There's a few topics discussed during the When You're Tired All the Time conversation from the bookshelf that, if you're wanting to try out some of the techniques for yourself, warrant a little more explanation - namely

• Prescription for Wellbeing
• Using the metaphor in your language to get new insight and a different perspective
• Questioning the story you're telling
• With a few other snippets I've written blogs about that might help too

This isn't a list you try to do everything about - pick an idea or suggestion that attracts you - do that one thing - and then come back to this list next time you want to try something different.

Your Prescription For Wellbeing Journal

You'll find our more advise for completing a prescription in the series of blogs written exploring each question asked in turn. Also where you can buy it too 🙂

Using the Metaphors in Your Language For Insight

There's a few different ways to use metaphors in your language to uncover new perspetives.

• Explore the metaphor
• Identify and change the metaphor
• Draw or collage the metaphor
• Embody the metaphor
• Play with the words you're using

Explore the Metaphor

In essence you look to the patterns of the metaphor you're using to describe a situation for insight that can be applied to the current situation, for example

• You mention the situation is like an iceberg and you realise an iceberg moves slowly because of it's weight and recognise the need to release physical, mental or emotional weight yourself.
• If you can't see the wood for the trees you might recognise you need to stop planting more trees;
• If you you feel like a fish out of water you may realise you need to get to safety first.
• Or go for a walk and notice the metaphors that mirror the situation as you walk.

Or if you're going round in circles, life feels like an uphill struggle, you're talking to a brick wall, can't see the wood for the trees or are at a crossroads there's a blog that summarises the insights.

See links for blogs exploring the metaphors mentioned more.

Identify and Change the Metaphor

Here you take the metaphor to the next level by making changes to it - knowing you can always go back to the initial representation, eg

• In the 'pulling yourself together' metaphor discussed in the conversation from the bookshelf you'd just keep adapting and changing the image you have - experiment - try things out - go back and try something different eg body parts apart, body parts connected, pumped up, etc - you keep going until it feels different.
• If your situation was a mountain what would the mountain look like and then make changes to it

Draw or Collage the Metaphor

Drawing the metaphor can be hugely powerful - here's a few examples

• Beyond the Web - see images above and more in the blog
• Turning over a new leaf
• Decision overload
• Not having enough time
• Collage your problem!! or even
• If your situation was a mountain what sort of mountain would it be?

Embody the Metaphor

This is my favourite - and one I do the most - in other words if you want to turn a corner go and find a corner to turn outside in nature and turn it. If you're at a crossroads go for a walk and notice what you notice about the decisions you make when you get to each crossroads. Or

• If you need to draw a line in the sand do that
• Step out of the shadows if that's what you want to do
• and a lovely one walk in the circles that represent the current situation - make it slower, bigger, wider, faster etc
• And what to do if you've got your head in the sand

Play With the Words Your Using

If life feels like an uphill struggle why not play lightly with the words

Might you therefore instead find it could be a:

• downhill struggle
• downhill success
• downhill toboggan
• uphill stroll
• uphill climb
• uphill surrender
• uphill reducing struggle
• upstairs struggle

This is a fun exercise with laughter and absurdity being the aim to shift your mindset.

Questioning the Story Your Telling

The key here is remembering the poem shared in the conversation - ie your truth is not the truth and neither is theirs.

I've written previously about there being 3 versions of the truth.

The key is being in conscious awareness of what you're saying and thinking - ie not falling back on auto pilot and old worn habits but making conscious decisions. I wrote a blog about the difference between zIGs that Inhibit Growth and zAGs that Accelerate Growth that provides some insight to the sorts of habitual and yet potentially unhelpful behaviours I'm talking about.

Other blogs that may be of interest here include

• Reframing the story you're telling
• A short story about a struggling caterpillar
• Off track! or just using the wrong word?

Try it For Yourself

Start with something you’re currently telling yourself about the situation. Write it down exactly as you’re saying it in your head. Then get curious:

• What am I assuming is true?
• What evidence am I focusing on?
• What evidence might I be ignoring?
• What have I generalised from one or two experiences?
• What words such as always, never, everyone, no one am I using?
• What else might also be true?

You’re not trying to prove your story wrong or pretend that your experience isn’t real. You’re simply investigating whether it’s the whole story.

Other Snippets

I've written a number of blogs that might also help depending on what you're grappling with:

• Having a mindset that supports not hinders you achieving your goals
• Using language that supports not hinders you achieving your goals
• Doing a do something different every day 28 day challenge (I can't recommend this highly enough).

What Attracted Your Attention?

You don’t need to try all of these. In fact, please don’t.

Which idea made you stop, smile, disagree, feel curious or think “I might try that”?

Start there.