TrYumph in Life

End-ur Catastrophising

Things are rarely plain sailing in life - especially when it comes to running! In training for the Sheffield 10k, I was starting to worry that I may have caused irreversible damage to my calves from my years as an athlete and would never be able to enjoy running consistently again. Here's how I'm endeavouring to reverse that damage - and mindset...

Tips/advice:
- Instead of being a victim of circumstances, honestly and intelligently reflect on what you can do to help the situation. In fact it often doesn't even need to be intelligently; it's usually a case of common sense and then planning and having the discipline to do what you need to do.
- Use something/someone to help you come good on your intentions. I use the app Remente that sends me reminders at a preprogrammed convenient time to do my strengthening and massage.
- Keep doing these 'small things' even when you are 'better'.
- Start small and be adaptable. A five minute jog on grass has become a pain-free 20min trail jog within a week. Give me that any day over doggedly sticking to my original plan and wince-walking everywhere.
- Forget what you used to be able to do and be grateful for everything that you CAN do now.
- Don't give up! In my experience it is always those that keep 'doing what they can with what they've got' when the chips are down that get the sweetest rewards eventually... ... See more

End-ur coughs and colds! Since consuming this concoction religiously for the last couple of years, touch wood(!), I’ve not had more than a minor tickle lasting a couple of days. It also has a host of other incredible health benefits... (see comments for recipe) ... See more

#Turmeric Elixir... On gas!
Improved recipe and more efficient method.
Touch wood I've not been ill this winter and I think it's partly due to consuming this every morning.

Ingredients:
Thumb-sized piece of ginger and fresh turmeric (see comments for where to buy if you live in/near Sheffield) or 1 dessert spoon of tumeric powder.
Dessert spoon of peppercorns
1 whole lemon - rind, pith and all!

Method:
Whizz it all up and pour into little plastic containers. Freeze the ones you don't plan to use immediately.

Here's a link tot he first video I did that goes into more details about the health benefits: https://business.facebook.com/TrYumphinLife/videos/1571768499546464/ ... See more

Running Thoughts 55: End-ur Sleep Problems

I've suffered a bit with insomnia at various times in my life, usually coinciding with an injury, break-up or a particularly stressy time at work. At which point all the tips like 'turn your phone off 2 hours before bed' etc, just don't cut the mustard. Instead, I've learned ways to toss and turn a zed-less night into an advantage...

Tips/advice:

- Reframe! Instead of worrying about how little sleep you might get, say to yourself 'I have a whole 3/4/5/6 hours left just to totally relax'. I find it helps if you don't look at the time and you're generous with your predictions!

- Often a lack of sleep is because you're thinking about things that are going wrong in your life.
Firstly, this isn't likely to be as bad as what you tell yourself ('Don't believe everything you tell yourself late at night') as the neurotic brain tends to out-fire the rational one when it's dark. Secondly, recognise that emotions are just predictions (so don't believe everything you tell yourself at all times!) and often there are other factors influencing your predictions eg hunger, fatigue etc. In my case the other night, I was hot because when you're about to come on your period your core temperature rises a few degrees.
Thirdly, reflecting on what's not going well in your life can be really useful. I got a few epiphanies as to where I need to best redirect my efforts.

- It is possible to consciously stop the release of stress hormones that often exacerbate the situation as you get wound up by your lack of sleep. When you feel like you're about to get a sudden rush of unpleasant tingling in your veins (adrenaline or cortisol), firmly tell yourself 'NO! We are NOT going there' and quickly replace it with other reframes about how relaxing and useful the time is (more on this next).

- If you're worrying about what you've got on your agenda the following day, resolve to be gentle with yourself. Often this can paradoxically improve how you do as you come across as more authentic and relatable.

- Usually even the most sleepless nights involve an element of starting to drop off and then suddenly coming back round again. Giraffes only sleep for 20min at night then sustain themselves with 10second power naps throughout the day. And so reframe these episodes as 'giraffe naps' which in themselves have great physiological benefits.

- Put your hand on your heart! (And one on your belly button). Yogis will tell you these are energy centres and you are calming them. TED talks will tell you that this prompts the body to release oxytocin which is an anti-stress hormone. Either way, it really works! It sends me into such a deep relaxation that I feel like I'm sinking into the mattress feeling cucooned by a sense of snuggled smugness. In this state I often feel niggles that have been bugging me gently bubbling and melting away. In fact I go as far to say as being in that state in some ways is more beneficial than sleep itself! Indeed, I'll often feel really good the next day (albeit tend to hit a bit of a wall late afternoon if I'm honest).

In summary, if you are experiencing sleep problems, be gentle with yourself, consciously reframe things and then you'll no longer need to dread bedtime as I once did. By seeing a lack of sleep as an advantageous opportunity, paradoxical intention will likely send you to the land of nod... ... See more