I can’t tell you what a rollercoaster most days were for me for much of my life.
I regularly got whiplash from the speed in which I could go from happy to upset, fine to stressed-out or even sad to delighted.
It was tiring and unpredictable.
I felt wired and ‘too sensitive’.
Sure, I could carefully manage how I presented at work (some people remarked on me being laid back and it still makes me cackle - I never corrected them), but internally it was rocky. It left me strung out and with little left at the end of the day or week to really enjoy life to the fullest.
Even if you aren’t as changeable in mood as I was in my pre-coaching life, it’s likely that your mood is dictated by people, places and happenings around you, as well as your inner critic*.
It’s tempting to believe that there is nothing we can do except find the perfect, stress-free job with amazing colleagues and superiors who are always supportive, in a good mood and up for a giggle (or to just become perfect ourselves).
But this daydream is not possible.
What we can find are great places to work and great work that still presses our buttons, be it because we feel like a fraud, or overwhelmed, or simply very self-critical.
So here’s where you start to even out your mood and take control of your day and your energy levels.
It’s simple and life-changing.
Your thoughts are not facts.
Your thoughts are not facts.
Your thoughts are not facts.
They may be flat out lies, they may be half-truths, they may FEEL true but just be your own harsh view.
Whatever they are, the first step to changing your work-life to be amazing is to notice your thoughts and ask not only ‘Is it true?’ but ‘Is it useful?’
If your thoughts about your outfit, your performance, your colleagues or your career aren’t getting you the results you want in your life e.g. feeling great, productive, energised and so on… it might be time for you to learn how to managed your mind.
Stay tuned, more about this next week.
For now, notice or ‘eavesdrop’ on your thoughts and ask - Is this useful in my life?
Big love,
Lara xx
*Your inner critic is the voice in your head that tells you all the reasons you’re not enough and how much better life would be if you were different.
Hi, I'm Dr Lara Corr, life coach and researcher in work and wellbeing. I coach successful 30 and 40 somethings who want more fulfilling or bigger careers but doubt themselves and their options. I help them get out of their own way, find direction and go for what they really want.