Recently I felt depressed. I’ve hit emotional rock bottom a couple of times in my life before and this felt bleakly like I was heading for the same place. Usually if I have a dip, I bounce back pretty quickly. But this last one seemed to drag on. I just felt miserable. It was like something, overnight, had sucked every bit of fire out of my soul and every cell in my body had turned grey and cold. Maybe this is where J.K. Rowling got her idea for the Dementors in her famous Harry Potter books...
I was a long way off rock bottom, but it’s still an unpleasantly dark place to be when you feel so flat that even the smallest of your favourite treats can’t put a smile on your face.
From talking to others, many people have experienced these moments over the last few months because this last pandemic-stricken year has taken its toll on us. It’s been a long and unsettling time. But the daffodils are about to burst forth and there is a plan being rolled out for the staged lifting of restrictions so we’ll all feel just fine and dandy now, right? Listen, I hope you do feel more sunny and buoyant again, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you don’t yet. Sometimes we need time and patience for the soul to feel fully revived. Some of you are deeply tired from everything. That’s how I felt recently.
But what could I take that would help me find my mojo again? What magical supplements could lift me out of this? Or what was I not eating enough of?
Asking myself these questions, I knew instantly that there wasn’t anything that would magically revive me overnight. What I needed this time was to feed my soul. I feed my body well enough anyway but the spiritual need nourishment as much as the physical.
I craved in-person physical connection with my closest friends and family. I craved a change of scenery, a change of dynamic or even a change of weather! All entirely natural and justified needs that couldn’t be fulfilled because of the global situation.
But I did what I could. For me, that was going offline and went inwards instead. I couldn’t meet up with friends of course, but I used some tools in my ‘mindset box’ that helped me find solace including yoga, meditation and writing in my diary. And yes – I treated myself to a little more chocolate than usual! I emerged again feeling like I’d honoured myself and felt better for it. It took me a while to feel back to my normal self though. Emotions can often take longer to digest than food does. But going at a pace that feels comfortable to you is vital. Slow and steady wins the race.
I often see clients who, when we’ve talked everything through, it is obvious to me that diet is just a segment of what needs to be worked on – the matters of the heart and soul need to be tended to and nourished at the same time for them to blossom and thrive.
Tend to the heart and soul = the physical relaxes and thrives.
Tend to the physical = the heart and soul have a stronger framework.
The two are inextricably linked. Working on both simultaneously gets the best results.
It’s a full moon today so, naturally, you might feel a little heavier or things might be more emotionally heightened for you than they otherwise would be. If you’re interested in the affect the moon has on your nutritional status, check out my blog here: https://www.treatyourselfnutrition.co.uk/post/how-the-moon-affects-your-diet-digestion
For now, I hope you’re trying to nourish that soul of yours as best as you can in the circumstances and thank you for those of you who reached out to me when my mojo went on holiday! It’s so lovely to have such a supportive community. I’m here for you too.
PS. If you are thinking of really sorting your health out a bit more and need some one-to-one guidance, check out what my clients say here: www.treatyourselfnutrition.co.uk I always offer a free non-obligation preliminary chat x
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