GETTING YOUR LIFE BACK ON TRACK

Have you ever had that epiphony moment? That moment when you're in bed, in a bus, cooking dinner, or most likely, sitting on the toilet and realise "damn I really need to get my sh*t together". Well, I've been having that all the time. But the problem is where do you start when trying to 'reset' your life? As a student, I usually always turn to studying and working; as an athlete, I try finding consistency with working out; as a human, I focus on my health and relationship with family and friends.

It turns into this continuous cycle of:

1. THE EPIPHANY

That moment. You sit/stand/walk/run and your brain doesn't switch off, instead it bombards you with "C'mon". Is this the life you want? Are you working toward your goal? What actually is your goal? And you sit/stand/walk/run and just think. And think. And think.

2. NOSTALGIA

Next, you nostalgia begins to kick in, thinking of all the memories – your history, all your failures and all of your successes of the past. You realise you haven't talked to that certain person in years. God how I miss their voice, you think. You sit/stand/walk/run and reminisce.

3. SADNESS AND FEELING LOST

BAM. You hit that wall. And now what are you doing? You sit/walk/run/stand there being all sad and emotional as your head is in the past. STOP. Why can't you stop? You are now at a halt. No vision of ahead, only behind, thinking of the good times.

4. CHANGE

BAM. This is the greatest moment that can come to you.. the moment you know you're ready for change. For life to truly start heading in the direction you want it to. Cracks begin to form in the wall that was stopping you from moving forward. From standing from that chair, from taking that first step. At the end of the day your uphill climb is in your hands, it's your choice, no one else's.

You have so may restart moments in your life, but it's the way you handle these low moments and take the first step that will help you to grow and reach your goals.

Now, I want to tell you a few things that I think about if I'm struggling with actually taking the first step or if I'm needing that one thing to spark my uphill climb.

Life is so so short.

Working as a student physiotherapist in hospitals or outpatient clinics makes you realise how easy it is for something outside of your control to completely change your life and destroy your path. It definitely hits you the most when in an acute setting and you have patients of any age who could potentially pass away. You begin to be grateful for being where you are today and wanting to achieve those goals you have, for them. For the people who can't or couldn't.

Don't surround yourself with negativity.

This is a massive thing in the world of social media. Think about who you are following... places like Instagram thrive off of trying to prove that their life is perfect and there are no struggles. So don't create and base your expectations on what you see on your feed. Personally, I like to have the occasional cleanse of people that I follow because if you're going on your feed and all it does is make you feel sh*t about yourself then why are you following them? You should be able to go on your feed and leave feeling motivated, refreshed, and maybe having had a little bit of a giggle.

This also relates to the people in your social circle.. are they building you up? Do they genuinely want you to succeed? I understand it can sometimes be hard to actually understand and see this, but it is definitely something that you should be aware of.

MOVE!

Some type of physical activity is proven by so many articles and scientists that it can lower depression, reduce stress and release endorphins (happy hormones) – on top of so many other health benefits. Now I'm not saying you need to plough out a 2 hour session everyday at the gym. But even if its some moderate exercise which increases your heart rate will definitely help give a kick start to the day.

I understand that many of you might be new to the concept of exercise and that's ok! I get that it can be super daunting and honestly, that could be the only reason holding you back, so my biggest advice for you is to go with someone. Go with a friend, even if they're new to it too or a complete exercise-fanatic! Just having that support system can be all you need to step into the gym / take an exercise class. If you don't yet feel comfortable with that, start small! Find a 20 minute home workout on youtube! We have all had to start somewhere :) All I can say is that it can be so insightful and lovely as you begin to understand how your body moves, and how capable it is!

Making goals.

All in all, the last thing I'd say is that it can help to make goals because it can enable you to plan and have a vision into what you actually want to achieve. Make sure you are making them personal to you and no one else. Make sure they are attainable in a realistic time frame because you don't want to make it SO out of reach by which if you don't end up achieving it you are simply left feeling defeated. However, even if this is the case, it is ok to alter your goals – in fact, I urge you to! Just like how life is constantly changing, so should your goals.

Without a fall, there would be no rise.

We are all in this journey together. So don't feel like you're the only one who experiences these 'lost' and 'unmotivated' episodes. Just take the first step! It's all you! Now go one and thrive.

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