Don’t go into your Emotional or Mental overdraft this January!

This is a re-post from the Art of Brilliance… I am not sure who the author was but all credit to them...loved it and so relevant for January! ​

Ever checked your bank balance and nearly dropped your phone in shock? ​

We’ve all been there. It’s amazing how quickly those little purchases add up – a takeaway here, a cheeky Amazon order there - and before you know it you’ve got a grumpy text message from your bank. ​

And guess what, that exact same cycle can happen with your mental bank account. You say “yes” to every request, burn the candle at both ends, and suddenly you’ve overdrawn on your own emotional reserves. ​

I should know – I used to think I was superhuman. My bulging diary was a badge of honour. It played to my ego. Look how important I am to be fully booked from 8am to 7pm. Look everyone. I’m super-busy. ​

It felt great… until it didn’t. ​

My mental balance dipped into the red, and it hit me like one of those hidden overdraft charges. The truth is that I’d been withdrawing more than I’d deposited for months. ​

What turned things around was teaching myself to spot the difference between a healthy stretch and a total burnout. ​

If you’re giving 110% at work and at home, you have to deposit at least that much back into yourself. For me, that was a 20-minute walk, or a quick heart-to-heart with a friend. The big one was setting boundaries with my tech and stopping the habit of checking emails at all hours. These small investments paid HUGE dividends. ​

Bad bank analogies aside, here’s a great reason to do this… once you’re back in the black, you see everything differently. ​

You’re more patient, more creative, more compassionate, more productive, more YOU! It’s you at your best, and that’s a force to be reckoned with. ​

So my advice is to keep an eye on your mental and emotional bank balance. Make sure you’re making regular (even tiny) deposits into it. If taking care of the pennies means the pounds take care of themselves, then taking care of your mental health means LIFE will take care of itself. ​

I have said before how much I enjoyed and learnt from reading 'The Art of being Brilliant' by Dr Andy Cope and Andrew Whittaker...well worth a read! ​

Wishing everyone a very very Happy NEW YEAR!!! 🎉 🎉 ☺️ 👍🏾​

Make your Self-care inevitable!