Inspire Coaching

Journaling. Have you tried it? Do you do it? Is it a habit that you stick to, every day?

Evidence is that journaling, and in particular keeping a gratitude journal, does have beneficial effects on our well-being. As Zig Ziglar put it “The more you are grateful for what you have the more you will have to be grateful for”

So, do you? If you don't, what's stopping you and if you did, why did you stop? What benefits have you found from journaling?

If you are not sure where to start drop me a line and I'll send you a work sheet to get you going.

Why is it Important to “Unwind”?

At first glance, the idea of unwinding might be thought of as one of those "good" ideas, but not a crucial one. What you might not realize is just how much being wrought up or worn out impacts us. When you’re not able to unwind, you start seeing these problems very quickly:

· Muscle tension
· Headache
· Stomachache
· Poor memory ... and more

At the same time, we start to see other effects. People who consistently fail to unwind become irritable and find it difficult to communicate. Over time, they become less outgoing socially and can avoid social situations. Stress, worry, and overwhelm can trigger depressive thoughts and emotions. These feelings left untended have consequences.

The problem is in our body chemistry. Think of a car. If you run a vehicle for a long period, it's normal to expect it to need some maintenance. You put fuel in the car over and over again to keep it moving, but unless you change the oil at some point, things are going to break down.

OK, that's something of an oversimplification, but you get the idea. The human body is much the same way. We run on a lot of adrenaline, especially when stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed. Sometimes tax can be good because it's what our bodies are designed to do. It's what feeds the "fight or flight" urge, which can be useful in getting things done. A small panic over a deadline can throw extra adrenaline into the system, enough so you can pull an all-nighter and get "it" done.

The problem is, you're not designed to work like this 24/7/365, much as we try to prove otherwise. This is why it’s fairly normal after finals week at college for students to come down with colds. The immune system can no longer handle the load it’s being given.

When we unwind, though, we give our bodies a break. Your hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA), which is responsible for keeping you going under adverse conditions, can finally rest and replenish. At the same time, when you unwind you'll find:

· Your blood pressure lowers.
· Your immune system gets a chance to recover.
· You experience fewer digestive issues.
· Your muscles relax, and the tension drains out.
· Your brain starts receiving more oxygen, and cognitive reasoning is restored.
· It's easier to sleep, and you lose your overall feeling of exhaustion.

With so many benefits to unwinding, you have to wonder why we don't emphasize its importance. So many people find it hard to move out of the anger and frustration of their workplace, mostly blaming poor management, and yet the tools and techniques are really quite simple.

Get in touch to find out how you too can learn to unwind.

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