The 75 Slow Challenge

If you have been tuning in to my musings for a while, you will have seen me mention the #75hard challenge delivered by mental toughness coach Andy Frisella. It’s something I embarked on back in February, following a post-Christmas period of enjoying life and being less strict about my health and well-being. Some of you may have even embarked on a similar journey at that time.?

The outcome?was an amazing upgrade of my habits (you can read more about it?here?in case you missed it and are curious to learn more).

So, knowing I would also be on holiday in July, which would provide another opportunity to loosen some of the discipline in my routines, I was telling anyone who would listen (hey, committing things out loud makes you more likely to follow through, according to Cialdini’s laws of commitment and consistency) that I’d kick back into the challenge after I got back from holiday.?

But it turns out the universe had other plans for me…?

I’m going to be fully transparent here: the last two months have been tough. I got Covid five days into my holiday and found myself in bed for most of the week and in isolation for 10 days. Like so many who had planned to see family and friends after a number of years away, things didn’t go according to plan. I spent a total of four hours with my mum and missed seeing my dad – the reason for coming home – but I know I’m not alone in these kinds of experiences. Unfortunately for me, Covid set off a series of health knocks and was followed by a sinus infection, low energy that didn’t seem to improve no matter how much rest I got, brain fog and an as-yet-unexplained kidney problem that has seen me in and out of hospital for many different scans and tests.?

I don’t tell you this as a bid for sympathy. Rather, I’m sharing this with you because I think it’s important to be honest about the real struggles I’m going through, in the hope that it signals that it’s Ok to not always be OK.?

When it’s time to make the tough calls?

I had to make some tough calls early on to significantly reduce my workload and draw on more support from my amazing team so I could maintain the quality and impact of my work whilst also taking more time to rest. Special shout out to many of my wonderful clients, who were disrupted but 110% supportive and allowed me to put my health first.

The other call I had to make was to let go of the desire to smash out the #75hard challenge and be realistic about where my energy level was sitting. Some days, doing even a 10-min walk left me exhausted….?

It’s also why I’ve been absent from posting videos or being active around social media and being out and about connecting with people (apologies to those I was meant to see but haven’t been able to yet!).?

When the recovery plan doesn’t go according to plan?

I think one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is keeping my mindset on track (something I know is one of the hardest things to stay on top of when things get tough). It has become increasingly difficult to stay positive and resilient in the face of ‘doing all the things’ and ‘seeing all the people’. After all, I’m THE burnout recovery queen! I know how to rebuild a fatigued system. I even teach and coach on this stuff!!?I should have this nailed by now, I found myself churning over in my mind.?

Here are some of the things I’ve been trying. In no particular order … detox, acupuncture, naturopathy (my supplement cabinet is out of control!), the Wim Hof breathing method (cold showers and icy ocean plunges), chiropractic treatment, energy healing, and retention breath meditation, not to mention the western world of C-T and nuclear medicine scans, ultrasounds, and a million blood tests.?

I’ve had many failed attempts at getting back to the gym, Pilates and long walks, and today I spent half of my slow-flow yoga class in a child’s pose…?

When you know that it’s time to stop?

We all know the saying: when you feel like you’re pushing s**t up the hill, it’s time to stop and change tack. So, in some ways, writing this to you is a cathartic moment in which to pause, reflect and realise that this experience has given me insights towards managing my health and mindset in the face of unknowns, challenges, and disruption. So, if you are struggling to manage your health and mindset right now then I hope the following is thought-provoking and helpful…?

7 insights to help manage your health and mindset in times of struggle?

1. It’s time for the 75 Slow. Realise that in life you are in a marathon and not a sprint. In the last few months, I have had to radically rethink my approach to rebuilding my health and energy.?
2. ?Don’t overlap your practitioners. Too many voices will always give you conflicting advice. In my desperate search for someone to provide me with answers, I have inevitably ended up with conflicting ideas, lots of unknowns and lots of expense.?
3. ?Tune in to your body. Your body knows when something is wrong, when you need rest, and when you can push harder. In line with the western medical system, I have been sent for an array of scans that I instinctively knew wouldn’t show anything as the ‘experts’ weren’t really listening to my descriptions of my symptoms – more going through protocols to rule out the highest risk factors.?
4. ?Listen when your body says it needs rest and find the best environment for healing. My natural default when faced with challenges is to spring into action and get busy being busy…it can leave you going through the motions and not tuned into what the body is telling you. I’ve started to slow things down and tune in. On the surface, there seems to be little change (which has been disheartening), but even seeking out the micro-moments of positive change is giving me hope that I am in control of my body’s healing process.?
5. ?There will be good days and bad days – and that’s OK. And it’s Ok to get frustrated or acknowledge all the range of emotions that pop up.?
6. ?Again, I now break things down into daily moments to tune in to my energy levels and decide the action I take. On some days, it may be a Pilates class, while on others it may be 10 mins on the yoga mat at home, a short walk around the block or 10 deep breaths.?
7. ?The same goes for seeing friends and loved ones. I’m now sticking to a ‘catch up with one person a week’ system, and if I’m not feeling up to it, I’m being honest with myself and with others. The good people in your life will appreciate that and be patient with you

Manage your energy to quieten your mind??

In conclusion, my 75 Slow Challenge is to have a range of micro-activities that are plugged into where my energy level is sitting and not into the ‘should be doing’ rigid structure or pre-conception of where I should be at by now…?

I hope this has been helpful if you are battling with sickness yourself (or know someone that is), your usual health and wellbeing routine isn’t yielding the results you want or, if you’re trying to deal with too many unknowns or uncertainties. Please do feel free to share with me what’s going on if you would like some support.?

I greatly appreciate you holding the space for me to reflect on where I am at.?

To your health and happiness,?

Clare Robinson

Head Coach and Founder?