Ever thought of unwinding as a muscle building exercise in itself? You see I used to think it was so simple to ‘switch off’. In my previous jobs I’ve been mostly okay at switching off at the end of each day. Of championing others to do the same.

I’d be the advocate for proper lunch breaks. Walks in the fresh air. And if things got a little stressful I’d be advocating everyone just see the bigger picture.

And yes, most of that came from doing it the other way. And figuring out it didn’t work. (For previous posts on see HERE and HERE). I needed a new way of separating work + home in order to feel completely committed to both. To maximise my energy replenishment too.

And so I would have thought of myself as being great at unwinding too. The switch off button was an easy one for me.

So it would come as a surprise this week to find myself a little on ‘edge’ whilst on holidays. Okay so on edge even feels extreme now in words. It was more like this undercurrent that stayed ‘on’ whilst I was technically ‘off’ line. I noticed myself not entirely letting go and sinking fully into the experience.

There were certainly lengthy days and nights of feeling like I’d switched off completely. Only to be gently tapped by the voices inside my head reminding me, hey we’re still here, you forgot to switch us off. ?

And by now means was I stressed, or anxious. Nor did I feel busy or that I was missing out on work. I didn’t have a to do list running through my head even… It was just that I noticed I was slightly on. Not fully relaxed. A little absent at times, yet would then bring myself back, reminding myself to choose the current moment and not some future that is out of my control.

All of this has reminded me of the consistent evolution of our lives. How nothing stays stagnant, there is always a current. You get to choose whether you want to swim against it or allow it to swiftly and gently take you places. And you don’t always get it ‘right’. Sometimes you fight against it for a reason. You see something on shore perhaps that you decide is worthy of a few stronger strokes to get you there.

While I may have been exceptional at ‘unwinding’ in the past. My evolution, my journey, my own growth has taken me to a whole new place. What and how I ‘did’ unwinding in the past is no longer relevant. Or at least not all of it. There are aspects that still work for me – and yes that includes establishing healthy boundaries and taking breaks – however there are other aspects that I’ve realised really do need a new work-out. Unwinding in itself is a practice that requires muscle strength. Left unused for a while it gets weak. I must practice a whole new way of unwinding. Find a new routine that works for this phase.

Perhaps there’s an area in your life right now which has been feeling a little stuck or stagnant. You feel like you’ve been doing the ‘right’ thing yet for some reason it’s just not clicking into place or working out. Where are you running a routine that no longer fits your evolution? Or, where have you abandoned a practice and therefore weakened a little in muscle strength?

Could you do me a favour? I’d love to see many more people with beautifully toned unwinding muscles. Please share this post with one other person in your life. ?