Emotional Hangovers Happen
Have you ever noticed when you stretch yourself out of your comfort zone or you allow yourself to be really vulnerable ...there's almost a breaking point? Like a rubber band, you stretch super far and then Bam! It snaps back!!
3 Steps Forward, 5 Steps Back
I kept noticing every time I would experience success by stretching or stepping out of my comfort zone...and my business started to pick up momentum...poof!! I'd run out of steam and was too exhausted to capitalize on my hard work. It seemed like I was always taking 3 steps forward and then 2...sometimes 5 steps back.
The first time I truly noticed this happen was when my kids and I had gone into a candle store. It had been raining for a month straight and my house smelled like wet dog. We were looking for anything that could eradicate the smell. When we walked into the candle shop there was a single table with, at the most 10 candles on it. It turned out that the store was closing at the end of the month. Every time we had come into this particular store, I had always been impressed with how professional and outgoing the staff had been. I felt terrible that this was how their 2019 had started and I could tell no one saw it coming. I decided I was going to go back the next day.
Even though most of my cliental was made up of Divorce Coaching clients, I had started out as a strategy coach...and I knew I could help.
I stopped by, introduced myself, explained what I did for a living and gave them a few of my business cards. The employees were incredibly receptive and 2 of them scheduled calls with me for the very next day! I could not stop smiling as I drove home. The idea of being able to help the candle shop employees had me feeling giddy!
Fast forward to just after dinner...I could barely move. All that energy and adrenaline I felt from stepping out of my comfort zone...had led to a giant crash. I was left with an emotional hangover...I just didn't realize it.
A few months after working with the candle store employees I signed up for a business coaching course that met once a week. The first 3 weeks of the month focused on business development and strategies, the 4th week was a segment focused solely on emotional coaching. This portion was led by Mariah Sage. I thought Ugh! I need to learn how to grow my business, my emotions are awesome! No need for coaching there...yeah I was wrong!
I thought Ugh! I need to learn how to grow my business my emotions are awesome!!
The second month Mariah spoke about Emotional Hangovers and I could feel a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders. I finally had a term to describe what had happened that evening back in January.
Mental Stretching
My emotionally un-coached brain labeled that feeling of exhaustion as Self-Sabotage…and that was so disheartening. To know that I have been put on this earth to help people…and that a part of me was trying to sabotage that caused me to question my commitment. The second Mariah said the words Emotional Hangover I teared up! In an instant, I knew I had not been trying to sabotage anything!!! I had stretched myself so far out of my comfort zone…that that little snapback or Emotional Hangover was just my brain asking for time to reset.
My brain needed its equivalent of 2 Advil and a big glass of water. So just be aware…if you’re putting yourself out there personally or professionally…Emotional Hangovers happen and when they do it just means you’ve challenged and stretched yourself…which is awesome...so Congratulations!!! Just remember your brain may need a little time to recover.