Wherever you are, there you’ll be!

A Tale of Two Earrings in London: I’ve just noticed that I went out yesterday with one silver and one gold earring. We are having a BLAST - but my earrings tell a tale of a bit of jet lag and a somewhat scrambled brain after two weeks of multiple continents, with more to come.

There’s some neuroscience in this, and it starts with an old saying, ‘Wherever you are, there you’ll be!’

When we plan our adventures, be they travel, jobs or relationships, we imagine ourselves in those situations almost as ‘another character’ rather than as ourselves.

It’s easy to forget, that when we change our geography, our circumstances or our surroundings, we literally take our brains with us to the new situation.

This can lead to feelings of disappointment, when everything on the outside is different but in between the highlights we may still feel all the usual feelings on the inside. We can still get tired, anxious or frustrated and need to Be Kind to Our Minds.

Managing our expectations around adventures, whatever they are, means we can be realistic about our energy levels and self-care.

What are you looking forward to at the moment? Remember, when you get there you will take yourself with you, and your experiences will be the usual mix of highs and lows as you navigate each day.

What can we do to help with this?

BE prepared: knowledge is power and being ready for ‘normality inside the excitement’ means it’s easier to manage.

BE realistic: life is NOT an Instagram highlights reel! Even excitement is stressful on the body and can leave us feeling exhausted.

BE Kind to Your Mind: notice when you’re feeling higher or lower than usual and take time out before you need it!

Wherever you are today, there you’ll be!

Julia Grace

Be Kind to Your Mind