So what's the secret? Well of course it's hardly a secret but it does require you to be attentive to your own needs and aware of what may be leaking out of your cup before you get too depleted. First and foremost, and I know that you've heard me say this a million times but if you aren't doing the simple necessities well, then you have to start there. Are you eating well? Are you sleeping and resting well? Are you getting enough exercise or activity in your life? If you answered no to any of what I like to call the 'Holy Trinity' of health, then take stock and sort your shit out asap.
Unfortunately everyone is not wrong about you needing to eat a rainbow of healthy foods, get 6-8 hours of sleep a night, drink 6-8 glasses of water a day and take in around 10,000 steps and half an hour of activity as a base line on the daily. If you are failing on of these fronts, you will feel tired, moody, emotional and probably pretty crappy for the most part. Your body is going to be struggling, so always check in with the 'Holy Trinity' before going anywhere else when your cup needs a top up.
After the 'Holy Trinity' is in order, it's time to get meeting your other needs. Check in with your balance between connection with others and your alone time. Both of these things are equally important. You need alone time to connect with yourself and to reflect on your needs and explore your desires. And you need healthy relationships and moments of connection with others to help you to understand your own value, be of service to others and explore your personal expressions of love and sexuality. However, lots of people over-do one or the other and this can leave you feeling out of balance, lonely or exhausted. Have a think about how much time you are devoting to others and how much you are devoting to yourself. How do you spend your time with yourself? How do you spend your time with others? Are you using your time wisely? How can you improve on your relationships? How can you use your time alone in a healthy way?
Another thing that really fills up diminished cups is time in nature and time to be creative. It has been scientifically proven that when people spend some time in nature everyday, especially early on in the day, they experience a much higher level of joy and appreciation in their daily lives. Equally valuable is any time set aside for creative output on a daily basis; a spot of painting, a little mindful colouring, daily journaling, scrapbooking, knitting, sewing, modelling or even cooking up a storm in the kitchen are great ways to stimulate the creative juices and getting a feeling of flow back into your life.
So in short, start with checking your:
- Sleep
- Diet
- Activity
- Your relationships and connections with others.
- Your time spent alone and your allocation of time for reflection.
- Spend some time in nature
- Be creative
Release Date: 2023
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 103 mins
A coming of age film directed by Gene Stupnitsky from a screenplay that he co-wrote with John Phillips, No Hard Feelings swings between inappropriately raunchy behaviours and painful helicopter parenting with an effortless ease that makes it a fun and enjoyable comedy from start to end.
32 year old Maddie Barker is facing bankruptcy when an opportunity arises for her to get a car free on Craigslist. The only catch is that she has to "date" a socially awkward and shy 19 year old boy named Percy because his wealthy parents can't deal with him leaving for college without any prior female socialisation or sexual experience. She also has to make it seem natural, so Maddie sets out to secretly seduce and socialise Percy and finds much more than she had bargained for.
There is nothing astoundingly original or interesting about this tried and tired old movie trope, but Jennifer Lawrence makes this film great by delivering her usual high level of funny and sincere on screen as Maddie. Any icky feelings or controversy around the somewhat questionable storyline is cancelled out by the way that film constantly fails to condone or promote Maddie's crappy choices and immaturity. The teenagers in the film are obviously far more aware and mature than Maddie is and the whole point of the movie is to point out how childlike and pathetic some adults can be, which is easy to see when they are surrounded by capable and intelligent young individuals.
Overall this is just a low-stake comedy film with higher than expected outcomes, watch it for a giggle.
FINAL SAY: This kid's undatable!
3 Chilli Peppers