We as humans can be likened to a battery cell…sometimes we need a recharge & to practice self-care…

We are all busy and often, self-care goes out of the window, meaning our battery levels drop.  Sometimes we can be running on empty, our busy lives are filled with stress, worry and other things that can all lead to depleted energy and motivation, it is a good thing to stop every once in a while and check our energy levels and notice if your battery needs topping up…that is exactly what I had to do and step up my self-care!

I had to… I recognised that I needed some time out. My stress levels were super high, my brain function super slow and my patience levels non-existent.

My positivity had near enough flat-lined (so not like me) and I just needed to stop and re-evaluate everything.

I’m not alone with these thoughts …

Life has been tough for everyone these past few months (years), the COVID-19 pandemic is something that I could never have imagined, I don’t think I am alone in this thinking.

Suddenly plunged into lockdown, not really knowing what was going on, fear, worry, a recent move to a strange new area.  Being self-employed added strain as I was unsure how I was going to manage financially and mentally. Topped off with a major relationship breakdown it didn’t bode well in hindsight.

We all have our own filters…

We all have our own filters, reasons, and experiences that create how we think, feel, act, and behave day to day.  New Challenges are faced by pulling on past experiences and encounters to find a way forward. The Coronavirus was a new thing for me and many others and how to handle the situation was like fumbling around in the dark with a flat battery in my torch!

Pandemics are tough…

I have yet to meet anyone during the pandemic that hasn’t experienced any type of worry, fear, anxiety, sadness, or stress.   Equally, I have seen love, happiness, support and a sterling effort to keep us all going. The human connection, strength, and determination have shone through the darkness for sure.

Great lesson learned…

One major lesson for me was my personal battery levels and self-care.  To learn that It is ok for me to admit things have been tough, it is ok to admit that this Coach/Person/Mother/Friend has been down in the dumps for a while, life has felt dark and I have questioned my part in the world and what difference I make.

I have been blessed with some really supportive yet gentle people in my life who allowed me time, gave me a boost, and told me it was ok to take time, reset and stop. They saw my grey face, silly mistakes, and sadness but helped to prop me up…for that, I am truly grateful. They encouraged me to look at my battery levels and to start work on re-energizing them the best way that I could.

The world didn’t end…

What I have noticed is that because I took self-care, the world didn’t end, the sun still shone and I kept breathing. Things got sorted, people forgave my distance and the birds still sang.

I practiced self-care by taking some time off work, I walked in the sunshine, I spent a day lazing in bed eating rubbish food, watching soppy films and allowing myself to rest.  I allowed myself to feel, to cry, to process, not to be everyone else’s dumping ground.  I then slept, I ate good food, and I relaxed, I also slowly returned to my normal routine, not too quickly as I knew my battery wasn’t quite 100%.

My top six battery recharge solutions

1. Permission – give yourself permission to care for yourself. To not work, to stop being the solution provider, to delete negative people.
2. Notice – be self-aware, notice how you feel, are you irritable, snappy, tired, feeling off or low. Notice your self-talk and language.
3. Stop – allow yourself time to stop, rest, relax, recuperate. Be selfish and say no.
4. Share – talk with others, share how you really feel, take the offer of support, dinner, online chats. Journal, draw whatever helps you process thoughts.
5. Do what you love – I created a playlist on Spotify, I read books, I spoke with friends & loved ones, I walked – do what you love to do.
6. Be kind – be kind to you, love yourself & do what makes you feel good, and don’t stop too soon (in fact not ever) you matter.

Be honest with yourself…

So, I encourage you to stop and take a look at your battery levels, ask yourself the question “how good has my self-care been?”   Take time to notice if you or someone around you needs a little prop, some support or just a cup of tea….believe me, it makes a massive difference!

A car will never start on a flat battery, why would you?

Get in touch…

Colita Dainton is a Success Coach helping people think differently about their problems and her own!!  To learn more about Colita and her coaching please find her on social media as Litabix or visit www.litabix.com or email coaching@litabix.com

Photo credit to @blessingmanifesting

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It’s Sunday and I am sneaking a quiet five minutes. The house is still and I am reflecting on a busy week, so I thought I would share.

I share a very special place with my clients.  They allow me in to their private word and we work together to help them find their solutions.  I have met some truly inspiring ladies this week.  They are strong women (may not feel like it) but i listen in awe to their strength, determination and journey to find purpose, clarity and definitely sorting their shit out.  By the way, I meet with super amazing men too, just happens this week has been all about the girls!

I have been working with my oldest client this week, 90 years young! I asked her to tell me a bit about herself and the one element that stuck in my mind was her off the cuff remark “oh yes I like to be active, I use planes like trains!” This not only made me smile, it really sat within in me. I for one, know that I don’t!

The old issue we needed to fix started in India, when I may add she was in her 80’s.  The issue was a fear of open spaces and falling.  Now for a lady who jumped on planes like trains and doesn’t like to stop, this was causing a little frustration.  So we set to work and after a session with me, we are well on our way to waving this issue out the door.  She has reported back to me, a new feeling of calm, the previous apprehension seems to have vanished and her Tai Chi balance was vastly improved. Her real test is managing the stairs in Debenhams or the theatre without the rail. (I must say her doctor, advised her that her issue was all in her head!)

Now I could rave about how we worked together and what a great coach I am.  That’s true but hang on a minute.  This lady is 90.  She travels all over the world on planes and trains, she volunteers in a charity shop, she does Tai Chi.  She told me that her Tai Chi move involves bringing her leg up towards her chest, holding then kicking out sideways.  I struggle balancing on one leg!  She recognised that something was holding her back, she found me, picked up the phone and got it sorted! Inspirational.

We can all use excuses, blame others and waste precious life.  Put it off till tomorrow, beat ourselves up for all the should have’s.  Or we can dare to be accountable.  Recognise we have stuff holding us back and get it sorted.  You could get a coach, you could use a trusted friend, you just have to start something.  Actually making the decision that I am not allowing this anymore, and turning our focus onto what we want is powerful stuff.  It is like magic.  I am not saying it is easy, I am not saying it is an overnight fix, what i am saying is that every journey starts with an initial step.

You can be whatever you choose to be and can do whatever you want, the sky is the limit, whether jetting on a real plane or writing your goal on a paper one.  Where could you fly??

Why not share your thoughts with me?  What would you love to do? Where could you fly?  I would love to read your thoughts, leave me a comment below.

If this has inspired you or made you think, I need to sort my shit out, get in touch and we can explore your journey 🙂

Make today a great day 🙂

Keep smiling

Colita x

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Raindrops & Kindness

How a tiny thing can make a big difference

This morning I was on the school run.  It was one of those wet miserable days, the grey clouds hung miserably in the sky. The water droplets not quite big enough for two clicks of the windscreen wipers but enough to obscure the view.   One thing I notice on wet rainy days, is everyone seems to drive to school. The traffic was mayhem, there was vans and cars, buses and madness at every turn. Successfully delivering my not so small child to school, I headed homeward bound.

As I waited in the huge queue of confused traffic I saw a mum. Plastic covered buggy Ladened down with school bags, a gaggle of small children and one small child who was getting a very stern yet wet glare. He was thoroughly enjoying his world, seemingly oblivious in his zipped up blue Mack. He wasn’t bothered that it was raining, nor that his soaked carer seemed overwhelmed with half the neighbourhoods little people under her care. His eyes met hers and without words she beckoned him to her as she was needing to cross the road to the primary school opposite. She was soaking wet and my assumption was she just needed to get them to school. So I stopped, I was sat in my warm car. I could have driven on, what is an additional minute or two? Like a mother duck she gathered her ducklings on the realisation that she could cross the manic traffic, and our eyes met. She gave me the biggest smile and mouthed “thank you so much” just as the little fellow looked at her, as he got level with my number plate he turned and smiled at me, giving me a massive (well quite small but cute) thumbs up. She laughed, I smiled and giggled as he was just big enough to look over my bonnet.

I remember many times, when I’ve been stuck in the rain, soaked to the skin, just wishing someone would stop and let me cross the road, where many drivers in their warm cars, kept driving, not giving a thought for those outside their bubble. Not caring for anyone but themselves and their priorities. I continued my journey back to my desk.

Now,  I didn’t do anything super-hero-ish. I didn’t save a life, or create world peace.  What I did do was make a tiny difference to someone else’s day. In exchange for that brief moment, I got a grateful smile, a cute thumbs up and something to write about. Kindness that cost nothing.

We are all so busy and concerned about ourselves that sometimes we forget about other people’s lives, we forget to consider the wet mum crossing the road, or the colleague who seems a bit down of late. It’s easy to carry on regardless, not our problem.

Just imagine what could happen if we all took a little time for someone else. Next time you feel someone is in need or could be shown a little kindness, stop and help you never know what a tiny thing could do to make someone else’s day. I did!

Have you offered a little bit of kindness, or maybe you have received some, share your story with me in the comments below.

Colita aka Litabix, shares her thoughts, ideas and giggles.
Describing herself as a freelance girl Friday. She can be found helping business succeed in social media, marketing & systems. She also works as an NLP Practitioner using blended Coaching methods for her clients business & personal development.

Colita Dainton
Litabix

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