I have just got back from a great holiday in the South-East of Spain in the beautiful region of Murcia. The temperature was around 28-30 degrees each day, the flights there and back were perfect, the car hire was quick and easy (as was the actual driving!) and I spent a lot of time chilling out doing all the things I enjoy; running, swimming, training, sleeping, eating and drinking, all in great company. It literally could not have been a better week.
A couple of days after I left this seemingly perfect place, it now looks like a disaster zone. The weather changed from sunny and bright to severe storms overnight, and unfortunately several people have lost their lives as severe floods have decimated the region and left a huge trail of destruction closing roads, railways, and airports alike.
The way the weather and the situation changed there so suddenly got me thinking about how life can change quickly and suddenly, usually when you least expect it. In this case, things changed for the worse but it’s also important to remember that things can, and do, often change for the better. If you find yourself going through a rough patch; be it a relationship, career related, financial, or even a health issue, it’s vital to retain a positive state of mind.
Here are 5 things that can help in tough times;
1. Do what you love doing – if you are bogged down in worry, it’s easy to lose focus of what you enjoy doing as you concentrate too much on whatever the problem is. Now for many of us at Urban Training, this is hitting the gym. However, this can be anything that helps you relax, relieves stress and brings a big smile to your face. It could be playing a musical instrument, knitting, or walking the dog. Make sure you take time out to follow your passion.
2. Continue to work hard – working hard very often brings luck. It is no coincidence Manchester United scored so many late goals under Sir Alex Ferguson. It wasn’t luck or the referee fearing Sir Alex! It was sheer hard work and determination right until they heard that final whistle. Look at the history of many successful entrepreneurs, and they are littered with financial problems and even bankruptcy. The difference between the ones you know and the ones you have never heard of are the famous ones got back up off the floor, got their head down, and made their luck by working hard and waiting for their big break.
3. Believe in yourself – this is a massive one. The moment you stop thinking you can achieve something is the moment you stop being capable of doing it. I am an absolute firm believer that anyone can put their mind to something and, if they work hard and believe they can do it, it will happen. Concentrate on yourself, don’t worry about what others are doing or what they think, look in the mirror and tell yourself you can do it, then go out and make it yours!
4. Support network – one of my bug bears. Being as simple as I can, if you are trying to achieve something and those immediately close to you are not supportive or, even worse, go out of their way to ridicule you and stop you achieving it, they need to disappear from your life. Surround yourself with like-minded, supportive people who will go out of their way to help you (contrary to belief, there are plenty of these people about) and see what you can achieve.
5. Stay active – you knew something about exercise was coming! Go for a long walk on a lovely fresh autumn day, pump the bike tyres up and go for a cycle, get down to the swimming pool, try that new class at the gym. All these things will release feel good hormones and increase your mood no matter how hard they seem at the time.
If some of the things said above have hit home, remember that most things in life move in cycles. Good times very often follow bad, so if you find yourself in a rut, remember that it won’t last forever, and you can just as quickly turn things around for the better!!