How To Kickstart Your Comeback

Hi little bugs,

What’s happening in your world? I am writing you for the first time in awhile, and the reason is this: after spending 3 weeks in Bali, I came back and dove directly head-first into….

a post-Bali slump.

Has this ever happened to you after traveling? I actually anticipated it, because Bali was the most magical place on Earth. I can’t fully explain how incredible it is because a lot of it is internal, but I will try to explain most of it in this upcoming post – Healthy Crush Travel Guide: Ubud, Bali – coming soon. (If you are curious in the meantime you can scroll through my instagram to see the magic).

I’m not going to go too much into the psychology of why humans get into slumps, but I have a few ideas about why they can occur, especially after traveling to magical foreign lands where green juice and nut milk lattes flow like wine, everything you look at is vibrant and colorful, there is music and incense wafting through the air, and celebration and ceremony infuses through the very essence of existence….yeah. That’s Bali.

I just looked up “slump” and found out it originated from the Norwegian term “slumpe” which means TO FALL INTO A BOG. A bog!!!!!

Also, one of the synonyms of “slump” is “blue funk.” I kind of like that. Blue funk.

For me, a slump feels like being disillusioned with how different life felt after leaving such a magical land. Creative ideas had been flowing into my head during my trip, but my energy and mood upon returning to America weren’t matching the vibration of actually making them happen. I was tired a lot (jet lag is part of this, I know), feeling low immune system, and I just didn’t feel inspired. I felt, I guess, a little lost, questioning everything. I kept saying, “I feel misplaced.” So that’s what a slump feels like to me. Just…off. Just a blue funk. In a bog.

Slumps can make you feel unpowerful and stuck. 

A few of my friends I met in Bali (on a magic creative retreat) texted me with similar sentiments about returning to life post-Bali.

In gerneral, after a big trip that is so physically and emotionally nourishing, we all need time, as my friend and Bali angel Bria says, to “integrate, recalibrate and align.” So being gentle about that is important.

But I’ve been getting calls and emails from a few of my close friends who are feeling the same way in life WITHOUT ever going to Bali, so I know this “falling into a bog” feeling is not just about returning from travel.

I knew what I had to do. I had to make it my mission to kickstart my own comeback and then help others figure out how to do it too. Obviously, I wouldn’t let myself hang out in a bog for too long without some type of shareable lesson. NO WAY!

So I’ve spent the last couple of weeks highly focused on pulling myself OUT OF THE BOG. {Cue Taylor Swift “Are We Out Of The Woods…”}

Ok. So here’s the formula I came up with for kick-starting a comeback if you’re in a bog. It is not long, drawn out, or too difficult. It focuses on the idea of quickly resetting yourself by taking things one day at a time, instead of trying to overhaul your entire life all at once.

I can’t tell you what to do with your life, but I can almost guarantee you that this formula will at LEAST kickstart your personal comeback if you’re in the bog. Sometimes all we need is a spark to ignite. 

In fact, the Comeback Kickstart plan is just a 1-day plan. (Then repeat. But only focus on today). :)

How to Kickstart Your Comeback

 

1. Clean.

This step is the most important to start with. Clean the area where your comeback is going to take place. This could mean your apartment, home, office, desk, car, whatever. Wherever you are spending the most time, CLEAN IT. And I mean, clear it from ALL clutter. Anything that doesn’t spark joy, isn’t GENUINELY useful or makes you ABSOLUTELY JOYFUL needs to get the F out. Clutter makes you stagnant. Clutter makes you low energy. Clutter makes you lethargic. GET IT OUT. Make this your first priority. More on the importance of clearing clutter: 5 Ways Clutter Can Impact Your Life and How to Decide What To Throw Away

2. Decide how you’ll treat yourself, diet and exercise wise, for ONE DAY.

Make a commitment to have one day where you treat yourself in the way you already KNOW makes you feel the best. Just one day. You don’t have to commit to embarking on a 30-day plan, or a lifestyle overhaul. The key is to not overwhelm yourself when you’re in the bog. If you know going for a run always makes you feel better, just go for a 10 minute run. If you know staying away from sugar makes you feel the best, take one day off of sugar. My personal reset/comeback plan is called the Rapid Reset. This is what I do when I’m in the bog and it helps tremendously. Maybe you’ll get some ideas from it. But the point is to choose your ideal diet/exercise routine that makes YOU feel the best — for just one day — and commit to it. You can always get back into the bog tomorrow if you want, but for today, let’s try it.

3. Put on some music that inspires you to be your most resilient self.

Doing this while cleaning or exercising is a great idea. I’m currently creating a Comeback Beats playlist and I suggest you do the same. What are the songs that make you feel alive, inspired, able to climb out of a bog? Mine’s small so far but I’m constantly adding to it and I feel great listening to it. Some of these songs are just the spark I need to reignite myself.

4. Do one thing – just ONE THING – that you’ll be proud of yourself for at the end of the day.

I’m not talking about some random task to cross off your to-do list. I’m talking about something you’ll be PROUD OF yourself for. Something you’d bring up at the dinner table with a beaming smile. Something that reminds you of how awesome you can be when you make the decision to do so. For me, it was creating this sales page (I’d been putting it off for a long time), and, actually, writing the very blog you’re reading now. For me, pressing “publish” on something always makes me proud. That, and getting a workout in. It will likely look different for you. I recommend choosing something you could complete in one day, so you don’t fall back into a bog of overwhelm! What would you be proud of yourself for? What is one thing, that when you picture yourself doing it, you feel excited and uplifted?

**BONUS COMEBACK KICKSTART ACTIVITY: Do you have emails, texts, or any other form of communication from someone thanking you for how you helped them? Or letting you know how much they appreciate you? Or giving you a compliment of any kind? Go back and read those. Remember how much of a difference you can make in people’s lives. And then, muster up the energy to make a difference in your own life.

Andddd you just pulled yourself out of the bog! Congrats. Return to this post anytime you get into the bog.

At the end of one day of kickstarting your comeback, you’ll likely want to continue and repeat.

So that’s my Comeback Kickstart formula, I hope you’ll add some of your own ideas into the comments. What are your personal best methods to kickstart your own comeback? I would LOVE to hear, and it helps everybody when you share. So thank you!

Are we in the clear yet? GOOD. :)

P.S. Here’s the link again to the Rapid Reset if you’re in need of my recommendations for a 1-day kickstart energy/mood cleanse.

P.P.S. Check out Passion Planners for more direction and focus.