Well I had a ball last week (despite my trepidation around the election outcome.)  I was in the zone with a webinar, a taping for Artist Forum Television due to be aired in the next couple weeks, and what I love most: working with and learning from my clients.

See, a good coach walks her talk (and her dogs, but that’s another matter)… and that’s been front and center on my mind since Nov 9th, when all I’ve wanted to do was rant on Facebook, sign petitions, grieve, and sleep.  So I’ve really had to lean on the structures I have in place in order to stay in sync with my business.  

Because I’m no good to anybody if I can’t pay the rent and I’m a basket case. And the only way to walk your talk is to start walking…

So… since my assumption is that we’re all just bozos on the bus and you’ve probably been feeling your version of the aftermath too, this week I thought I’d share my coping strategy: My coach calls it the Workday Sandwich.

 

The first slice of bread is what you do first thing when you wake up in the morning.  That sets the tone for the rest of the day. It’s why I don’t schedule any appointments before 10:00AM. This way, I can do coffee, which I have waiting for me in a thermos , thereby adding some incentive to getting out of bed.

While I’m sipping, I listen to something inspirational. Lately I’ve been into Brian Johnson’s 5-minute micro-classes on Optimal Living.

Next, I map out the day in my Self Journal. This is a great day-to-day organizational tool that keeps your longer term goals right in front of you even as you plan your immediate future.  That way, you always know whether you’re spending your time on the right things.

Oh! Another great thing about this journal is that first it asks you to list three things you’re grateful for. (What you pay attention to grows, so pay attention to how much you already have.  Feel the energy and calm you get from doing that and the good stuff will increase from there.)

Then I meditate.  At this point, I do this without fail.  Even if it’s just for 5 minutes.  If I don’t, I feel like I’ve been shot out of a canon and I spend the rest of the day trying to catch up with myself. If you’re new to meditating, some great free apps to jumpstart with are Headspace  and Russell Simmons’s Meditation Made Simple.  Or just start the day by taking and counting 10 deep breaths.  You’ll be amazed at the way you drop into your body and ease into your life just by doing that!

Notice I haven’t checked my email or Facebook yet, or allowed myself to be mentally hijacked in any other way.  

Now you’re ready for the meat of your day…

The there’s the second slice of bread in the evening:  Maybe you go to the gym.  Maybe you have a glass of wine and watch something on TV, or play an online game with your kid.  But do something non-work related CONSCIOUSLY, to demarcate the end of the day and the beginning of just BEING and winding down.  

Pick a stop time and try to stick to it.  It doesn’t have to be 5PM, or 6PM.  It could be 7PM or 8PM… just honor it. Otherwise having a life can begin to elude you very quickly.  

Remember that Work is part of Life so… don’t forget to have one.