How to get yourself back after letting yourself go

Learning how to get yourself back after letting yourself go is, truthfully, something I’ve just been through. In fact, it’s been a few weeks since I opened my laptop to write a blog post for Intentional Lucie.

If you follow me on X, you might have seen that I’ve fallen away from my positive habits recently. Of course, it wasn’t intentional (nor in line with my values as an intentional living advocate). But, it provided me with a stark reminder that life isn’t linear and that striving to be the best version of ourselves on a constant level is simply impossible.

Plus, it sparked the inspiration to write this blog post.

What does it mean to let yourself go?

Letting yourself go looks different for everyone, determined by a deeply personal understanding of your own boundaries. You know yourself best, so I wouldn’t want to generalise what letting yourself go looks like.

However, I can tell you what letting myself go looks like. If you’ve read my blog from the beginning, firstly, thank you, but secondly, you’ll know that I’m passionate about intentional living and cultivating my life around it. Everything I do, I endeavour to do so with intention – whether that be cooking a wholesome meal, practising a beautiful morning routine or bringing a new item of clothing into my wardrobe with careful consideration of my style (I followed Style Therapy by Lauren Messiah to find my style).

Recently, though, my intentional living rituals slipped through the cracks. One day, I woke up and decided that I didn’t feel like doing my spiritual practice that morning, which led to me eating unhealthy foods and going to bed late after excessive screen time that evening. One day turned into two days and two days turned into two weeks, spiralling me further away from my positive way of living.

Why do you let yourself go?

Again, everyone’s trigger is different. Upon reflection, letting myself go looks to have been caused by feelings of overwhelm, rather than an individual circumstance. I started a new job recently – my dream job – and this new-found passion has meant that I’m on the clock more than off from Monday to Friday. Tie this in with a relocation to a new region, a house sale and onward purchase, and a wedding to plan, my cup was spilling over in my subconscious mind. Unfortunately, the first thing I surrendered in a bid to empty my cup was my well-being.

To be honest, I don’t think letting yourself go is spoken about enough, but it happens to all of us. You can’t experience the highs without the lows. So, accepting that they’ll both occur and learning how to get yourself back after letting yourself go is more important than striving for perfection in life.

How do you get yourself back after letting yourself go?

We’ve discussed the what and the why, and now, it’s time to learn how to get yourself back after letting yourself go. No matter how long you’ve been away, sister, or from what things, you can find your way back to the healthiest and most authentic version of yourself.

Acknowledge and accept where you are now

If you’re reading this blog post, I trust that you’ve already recognised what’s happening. Well done for taking the first and hardest step – letting ourselves acknowledge it.

Now, it’s time to accept it without judgment. As I mentioned earlier, we all have to experience the highs and lows of life (I’ll say it one more time – all of us). I find it helps to think of getting yourself back after letting yourself go as a new chapter for instilling habits, rather than failure or regret.

Look after your health and well-being

If you’ve let go of a fitness goal, it’s often best to simply pick up where you left off. But, regardless of whether your positive habits relate to fitness or not, physical activity is still a crucial element of your well-being. I’ve committed to moving my body every day this month, whether it be walking, jogging or a quick HIIT workout on my lunch break.

Plus, I’ve restarted my weekly Sainsbury’s delivery of healthy, nourishing foods, and completed a meal plan with recipes for the week ahead. I never steer more than a couple of weeks away from this ritual as it sets me up for a healthy week – I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Engage in a mindful practice

This is the most important of all of my activities because I live by the law of attraction. If you’re new to such practices and don’t want to dive in too deeply, five minutes of self-reflection in the morning and evening, without distraction, can help you tune into your body on a deeper level and learn how you’re really feeling.

Set goals – big and small

For the last four years, I’ve made five goals for the year. Alongside them, I create three smaller goals for each month. If you haven’t made any goals this year, now is a beautiful opportunity to start. It doesn’t matter how small, either – even accomplishing small goals provides a sense of achievement to help you on a path to fulfilment.

Seek medical help, if needed

On a final note, it’s not always easy to bring yourself back after letting yourself go – especially when dealing with difficult circumstances or significant change. So, I encourage any sister who’s suffering from long periods of low mood or feeling lost to consult their general practitioner for medical advice – I’m sending love and support.

When was the last time that you brought yourself back after letting yourself go, and how did you get back on track? I welcome your loving thoughts in the comments or by contacting me.

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