5 Ways to Accept Setbacks

It’s raining this morning, which ruined my outdoor run.  Honestly, I already knew last night that I didn’t want to run outside this morning, partially because I knew it would rain and partially because I am getting bored running around my development.  Instead of just sitting around today, I’m going to keep listening to the Selena Gomez & the Scene radio station on Pandora (no shame!) and do some yoga & elliptical work today.

Breakfast was very uneventful.  I decided to use up the rest of my pumpkin and make pumpkin oatmeal.  It ended up being horrible!  Maybe the pumpkin went bad, because it didn’t smell great.  Hey! At least it photographed well.

Over the last few days, as many of you know, I was able to go to a couple new yoga classes in my area.  Both instructors were knowledgeable and uplifting.  The Yin Yoga instructor said some things during class that really made me realize that I DO need to write this Acceptance post.  She said that in Yin Yoga, the important thing is accepting your current body state.  If you are hurting and aren’t as flexible one day, do not beat yourself up over it.  Accepting all aspects of your life can be hard at times, but it’s important to know that it will pass and it’s better to simply strive to push along than to lose sleep over it.

There have been many times in my life when all I wanted to do was crawl into my bed and hide.

• Dealing with a breakup
• What does the future have for me?

How to accept setbacks and keep pushing forward

1. You’re not alone.  Depending on the situation, there are probably many other people who have gone/are going through the same situation.  When I first started blogging, I couldn’t believe how many people were interested in the same things as myself: healthy living.  I felt lost being a vegetarian and none of my friends could relate to me.  I was pleasantly surprised that there were many other girls (& guys) who lived the vegetarian lifestyle and shared their favorite recipes and restaurants.
2. Make a to-do list.  I am the queen of to-do lists.  I made a to-do list everyday during college, in order to help stay on track with my school work and extracurricular activities.  To-do lists can help you keep track of your goals and what exactly you want to accomplish and when.  I find it so hard to do new year resolutions, because I tend to forget them the third week in January.  Instead, this month I decided to make monthly goals.
3. No one likes a Debbie-downer.  I’m not trying to be rude or anything, but no one likes being around someone who is negative all the time.  I’m also not telling you to hold in your emotions and pretend everything’s okay.  Finding a balance is key.  Try to think about how you make other people feel as much as possible.  Sometimes if you spend time with the right people, their positivity will spread to you as well.
4. Spend time doing something you love. You probably don’t LOVE stressing about the horrible situation you are in, so why don’t you get up and do something you do love.  This can be anything from reading a book, bike riding, or maybe even blogging!  I know that when I get stressed out all I want to do is to get outside.  If I sit inside, I start blogging about how horrible I feel.  Although this can be therapeutic at times, more than not I feel even worse because I keep thinking about the stress.
5. Breathe.  I know that this seems mundane, but give it a try.  Turn off your computer, TV, and iPod.  Just sit and breathe.  Try to clear your mind all of the stressful situations in your life.  Every time your mind starts to wander, bring it back. 

How do you deal with setbacks?