Every morning I’m raring to go – my hair is bouncy, make
up perfect, clothes crisp and comfortable. I’m energetic and
pulled together, ready for whatever comes.
By mid-afternoon, however, I often run out of energy. I’ve
become a shadow of my bright and peppy morning self. My
hair is limp (or sticking straight up), and my makeup has
faded into dark smears around my eyes. I’ve got caffeine
withdrawal or jitters, depending on how much Diet Coke I’ve
had that day, and if I ate a low calorie lunch I’m famished; if
I ate a high calorie lunch I’m stuffed and sluggish.
up perfect, clothes crisp and comfortable. I’m energetic and
pulled together, ready for whatever comes.
By mid-afternoon, however, I often run out of energy. I’ve
become a shadow of my bright and peppy morning self. My
hair is limp (or sticking straight up), and my makeup has
faded into dark smears around my eyes. I’ve got caffeine
withdrawal or jitters, depending on how much Diet Coke I’ve
had that day, and if I ate a low calorie lunch I’m famished; if
I ate a high calorie lunch I’m stuffed and sluggish.
| The Pause That Refreshes |
Possible Needs
Here’s how to do a Check-In:
I call this state The Slump. While it often hits me mid-afternoon it can also hit under other conditions, like when I
haven’t gotten enough sleep or I’m under stress. One of the most dangerous aspects of The Slump is that it often
results in a lack of focus which can cause accidents or mistakes. In addition, The Slump can bring about overly
emotional reactions or a burst of unwarranted temper.
When I worked for a big company there was no recovery time built into my schedule – I usually just powered
through my afternoon Slump until the end of the day. When I arrived home I was exhausted, famished, cranky
and in a totally disconnected state that typically lasted throughout the evening.
Now that I’m in the world of coaching and learning how to take better care of myself one of the most powerful
things I’ve learned is the value of countering The Slump with a Check-In. A Check-In is just that – it’s checking in
with your body, emotions and stress level to identify what’s needed to bring you back to full power and energy.
haven’t gotten enough sleep or I’m under stress. One of the most dangerous aspects of The Slump is that it often
results in a lack of focus which can cause accidents or mistakes. In addition, The Slump can bring about overly
emotional reactions or a burst of unwarranted temper.
When I worked for a big company there was no recovery time built into my schedule – I usually just powered
through my afternoon Slump until the end of the day. When I arrived home I was exhausted, famished, cranky
and in a totally disconnected state that typically lasted throughout the evening.
Now that I’m in the world of coaching and learning how to take better care of myself one of the most powerful
things I’ve learned is the value of countering The Slump with a Check-In. A Check-In is just that – it’s checking in
with your body, emotions and stress level to identify what’s needed to bring you back to full power and energy.
The result doing Check-Ins and addressing my Slumps is nothing short of miraculous. My energy and focus return
to productive levels (I’m writing this at 5:00pm!) and I still have the energy to enjoy my evenings. While it may feel
silly at first, taking the time to check-in and ensure you have what you need is a wonderful gift to give yourself.
Below is a list of possibilities for what you may need to cure your Slump. Please send me your ideas, and I’ll add
them to the list!
to productive levels (I’m writing this at 5:00pm!) and I still have the energy to enjoy my evenings. While it may feel
silly at first, taking the time to check-in and ensure you have what you need is a wonderful gift to give yourself.
Below is a list of possibilities for what you may need to cure your Slump. Please send me your ideas, and I’ll add
them to the list!
- Start a Check-In when you notice that your energy or attention is fading. The first step is to stop what you
are doing, close your eyes, relax and take a few deep breaths. - Take a mental inventory of your body – how do you feel? Are you tired? Hungry? Thirsty? Does anything
hurt? Is anything uncomfortable? - Take an inventory of your emotional state – are you angry? Upset? Overwhelmed? What are your
emotions telling you? - Next ask yourself the question “What do I need?” While I love this question, I’ve noticed that a lot of
people become uncomfortable with it. I’m asking you to suspend those feelings and take the question
seriously. Really seriously. Don’t limit your noticing to your physical self, sometimes actions that address
how we feel emotionally are what we really need for renewal. - Next, do whatever you can do to address your needs. What we need tends to fall into two categories:
- Quick Fixes. Quick fixes, such as taking a walk, touching base with a loved one, or getting a drink of
water, are often all we need to restore our energy. And don’t stop at one, we often need a couple of
Quick Fixes when the Slump hits. - “Red-flag” items. Red flag items show up when the answer to “What do I need?” is something like
needing a new job or resolving issues in a relationship. While a response like this feels like a joke
(“What do I need? A new job!”) it’s actually a signal that there is an area of your life that could use
some work. Stop and figure out if there is a first step that you can take now, or look into hiring a
coach to help you get into action.
Curious about what coaching can do for you? Send me an e-mail or call me at (510) 865-7115 to set up a free
sample session today! And please pass this e-mail on to anyone you think might be interested in coaching.
sample session today! And please pass this e-mail on to anyone you think might be interested in coaching.
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| Melinda Elliott Coaching September, 2008 Melinda Elliott Coaching Home Page Life Coaching Who Is Melinda? |
| © 2008 Melinda Elliott Coaching, LLC |
| (510)865-7115 · melinda@melindaelliottcoaching.com · Services · Who is Melinda? |
- Food - keep snacks light and healthy; have some fruit or a whole grain snack and be sure to avoid sweets
- Something to drink.
- Sleep - while most of us can’t take a nap in the middle of the day, sometimes a short rest with your eyes closed
will give you the break you need. If you can take a nap and need one – do it!! - Connection with loved ones – call your spouse, friends, kids, etc. for a short chat.
- Sunshine/nature – take a short walk outside.
- Calm-down time – sit with your eyes closed and focus on your breathing to calm down when you are upset
- Connection with a passion – look at a picture of your airplane, touch your hand knit sweater, draw a little
picture - connect with something you love in a small way. - Music – listen to it, sing, dance, write some!
- Grooming – wash your face, refresh your makeup, comb your hair, straighten your clothes, do whatever it
takes to be comfortable. - Escape – take some time to read or watch some fun TV.
- Exercise – take a short walk, do some stretching or tai chi - whatever will get your blood moving again
- What can you add to the list?
