high blood pressure (it can lower blood pressure by 4-10 points)
• Reduced risk of  type 2 diabetes* (for those with type 1 diabetes, walking reduces the amount of insulin needed by the body; for those with type 2 diabetes, exercise along with a healthy diet and weight loss can help reverse it.)
• Reduced risk of high cholesterol and triglycerides
• Reduced risk of cancers such as colon and breast
• Improved bone density/hindered calcium loss*
• Improved sleep*
• Relief from depression**
• Boosted imagination
• Increased brain health (boosts mood, releases feel-good endorphins)
• Reduced anxiety
• Reduced risk of dying prematurely
• Weight control* (You burn an average of 100 calories per mile walked at a regular, comfortable pace.  Boost your pace, boost your calorie burn.)
• Increased sense of well-being
• Increased sense of accomplishment should you progress to tougher trails or hike for longer distances

You don't have to hike a lot to reap most of these benefits.  Just 30 minutes most days will do it (150 minutes of moderate activity per week is recommended, so moderate hiking.  You can talk but you can't sing.).  You can break it up into 10 minute bouts of exercise, too, if you don't want to or don't have time to complete your exercise routine in all one go.  Of course, challenging yourself as you become stronger will help provide even more benefits to your health.  Vigorous exercise, such as hiking uphill or with a backpack on your back, provides that challenge.  Shoot for 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise--you can only speak a few words at a time. 

Aerobic exercise is great, but you also should get 2 to 3 days of resistance training in per week.  Body weight, free weights, weight machines--choose the exercises that are the most fun and manageable for you.  Like aerobic exercise, gradually increase weight and/or repetitions as you get stronger.  You can also vary rest time between sets and speed to change up your workouts. 

Precautions:

• If you have led a sedentary lifestyle, if you are 35 years old or older, or if you have a chronic health issue, consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program. 
• Start out slowly if you are new to hiking or any other type of physical exercise.
• Always listen to your body.  If you are having a tough time breathing, experiencing sharp pains, or feeling dizzy, stop exercising immediately and seek medical care.
• Go your own speed.  Yes, it's good to be challenged, but don't go overboard or be a show off. 
• Hike with others who are at about the same (or slightly higher) fitness level as you are.
• Stay hydrated.  Drink plenty of water.  Check out the Mayo Clinic's recommendations in this article--> "Factors that Influence Water Needs." Also, bring some snacks such as nuts, dried berries, or trail mix with you.
• Wear appropriate clothing and footwear.  I have seen people hiking canyons in flip flops.  Um, not smart.  Invest in a quality pair of hiking boots.  Your feet and ankles will thank you.  Wear layers in winter, and loose, cool clothing during the warmer months.  Might be a good idea to wear bright colors too.
• Bring a walking stick to help keep your balance on tougher terrain.
• Bring bright rags or some other appropriate items to mark your trail to help avoid getting lost.
• Hike with a buddy.  You never know what you'll encounter out there in the boonies.  It's nice to think of getting away from it all and hiking in solitude, but it's not very smart.  Find  a place closer to home where you can go for that alone time instead. 
• Let others know where you're going and when you plan to return. 
• Bring a cell phone with you, but be aware that it may not work depending on where you decide to hike.

You may want to invest in a pedometer to keep track of your walking and hiking progress.  It can be a lot of fun and provide motivation to see how many steps you take each day or during each hike.

Are you a hiker?  Or are you just thinking about getting into it?  What are some tips that have helped make your ventures out into nature more fun, safe, and fulfilling?



*Also seen in children who get regular aerobic exercise.  **May occur in children who get regular aerobic exercise.

Fun Fitness Blog Posts

Hi!  Happy Wednesday!  I hope your week is going great so far.  I haven't felt well this week so I've been dragging, but I've gotten some work done on my blog which I'm thrilled about.  I'm happy to be back on Blogger!  As I was transferring blog posts from my previous platform, I checked in on my old Blogger blog, Fun Fitness.  I haven't posted to it since last year.  Why, I don't know.  I just lost track of it, I guess.  I also was switching over to life coaching so didn't focus in on the fitness blog as much, although fitness is very much a part of my life coaching business.  So, I decided to share a link here to my Fun Fitness blog which contains nearly 50 posts on fitness, motivation, and nutrition.  I hope the information included proves helpful to you.  If you have any questions or comments about either of my blogs, please let me know.  I welcome your feedback.  Take care.

When Those Little Things Add Up

If some little thing happens you're not apt to think much of it, right?  But what if one little thing after another little thing, after another, and another happens?  Do you tend to freak out a bit?  You're not alone.  At one point I had the following going on in my life:

• A blister on my foot
• An ornery knee
• An altered exercise routine
• A cat with allergies
• A husband with allergies
• Trouble sleeping
• Pesky cravings 

None were that challenging to deal with individually, but add them up and, yep, not happy.

 But, like it or not, life happens.  Sometimes those little things just build up and up and up and you just have to take a breath and back away a bit. You're okay.  These frustrating things will pass. LIfe will improve. 

So, what did I do to defuse the situation?  .

Blister:  I went to the doctor--a few times.  This wasn't just a tiny bit of skin knocked off the side of my foot.  It was a big black blister courtesy of some new shoes.  I always wear Band-aids on areas of my feet that are susceptible to blistering for awhile when I'm breaking in new shoes.  This time that apparently wasn't enough.  The shoes I'd gotten where slightly narrower than my usual pickings, and I paid for it big time.  The wound wasn't infected--yet.  That developed a bit later, but it began to heal, slowly.

Knee:  I used ice and heat on it, plus massage.  That worked out well.  The pain was pretty much gone by the time I saw the doctor.  I'd had knee issues for years, so I wanted to make sure everything was okay.  In the past I'd hyperextended it while walking down a steep hill on vacation in Gibraltar.  It didn't respond well to physical therapy or surgery, but within a month of starting to workout with a trainer in 2007 (6 years after the injury), I had no pain.    I was sold on exercise after that, let me tell ya.  

Exercise:  At first I backed off from exercise to give my blister time to heal, even though the doctor hadn't suggested limiting my activity.  The bandage was a bit thick to start with, so my shoes (the old, ratty ones I had attempted to replace with the narrow ones) felt kind of tight.  I didn't want to make things worse.  After a little break, I began exercising at home to DVDs.  I didn't feel comfortable enough to walk outside.  I didn't want to get a few blocks away and have my foot start hurting.  Anyway, I'd just gotten to the point where I was walking more freely, when I started having spasms in m knee that traveled down into my lower leg.  Lovely.  Couched again.  I was still able to do upper body exercises, though.

Allergies:  We brought the cat to the vet, who put her on children's allergy medication.  We have an enclosed outdoor yard for the cats so they can run around in the grass in safety, and the vet said she could go outside UNLESS she got worse by doing so.  Well, guess what:  She got worse.  So she looked at us in misery as if to say, "What did I do wrong?"  Poor girl.  The allergies are still bothering her.  Back to the vet we go.  As for Jim, my hubby, he got the worse case of seasonal allergies he's ever gotten this year, and a chest cold on top of that.  Over-the-counter medication, a lot of coughing and sneezing, and reminders from me to drink plenty of fluids and get enough sleep--it went on for weeks, but he finally kicked it. 

Sleeping:  I've been having sleep issues for quite some time due to menopause.  It could also be hereditary.  I was doing well if I had six hours sleep, that's how bad it was.  Some nights I didn't sleep at all--literally.  But I finally found the answer--reading.  I read from 30 minutes to 2 hours a night--depending on how interesting the book is.  The more boring the topic, the faster I go to sleep.  Problem solved!  

Cravings:  I love chocolate.  If it's in the house, I hunt it down and eat it.  Since hitting menopause, my craving for chocolate has increased 10-fold, I kid you not.  It's crazy!  I'm a personal trainer, I live a healthy lifestyle, and I enjoy eating healthfully.  But with menopause, all bets are off.  Luckily this has improved over the last few years.  It does get better.  In the meantime, I keep healthy snacks available, give myself a bit of chocolate, don't punish myself if I have more chocolate than I should, and use exercise to keep my stress level down.  

Do your best to find solutions to those little nuisances that get on your nerves.  Some problems might take longer to resolve than others, but work on them bit by bit.  It's better than letting them fester unchecked.  Good luck!

Do you have an experience of little things adding up that you'd like to share?  What did you do to remedy the situation?  I'd love to hear from you.  Email me at amy@acnlifecoach.com.  Thanks!

Come on and Shake Those Blahs

Do you have the blahs?  They don't just happen in winter.  They can happen anytime, set off by a loss of a loved one, health problems, work woes, a spiritual crisis and more.  A string of little, seemingly insignificant things that bugs you could trigger the blahs, too.  So, how do you  shake these pesky feelings?  Here are some tips:

 

1.  Call a trusted friend.  Talking to someone about your blahs, or simply talking to them about anything, may boost your spirits, depending on if you would like to try to remedy the situation by venting and asking for advice, or by attempting to forget about it for awhile.  Either way, a good talk can help.

 

2.  Change your living space.  Sometimes little changes can help shake us out of a downer mood.  Rearrange the furniture, add some house plants or a pretty bouquet of flowers, or frame some personal photographs to hang on the walls--anything that can perk up your personal space.

 

3.  Try a new hobby.  Shake things up by trying a new hobby.  Pick something you've always wanted to try but never made time for before.  Maybe you've always wanted to take piano lessons, or take a ceramics class, or collect antique radios.  Give it a whirl and you might find your spirits starting to soar.

 

4.  Join a club.  You may find relief by joining a club either locally or online.  What are you interested in?  What would you like to learn about?  The Internet provides many opportunities to get together with others with similar interests.  Seek out related clubs, attend open houses, become a member, or start your own club.  

 

5.  Exercise.  Whether you work out at home, the neighborhood park, or the gym, regular exercise is a great way to boost your mood.  Find the time, place, exercises, and activities that work best for you.  If you enjoy your workout routine, you'll be more apt to stick with it.  If you're new to exercise, remember to take it slowly at first.  Ease into it.  Always exercise smart and safely.

 

6.  Scratch something off your bucket list.  Is there something that you haven't done that you'd like to do during your lifetime?  Well, maybe now is the time to give it a go.  Accomplishing a long-held goal can recharge your batteries, big time.  Maybe you'd like to travel to your ancestral homeland, learn to swim, write a memoir, or hike the Appalachian Trail. Start preparing for this adventure, really dig into it, and have fun.

 

7.  Play games you enjoyed as a kid.  Sometimes bringing out the kid in yourself can help boost your spirits.  Games are a great way to do it.  What games did you enjoy as a child?  Some examples:  Hopscotch, Hide and Seek, Tag, and Simon Says.  What others can you think of?  I've been tempted to break out Twister.  Am I still flexible enough to play it?  I'll just have to try it and find out.  Give your favorites a try, too.  Have fun and let yourself be a little goofy.

 

8.  Volunteer.  To me, there is no better way to help conquer the blahs than to get out into the community and volunteer.  Help a neighbor move, deliver flowers to patients at the hospital, read to nursing home residents, raise money for a favorite charity, take dogs for a walk at the local animal shelter--the list of possibilities is endless.  Go to it!

 

9.  Join a support group.  Joining a support group related to something that is contributing to your blahs can help you find some relief.  Talking to others in similar circumstances can help you deal with yours.  This can really help those of you who may feel you are alone in the world; that no one understands what you're going through.  There are empty nester, new mother, exercise, and griever's groups, to name a few.  Check your local newspaper, or ask your doctor for information specific to your needs.  

 

10.  Distance yourself from friends and family.  Okay, now I don't mean ditch them altogether; not necessarily.  But if you find you don't have a lot in common with a current friend or group of friends, or you feel a bit smothered by your family, it might be time to back off a bit.  And if you end up seeing them less and less over time, that's telling you something.  It might be time to make some new friends who may actually treat you more like family than your blood relatives do.  Do what feels right to you, and avoid feeling guilty about it.  Change is good.  This may be a temporary change or a long-term one, but if it feels good in your gut, it's good for you.  Listen to yourself and what you really need to make your life the best it can be.

 

11.  Move.  This is a more drastic approach, but if you feel it's right for you and you can realistically make it happen, go for it.  Whether it's across town or across the world, a move can do you good.  Moving can recharge your batteries.  That's what happened to Jim and me.  The move across the country to Utah was a great decision for us.  We are more active since the weather is nice year round, I'm not afraid to drive here since I don't have to deal with icy roads,  (Well, we do get snow now and then, but not often.  I just don't go out if the roads are icy.) and we've gotten more involved in community than we ever have anywhere else we've lived.     

 

12.  Change Jobs.  Sometimes jobs can get boring if you're doing the same thing day in and day out.  Or you may no long find your current career rewarding.  If a change in attitude or a promotion isn't in the cards, it may be time to look for another job.  Be patient.  It may take awhile to transition to a new job.  Consider the possibilities, decide what you are good at and what you love to do, seek the help of a career counselor, look into educational requirements for your new career choice(s), scope out job opportunities in your chosen field, and make it happen.  

 

13.  Act the way you want to feel.  This is one of Gretchen Rubin's 12 Personal Commandments.  If you act the way you want to feel, you could go a long way toward kicking the blahs.  Of course, if you have the blahs, it takes determination and resolve to attempt to snap out of them.  But give this trick a try.  Say you're invited to a game party and you just can't muster the energy to go.  You may also be on this tropical vacation with your whole family and you're the only one who is not one bit interested in playing in the ocean or relaxing on the beach.  Family reunions, the theatre, hiking, watching a movie, playing dress up with the kids--whatever it is, you're just not in the mood.  Dig deep and, instead of moping around, find a way to act the way you want to feel.  You want to feel happy at least, but try to work up to energized and fabulous if you can.  It just might work wonders for you.

 

If you aren't seeing any relief from trying these tips, contact your doctor for a physical exam.  If your mood is related to a health condition, talk it over.  Sometimes getting the answers to your questions can bring relief.  Even if your doctor gives you bad news, at least you'll know what's going on.  The sooner you see about it, the better chance you'll have of finding a solution to your problem, whether it's medication, surgery, dietiary changes, psychotherapy, or some combination of these.  

 

If you try these tips, I'd love to hear how it worked out.  You can post a message below or email me at amy@acnlifecoach.com.  Take care.