Take a step back . . . .

Sometimes we take ourselves just far too seriously. We get so involved in the minutiae of our job and our out-of-work life, that we lose sight of what's really important to us. And what happens then ? Well . . . we tend to be tough on ourselves, crabby with others, notice things to criticise, feel hard done by, get tired and stressed, and worry that there is still a whole winter to get through !

And the costs of this way of getting along ? Here are five . . .

1. It's boring, both for us and the people we live with - hands up those who've got people at home, or friends, who are sick of hearing about hassles at work ??
2. It weighs us down - we feel low in energy and lacking in motivation
3. It can be self perpetuating - the more stuck we are the more stuck we seem to get
4. It destroys our self confidence to the point where we think there is no other way
5. We miss out on enjoying the best bits of life ~ of which there are many of course

So what to do?

Firstly decide that the status quo is no longer an option. Give yourself a break and take a few minutes to step back ?  Look at yourself as if from a video up in the corner. What do you notice when you look at the film of where you are right now ?

Here are some likely clues . . .

• You will certainly get to see a bigger picture
• You are highly likely to stop looking for a butt to kick
• You may even decide to go a little easier on yourself
• You will certainly see that you can't fix everything today
• You will feel a tad relieved ~ and lighter

And most importantly

• You may even notice 1, 2, or many things you have to be grateful for

For some bizarre reason, we do tend to enjoy staying in the rut of criticism, blame, and general negativity. We look out for stuff to worry about, angst over, lie awake fretting about. And why? Who knows and who cares ?? Just take a few steps back and think about your options, because there always are options, and it is so damn liberating when you get to choose.