So so many people have said that, like me, they are finding this lockdown more difficult than the last one. Maybe it’s because of the weather, maybe its the odd situation of the school run still happening without any of the fun at the weekends.
And so what do you do? Instead of going and working out, you’re sitting around eating. Instead of doing the work you need to be, you’re putting it off and burying your head. In essence, you’re just digging yourself a deeper hole.
And then I read this ‘We all need the feeling of forward momentum to be happy.'(Tony Robbins) It’s got me thinking that maybe the prospect of going in and out of lockdown is the thing that’s so hard. The first time I suppose we didn’t know what was ahead and many of us thought, incorrectly, that if we curtailed our behaviour it would curtail the virus and we’d be free to go back about our lives.
So the stuckness that we fell is having an impact on out happiness. Finding happiness in the little things and the day to day is important. Being in the moment is great but it’s important to realise that happiness is about contentment and control. When we have that control taken away it’s hard to keep on track. We long for that feeling of moving in the correct direction, doing something valuable with your life, being in control.
And that’s where the forward momentum comes in. Understanding that you can take back control by getting back to exercising, talking to friends and family, working hard or eating right can all be ways to seize control again.
Motivation and forward momentum aren’t about always working crazy hard and pushing forward, it’s about making your life work for you. Knowing what you want and what goals you are working towards is what you need to first know so that your movement is taking you in the right direction.
Controlling ourselves, our actions and moving forward can get us out of a rut. Controlling how we spend out time in a world thats closed for business means that we have to think outside the conventional. The gym might be closed but the carpet in the living room isn’t. We can’t travel at the moment but planning where you want to go on your next trip could motivate you.
‘We all need the feeling of forward momentum to feel happy’ so take a step forward, even if its a tiny one. Having a few things to focus on can help so that if one thing isn’t going as you’d like you can draw on the other things.