Spring into Positivity!

Today is Easter Sunday and the first day of April.  I’m finally beginning to feel like spring is slowly but surely trying to make its way into our lives with a big dollop of optimism.  I, for one am over the bad weather, the lack of motivation and the general sense of doom and gloom that seem to have characterised the first few months of this year.

Since January I have been dipping my toe into some new things, in an attempt to get inspiration for the year ahead.  Here are the top 5 things that have given me a “lift” during these cold and dark months:

1.) Beo:  I brought my mum to Galway mid-January to attend one of the Beo Wellness events run by the Garrihy sisters (a Christmas present for both her and me!).  The theme of the day was about self-care for women, i.e., you need to take time out to look after yourself.  It’s an idea I’ve heard about a lot in coaching in relation to energy management, the lesson being “you can’t pour from an empty cup.”  The day was a mixed bag of different speakers but the stand-out one for my mum and I was Síle Seoige.  A brilliant and engaging public speaker, her story was one of triumph against adversity.  Having battled cancer and gone through a marriage breakdown, she came out the other side and comes across incredibly positive and authentic.  Now a yoga teacher and in a new relationship with a new baby, she left the stage with the audience feeling uplifted.

2.) Laya Health Coach: I have really struggled this year to get back into a proper regime of healthy-eating and exercise so I thought I would book a free session with a “health coach” as part of my health insurance.  It’s a one-to-one consultation on everything from body composition, lung capacity, blood pressure to fitness testing.  You leave with a personalised plan to improve your nutrition, fitness and wellbeing, e.g., stress management.  My coach talked through all the detail in a very comprehensive way and I left motivated with access to an app to check out various tips on all the areas I wanted to improve.

3.) Mental Wealth: having dabbled in meditation last year, I thought this sounded like a nice way to spend a Friday evening after a very busy week!  I was surprised at how many people were there but after spending over an hour in the relaxed setting of the Elbow Room I understood why.  The yoga instructor had a lovely way of explaining how through yoga and meditation we can manage and tame our chaotic minds.  Something obviously worked as I slept like a baby afterwards!

4.) Park Run: it’s free, it’s community-based and it only takes half an hour out of your Saturday morning so what’s not to like about park run?! Founded in the UK in 2004 and in in Ireland since 2012, I just think park runs are the most fantastic service for anyone looking to get or stay fit.  You are timed each week so you can track your improvement over time.  My local one is Fairview Park and it is great to have your exercise for the day done by 10am (and an excuse to go have a nice cuppa after!).  If you’ve never tried it out, sign up this April!

5.) Hyyge: I recently learned about this Danish word for “cosiness” on a walking tour in Copenhagen on Paddy’s weekend!  As we trekked through the streets in  -3 degrees, we looked at the guide who was bursting with enthusiasm like she was mad!  How can you stay that positive when it’s this cold?  That’s when she told us about “Hyyge” which is why the Danes are among the happiest in the world.  It’s all about warmth, fires, family, friends, cocoa and cakes and seems to be an even bigger deal around Christmas.  We could have all done with some Hyyge during Snowmaggedon, that’s for sure!

If you’re struggling with motivation this year and need help leaping into Spring, please give me a shout.

Elaine x

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