Jenny Mojo is something that I used to have in abundance in my life but, recently, it has just disappeared and I am desperately trying to get it back!
Mojo
Noun:Quality that attracts people to you and makes you successful and full of energy:
- He’s definitely lost his mojo.
- He needs to get his mojo working if he’s going to win the election.
If you have read my most recent blog post, you will know that there have been some big life changes that I have had to contend with; I think that those, along with my worsening health due to my progressive multiple sclerosis and the whole Covid-19 situation has just put my body into ‘eek!’ mode. I know what I need to do to make myself feel better, I just completely lack the motivation to do it.
Ways To Get Mojo Back
I know from past experience that when I feel down in the dumps my mojo disappears and I think that that is the big issue for me now: I am feeling anxious and depressed. I am finding it harder to see the future as positive, which makes me worry about it more. However, I do know the kinds of things I can do to ‘relight’ my mojo:
Get Moving and Doing
My disability means that I can’t move in the way I used to and I can’t do the things that I used to do to let off steam – running or dancing, for example – however, I do know that taking time out for my yoga chills me out and allows for some ‘me time’ when I don’t think about my worries. Even just making the effort to get off the sofa and do a couple of jobs that I have been putting off can make me feel better – sounds silly, but when I have it in the back of my head that the bathroom needs a clean, actually making myself do it and then seeing the result can give me a little ‘well done’ boost. This can increase my positivity and, therefore, my mojo.
Use the Power of Music
I have written before about using music to feel a bit more positive – I need to take my own advice more! Just before starting to write this blog post, I played a current dance track on my Alexa and pretended I was a 20-something in a club for a few minutes, singing along to the lyrics. It’s not my usual music but when I hear my daughter playing it, it does remind me of old times and puts me in a better mood.
READ: Chronically Strong: Music to Give you Strength
Get Outside
We’ve had a bit of a mini heatwave here in the UK – the last one of the summer, I think. As such, it has been a bit difficult for me to be outside as I suffer from MS-induced heat intolerance. I know, though, that getting out does do me the world of good and helps to boost my mojo. For me, the best and most relaxing time to go outside is in the early morning, often whilst the kids are getting ready for school. That is the best time for me to water my plants, but I also know that the quietness and time with nature helps… maybe as the mornings get cooler, even drinking my coffee outside in my dressing down will give me that few minutes of mojo-boosting relaxation?
See Friends
I recently had a virtual meet up with an old colleague of mine and it was lovely chatting over coffee on Zoom. Sometimes when I am down in the dumps I struggle to make the first step towards having a catch-up, so maybe I need to set myself a little challenge to do that…
Set Myself Up to Have Frequent, Small Wins
… which leads me to do this. Setting small, achievable goals should help. Managing to carry out a goal, however small, can help to boost confidence and self-esteem. And hopefully, the feelings from that can help to influence my motivation and mood, giving me my mojo back.
Hang with Pets
I feel a bit silly saying it, but having pets around has made a massive difference to me over the past couple of months; even our independent, outdoors cat is hanging around our garden now and actively coming up to me for strokes. I find that taking 5 minutes out to hang with them, off the cell phone, really helps me to feel more peaceful and appreciate the little things that I have.
Think of the Positives in my Life
I guess that the part of the mojo definition about making you feel ‘successful’ might have a bit of a different slant for those of us with a chronic illness? I know, for example, that the definite positives of my life are my children and friends and also that I am so lucky to have a roof over my head and enough food to eat, as so many people do not have that. Yet, for me, so many of my positives actually come from my challenges – namely my MS. I feel like I appreciate the ‘little’ things more and I feel like my MS has given me confidence and mental strength that I am not sure whether I would have without it. I like to think that I am able to pass down some of these traits to my kids even though – thank goodness – they don’t have ill health to contend with.
Rewire my Thinking
Yes things have been shit (to put it bluntly), but I do still have some positives in my life and I am still here! My friends and my family are still behind me, I still have so many things that I find enjoyment from and, perhaps, the experiences that I have recently will send me on a new, exciting path. My Granny used to say, ‘what’s for you won’t go by you’ and I need to think about this with a positive slant to help me to really get my mojo back.
Do Something That Scares Me
A few years ago – when my MS wasn’t as bad as it is now, I jumped out of a plane from 15,000 feet in the air. Yes, it was scary but it gave me such a thrill and a boost to my confidence. Making myself do it made me feel successful and happy. My ability to take part in extreme sports may now be limited (though never say never!) but perhaps focusing on the little things that scare me – and doing them – can help to get my mojo back? One massive thing for me is having the confidence to take my kids away on holiday, by myself, as a single, disabled mum. I’ll bet that it is not as scary as I think it might be… and I know that I am lucky that the kids are old enough now that they can help me if I need it. My plan is to book a break with activities to keep the kids happy and to do everything that I can to make it as easy as possible for me. If that means takeaway every night, so be it!
Feed My Soul
I reckon a big part of getting my mojo back is to nurture myself more… it is almost as if I have been so consumed by the bad things going on that I have stopped doing the little things that I know I enjoy. Instead of blogging, making nice recipes, crocheting, reading and gardening I seem to have got stuck in a loop of watching random YouTube videos (often of people rescuing dogs?!) and just doing boring, every day tasks such as cleaning and cooking for the kids. I need to get back into my hobbies to give me that sense of enjoyment back… hopefully setting myself a small daily goal will help. I have just done a Tesco shop for the ingredients to make some nice granola and health(ish) cookies, so that’s a start. Also, I promised my mother-in-law some of the biscuits as she liked the first batch that I made so much – giving to others is another sure-fire way to feed my soul and up my mojo.
And the Biggest Decision I’ve Taken to Help my Mojo….
I have decided that I need help. And I have asked for it. When I think about how my life has changed over the past few years, it is no wonder that everything has become too much for me. I have had relationship issues, massive medical treatments to go through, including chemotherapy as part of my HSCT treatment, I have had to stop my NHS job and my MS has just worsened. Walking is harder, I have had numerous falls and even broken a bone and tooth.
I already take citalopram, a low-dose anti-depressant, but just yesterday I self-referred for support from the local NHS’ mental health team for talking therapy. And they rang me with a telephone assessment date almost right away! I already feel ‘lighter’ and I really feel that it has helped to bring a bit of mojo back – hence having the motivation to write this blog post.
Do you have any sure-fire ways to keep or get your mojo back? I would love to hear.
I really hope that everyone is doing well and I look forward to writing a few more blog posts more consistently over the next few months.
Love and light
I do like to read your blog, but don’t often get around to it. Well done for taking positive action 🙂 If you fancy a Zoom catch up some time, I’d be well up for that!
Take care x
Thanks Nat, lovely to hear from you 🙂 I’m feeling a lot more positive now, I’ve managed to be quite productive today which helps! xxx
Hi Jen,
Never fear your Mojo will return it’s just grieving at the moment because of the big changes you have had. Our mojos are very sensitive and also very clever 😉 your mojo is already planning what it can do to make you move on to bigger and better things. Not all changes are bad, they may feel like it at the time but trust your mojo when it tells you that you will look back and say “ if that hadn’t happened I wouldn’t have done something else”. Lightness always follows dark. Rest and treat yourself, if that means binge watching something then do.
I promise you your mojo will come back
Elaine ❤️
Thank you so much!This was an encouragement to me.I am looking for my mojo too after 6 months of my dr. adjusting my thyroid meds downward during the pandemic.The med change has had a very negative impact on my Chiari (a neurological condition which can behave kind of like MS).Prayer and bible reading help my mojo.Also green tea,too much chocolate,blogging and getting outside.
So glad that this helped Patti 🙂 So sorry that you have been struggling, it has been such a testing time so many of us, hasn’t it? I hope you continue to enjoy all those little things that help you to feel better – I’m craving chocolate now!
[…] And silly me didn’t read any of my previous blog posts that covered what I used to do to get my mojo back. It was actually an email from a lovely blogging friend wishing me well in my absence, that has […]