Eliza's blog: Shift in Mindset

The first quarter of 2024 has truly flashed before my eyes. My mum always says this is a good thing; it means you enjoy what you do. It has been a particularly busy period for my team at work, and the wider HR department with the annual benefit renewal and compensation process taking front and centre stage. Although busy, it has been fun and has become clear to me the importance of each team and the role they play in the department. 

Knowing how quick time can go, has made me assess other things that I want to achieve outside of work, making them seem possible. For example, building more fitness into my routine. I would look at people run wishing it was me, but then realised there is no reason why it couldn’t be. The only thing stopping me was myself. In February, all it took was putting on a pair of trainers and digging out an old running top. I was loving it in the beginning but four weeks in, I ended up with ligament sprains and a bone contusion in my left ankle. I too needed to Google what that meant, but it didn’t sound good. Much to my sibling’s amusement if this was to happen to anyone, this would only happen to me! As annoying as it was, life can throw you curveballs and it’s not always obvious why. It is easy to let this set you back, and I can’t say I didn’t spend some time on the sofa watching the whole series of One Day whilst sobbing uncontrollably. Nonetheless, knowing I was able to run when I didn’t think I could has made me excited and determined to start again. 

That initial change in mindset proved a key lesson – that I accomplished something new. I didn’t think I would be able to run at all, but I could run further than I thought, and I actually really enjoyed it. I am no Jessica Ennis-Hill quite yet but it did make me realise a few things. We limit ourselves and go through life avoiding the unknown. We may be afraid, have been told we can’t, or have seen someone else fail. Your comfort zone can be a dangerous place. Although it feels secure, you are becoming complacent and missing out on many cool experiences in life. However, outside your comfort zone is a place where achievement has never felt better, and we prove to ourselves exactly what we are capable of.  

Tiny changes to your routine and trying new things that once seemed out of your realm can have a profound impact on your wellbeing over time, releasing those all-important feel-good hormones. I am making a conscious effort to stop limiting myself, to see how much I can achieve. In this case, I managed to watch an entire Netflix series in one day which some might say is pretty impressive. 

Eliza (23), works in HR at an Investment Bank in the City of London. When she is not at work she spends her time playing netball, seeing friends and exploring all the coffee shops South West London has to offer.

Tags:
• Wellbeing