Hello , my fellow pioneer

Do you ever feel like you're trudging through a swamp, where each step forward is a horrondous effort? In the last couple of weeks I found myself in this exact situation. 

The Unexpected Swamp

It began with an illness I couldn't shake off. Despite spending a weekend in bed, I couldn't regain my usual energy. Simultaneously, work demands went into overdrive, whatever could go wrong with technology went wrong (I even had a podcast cut out half way through), and unexpected problems required immediate attention. I found myself in constant reactive mode, firefighting one issue after another.

And I observed myself falling into an old familiar headspace. Overwhelm had set in, and factors beyond my control seemed to be dictating my life both at home and at work. I began questioning my abilities, worrying about the future, and spiraling into bizarrely negative thoughts.

And then I watched a documentary featuring explorer Simon Reeves. He was macheting through deep jungle, moving at less than a mile per hour, getting stuck in swamps, and getting attacked by swarms of insects. It struck me as the perfect analogy for how I felt – heading towards an exciting destination but caught in an energy-draining swamp along the way.

The Energy Equation

One of the bravelings had an aha moment last week that really struck me. 

“The biggest lever I have over my circumstances is my own energy. Spend time there first (before anything else).”

This last couple of weeks made me realise something crucial: when our energy is at an all-time low, everything around us becomes overwhelming. Energy is essentially life force, and when that becomes life dribble, the outside world lets itself in, which only drains us further.

Refocusing on Energy

So, I looked at what I could do to shift my focus and get myself out of the swamp. Instead of pushing through, I prioritised preserving and increasing my daily energy through firstly being a bit kinder to myself, and then,

1. feeding my body with sleep and nutritious food.

2. feeding my soul with activities that can get the spark going again

In addition to having loads of sleep, I focused on being creative - creating something out of nothing. I switched off social media, and listened less to the news.

And I also set a little challenge with The Brave Collective.

So, if you're up for it, try it and see what happens: capture one image each day of something that makes you smile, or makes your heart sing. At the end of the week, look at them - what do they make you feel? Why did you choose them, what did they mean to you? (mine were a mix of the Northern Lights, greenfinches feeding in our garden, my dog looking gorgeous, a newly discovered pond in a field...).

Remember, we all face our 'swamps' from time to time. What do you do to get yourself out of a swamp?

By focusing on maintaining and even boosting our energy, we not only navigate these adventures more effectively, we can get ourselves out of the swamp before we become, well, swamped.

Have a lovely week. 

Kirsty