I know about chaos.
I have lived through some crazy, chaotic scenarios where life felt out of control. Routines, resilience, and readiness for change helped me take control of my life.
Do you need help with how to handle the current chaos in your life?
No matter what is causing chaos in your life right now, whether it be a new baby, a stressful job, or Covid-19, the only way to get it under control is to take control of your mind.
Most external circumstances are completely out of our control. Yet, we internalize them and cause unrest within ourselves. The solution is always an inside job.
Now, I’m not saying I am wonderful at this. Sometimes I lie awake at 3:00 in the morning stressing out about some craziness I have zero control over and try to “figure it out.” Hint: this rarely works. Extra credit hint: if you DO find a solution at 3 AM, be sure to write it down! I have obsessed for days about something someone said or did. I’ve come up with witty zingers of what I would say to bring them to their knees and prove that I am right. And that never works out or gives me inner peace either.
I try to rein myself in as quickly as I can and restore order in my head.
How do I do that?
First, I follow my routines. No matter how out of sorts I am feeling about myself or the world around me, I fall back on my routines. During the Covid-19 Quarantine Spring Season of 2020, I forced myself to establish new routines since most of what I considered my normal routines were severely disrupted. I knew when it all came crashing down that I would go crazy if I didn’t set up some strong routines. Here’s what I started:
- Wake every day (that’s 7 days a week) at 6 and get dressed in the workout clothes that I set out the night before
- Get my dog Osha up and ready for our walk
- Take my morning pre-workout supplements: Twin Turbo and High Octane
- 2-3 mile walk with Osha, listening to an audiobook or educational materials
- Power up with the rest of The Ultimate Stack to prep for my workout
- Grind out my workout using Beachbody on Demand (greatest tool during quarantine!)
- Post-workout replenish with a Peanut Butter Kookie Bar or Chocolate Shake
- Only THEN will I check my email and social media quick before hitting the shower
I’m telling you that keeping this routine every single day (I DO have rest days from heavy workouts, but I still do the other steps) helped me not go completely bananas during the Covid-19 quarantine. I began to thrive. And, as I said before, if I started to feel panicked, stressed, or just down-and-out, I fell back on my routine to set me up for the day.
How can you set up a routine for yourself?
Grab your planner and set a new schedule. Need a planner?
Check out my favorite one HERE.
Next, I dig deep into my resilience. Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. Resilience does not mean difficulties are not going to come your way. Resilience simply means you can and will get back up after a fall.
When something goes terribly sideways, it’s ok to get upset. It’s ok to get mad. It’s ok to cry. Just don’t stay there too long. Give yourself 5 minutes to be as emotional as you like. And, then gather yourself for the next step.
I feel that resilience is a choice. You can choose to dwell on things going wrong or not getting your way. You can also choose to believe there is a lesson in there somewhere. There is a reason for all of this to be happening. You must choose not to let it break you.
Instead of breaking, I embrace my readiness for change. Let’s say a relationship falls apart. I’m sort of an expert at this as I have been divorced twice. When it all crumbles, you must be ready for change. Embrace the suck. Embrace the journey. Be willing to open yourself for what the Universe throws your way. It might be unexpected. You might meet a version of yourself you have never known. You might realize you have to let go of who you thought you were or wanted to be.
The same thing applies if you lose your job. Everything fell apart for all of us when the Covid-19 quarantine shut down businesses, schools, travel…everything! We all had to readjust. How did your adjustment go? It’s not too late to recalibrate.
Chaos is going to happen. It’s inevitable.
Next time, you can be ready.
Set some new routines.
Dig deep into your resilience.
Get ready for change.
You’re worth it!
Need more support?
Reach out to me at yourultrafitlifestyle@gmail.com
