This year has been a lot.
My family has had to cope with death and serious illness, as well as supporting our daughter as she struggled to cope with huge changes with staff that were badly managed at school.
And if that wasn’t enough, I’ve had to completely pivot my copywriting business after the freelancing world changed as a result of AI and the perceived benefits it brings to agencies. It’s felt like I’ve had to start from scratch.
So, to say that I’ve been left feeling exhausted both physically and mentally is a bit of an understatement.
When we’re feeling low and like we’re just surviving from one day to the next, it can be hard to work out what it is we need to do to make ourselves feel better. That’s how I was feeling. I knew I needed to do something to pull myself out of the way I was feeling, but I had no clue what or where to start.
The online space is very noisy at the minute, so I knew I wouldn’t find the answer there. I felt I needed something that I could press play on, listen to, and then go back to it when I needed. But I still didn’t really know what.
The right thing at the right time
It’s funny how sometimes the right things come along at the right time. And that’s exactly what happened for me.
I attended an event at the Newcastle hub for the NatWest accelerator which I’ve been part of for the last couple of years. In true me style, I’d not read what the event was about, but felt that I needed to go in and meet some new faces. So I booked.
And also in true me style, I almost cancelled quite a few times. I knew I needed to get out of my office and my head and talk to new people. But when you’re feeling low, that can feel like a huge effort.
But I made the effort and I’m so glad I did.
Nousana 40/40
As a result of going into the hub, I had the amazing opportunity to be part of the first cohort of nousana’s 40/40. Access to the programme was kindly gifted to me so I could test it and provide feedback.
So, what is 40/40?
It’s a combination of micro-coaching sessions along with learning and information to support you in a
“guided return to yourself, using ancient wisdom and modern scientific findings in a way you can feel and use to positively impact your experience of life, while you still have it”.
It’s delivered via two WhatsApp messages a day, one in the morning, one in the evening. The sessions are broken down into four chapters: what you consume, think, speak and do. Each chapter provides you with a combination of learning, activities and some guided breathing exercises to give you the tools to make positive changes.
The first message of the day is a voice note with that day’s learning. They’re detailed sessions giving you the science behind the facts, as well as small, actionable steps to help you make changes at a pace that suits you.
Finding the time
I’ll be honest and say that I was sceptical about whether I’d complete the 40 days. Finding 10 minutes a day to yourself may not feel like very much, but for me, it was. Life is hectic, and I didn’t know if I’d be able to find the time every day to listen to the sessions.
I’m the proud owner of countless courses and masterclasses that I’ve signed up for, started, and then either lost interest in or just not had time to complete.
For me, 40/40 was very different.
The first few sessions included short breathing exercises, which had a big impact on me. They made me feel calmer and more in control again. And whilst I’m not new to the power of breathing well and mindfulness, I’d forgotten about how quickly it can change things for me.
The more I did the breathing exercises, the more I started to feel the benefit.
I think the big thing for me was the fact that the sessions were delivered with WhatsApp. I didn’t have to log in anywhere to access them, they were there every morning making it easy to see and then open and start.
Making improvements, one small step at a time
Each lesson contains a lot of information, but there’s little nuggets in each one that helps you take a small step towards where you want to go. I wanted to learn how to turn off all the noise in my head, or at least turn it down, and make some changes to what I eat and drink and do to help me feel a bit healthier and more in control.
Those things felt really big and overwhelming so I’d been ignoring it. I needed something to help me start.
If you want to go deep, there’s a lot of detail and additional learning you can do. I didn’t necessarily want that, but know it’s there if I want to go back and listen to the lessons again.
The format is you get the main lesson in the morning which you ideally listen to at the start of your day, and then a check-in message in the evening where you can share as much or as little as you want about how you found the session, learnings or lightbulb moments and the changes you’re going to make.
There are also some resources you can access to enhance what you’ve learned.
Small steps, big results
The programme has helped me make some key changes to what I’m doing to look after myself that feel achievable. Overwhelm has played a big part in my life this year, but doing 40/40 has given me some tools to help me change that. And they’re tools that I know work because by the end of the 40 days, I can feel the difference.
I feel calmer and brighter, and now have some new things in my mental health first aid kit that I can dip into whenever I need to. Some of the things I’ve learned will be things like that, that I use when I need to. Others I’m doing daily that have helped to tip the balance and keep me focused.
The best part is the programme lets you take what you need from it. If you love detail and going deep into a subject, you’ve got that. If you’re like me and need small, actionable things that feel manageable and achievable, you’ve got that too.
So, if you’re looking for a programme that is going to have a positive impact on what you do, think, say and consume, abcked with accountability, science and support, 40/40 is for you. I highly recommend it.
A big thank you to Georgina for asking me to be part of the first cohort. It came at exactly the right time.
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