I passed by a drink machine the other day and the sign said Out of Order. Oh man, that sign resonated with me at that moment. I had felt out of order for the last few days. It was the weekend and we expect them all to be good, 'cause - well it's the weekend. But not this one. I could tell it wasn’t going to be great when I received a text the hubby sent from work on Friday afternoon… "l am feeling miserable, save yourself." Even with this warning, we had a bad weekend. We were both sick and cranky. And the more sick we got, the more cranky we got and the more cranky we got, the more nasty we got. It wasn’t pretty. By Sunday, we were feeling more human and talked things out. How could we have lessened our pain that weekend, how could we have been more gentle with each other and ourselves? Here’s what we came up with… Give time and space - realizing this situation is temporary, not the norm - everyday can’t be perfect. Without trying to fix everything, giving each other the time and space needed to recover both physically and emotionally without forcing a 'fix'. Move - Although we really just wanted to curl up in a ball and we mostly did, at one point we forced ourselves to go for a long walk in the sunshine and it changed our moods completely around. Music - We know what soothe us, energizes us, shifts our mood - using music as a tool is therapy for us Forgive - We all say/do things that we wish we could take back. We have all offended, either intentionally or not, at one time or another. Forgive, embrace the human in each other and let it go. Debrief - after a tough time, talk about went well, how you handled things and what you would like to do going forward if/when the situation arises again.
Coming up with a plan that will work for you when you are out of order - it’s just one more way you can live Your Life, Unlimited!
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Tara Maltman-Just - is more than a pharmacist, she is an award-winning advocate for empowering healthcare. She chatted with me about what's 'normal' in healthcare, what's not and what we can do about it. Tara says the most valuable tool is a listening ear. Amen to that.
Also, Jill Morris, PhD. discussed some serious ideas to make you significant relationship better - this woman single handedly changed my love life! Even though picking up the kids from daycare is not sexy, listen in while Jill explains have to have the lust of a new love and the security and stability of 'old' love.
It works!
Stephanie Staples, CSP* is the author of When Enlightening Strikes – Creating a Mindset for Uncommon Success, an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker, and the recipient of the 2014 Manitoba Woman Entrepreneur Award for Contributions to Community. Stephanie empowers audiences & clients across North America to bring their ‘A’ game to work and to life. Stephanie has a special interest in working with and empowering nurses and healthcare providers. She happily calls Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada home. You can get loads of complimentary resources to help with issues such as work/life balance, wellness, stress management and happiness in general, as well as find out more information about her coaching and speaking services at http://www.YourLifeUnlimited.ca.
* Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), conferred by the National Speakers Association is the speaking profession’s international measure of professional platform proficiency. Less than 10 percent of speakers have earned this credential and are recognized as some of the best in their fields. Stephanie was one of only five professional speakers in Canada (and the only woman) to attain this designation in 2013.
