THE ROAD TO HEALTH: Autumn blues? There Are 3 Ways to Deal with It… Jakub B. Bączek

Jakub B. Bączek writes again in our series “The Road to Health. Do you know that…?” This time he’s prepared a few really easy and effective tips  and motivation loss which can happen to anyone. The main thing is not to give up and take the first step! ?

 

 

Many of us complain about energy drop in the autumn. It is not so sunny anymore, the days become shorter, the world is gray, sometimes cloudy, and cold… This certainly affects our mood and our motivation. The easy way is to give in and blame autumn. The more difficult part is to find a way. In this text we even have 3 ways for you…

 

Let’s start with the fact that the ups and downs are part of everyone’s life. There are days when we burst with energy. And on other days we’d rather stay in bed. It’s normal. 

It’s not our goal to be full of energy 365 days a year. Our point is that we should give ourselves the right to those ebbs and flows of energy and not blame ourselves for the weaker moments. And at the same time, it’s a good idea to know the ways to increase motivation when we decide that it is time to act despite obstacles and challenges.

 

Psychologists, psychiatrists and mental coaches around the world have been working on ways that can improve our quality of life. You don’t have to read their works, but sometimes it’s worth finding out about the tools they have for us. You will find three of them below ?

 

 

1. PIN BOARD

It’s not expensive. You can buy it in a supermarket. What’s more, you probably have some crayons, scissors and some magazines at home. Let’s combine it all to raise your motivation, and have some fun (I recommend this exercise for the whole family).

Invite dreams to your mind. What do you want? What do you want your life to be like in 3 years’ time? What would make you feel happier? What is your dream body, dream destination to live in, dream hobby?

Then cut out the symbols of these dreams from the color magazines. If you can’t find any, just draw them. Make a composition of these dreams on your pin board. Make it colorful, inspiring and clear so you can see what you are striving for. 

It turns out most successful people have made such mind maps/dream maps. And the real magic happens when 3 years pass and it turns out that there have been changes in our lives that… once were only in the stage of dreams!

 

2. REGULAR GOSSIP

In his book Blue Zones, Dan Buettner writes that Okinawa residents in Japan live longer than average Europeans. We also meet an energetic senior lady who has celebrated her hundredth birthday a long time ago, and still bursts with humor and makes interesting observations about the world. 

Researchers spend some time with her. They are extremely curious about her daily habits. Contrary to what you might think, it is not only about a healthy diet and workouts. It turns out that the lady meets friends to… gossip about others almost every day.

Imagine a group of ladies, one is 107, the other 105, and four more about 100 years old. They giggle, tease one another and share their concerns. 

The days are shorter in autumn but this could actually inspire you to invite someone over for a glass of wine or maybe you could pop in to see your friends and play a board game together. I can guarantee a boost of endorphins and a great mood (even if at first we don’t really feel like leaving home).

 

3. SELF-DEVELOPMENT

If reading this post alone raises your good energy by 5%, there is a good chance that you like personal development, and self-fulfillment is your natural need. 

In the 1940s, Abraham Maslow published his famous hierarchy of needs. Can you guess which one was the most important? You’re right: self-actualization.

That’s why it really is a good idea to enjoy our autumn evenings. We can read a book, take up online postgraduate studies, follow free webinars on Facebook or do Ania’s exercises or use her cooking tips to create something tasty in our kitchens! It boosts our energy. It’s worth it!

 

 

I often highlight the fact that you only have one life. It may be a cliché, I know, but you can’t deny it. So it’s not a bad idea to make this life good.

We can choose to follow coronavirus statistics, we can whine, we can be angry that the weather is bad, we can also stay in alone and complain about the whole world…

 

However, we can choose a different way. Meet with friends, develop our skills, read, add our hobby to our planner, spend more time with our loved ones, do some cooking, and have sex.

 

After all, you decide. And when it comes to life… We only live once…

Jakub B. Bączek

A dreamer who wishes all Poles a higher quality of life and a higher income. He has been the mental trainer of over 30 Olympians and world champions. He was also responsible for the mental preparation of 11 national teams in total. Creator of the Mental Trainer Academy.