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Moody Meets: Ruby Warrington

When you feel low, what is the music you play to pull yourself out of it?

I love the album Dawn by Ry X. It's super emo, and helps me really feel into whatever emotion is asking for some attention, maybe have a bit of a cry. Trying to override low moods with happy, uplifting music doesn't really work for me!


Describe your earliest bad or good alcohol related memory and why?

I remember being at a family picnic aged about 8, and mixing white wine into my cup of Lilt. It made everything feel so much warmer and more colourful, and this felt like a very important discovery. 


Describe your earliest bad or good mood related memory and why?

I grew up in a tiny, rural village in Suffolk, and when we moved to London when I was 9 I was so excited to experience the glamour of city life! I remember knowing I should feel upset about leaving the countryside behind, and actively creating scenes in my mind of the trees crying, and me waving goodbye to them, to try and make myself feel sad.


Describe your current state of wellbeing (mind, body, mood, health). How do you know when things start to feel out of whack?

I currently feel very balanced—I'm sleeping well, my body and mind feel relaxed and able to cope with whatever stress comes up during the day, and I'm enthusiastic and excited about life (including the challenges). As for feeling out of whack, I don't really get sick, and I accept fluctuations in my moods, digestion, sleep patterns, etc., as just part of living in a human suit! If I'm going through a period of discomfort in any of these areas I tend to clear my diary and make extra space for self-care / alone time to give my system an opportunity to reset. The discomfort always passes.


What are your specific triggers or environments that you crave alcohol or toxic foods?

I tend to crave alcohol when I've finished a big project or in periods of down-time, as I still attach to it as a fast track to relaxation, and a way to "switch off" from work. Luckily I've never used alcohol as a way to cope with stress or depression, as this is when common-or-garden alcohol dependency (which I, like many of us, have definitely grappled with) can quickly develop into more harmful alcohol abuse. As for toxic foods, my sugar cravings increased dramatically when I removed alcohol from my life. As the lesser of two evils, I give in to them regularly! I never used to get pre-menstrual chocolate cravings but these are definitely a thing for me now, too. 


What are your top tips for getting good sleep?

Not drinking alcohol! One of the main reasons I really had to stop drinking was that it interfered so badly with my sleep, and when I'm tired I am 100 times more prone to stress, anxiety, hopelessness, food cravings, lack of inspiration ... etc! I also try to go to bed at the same time every night—around 9.30/10pm—as my body thrives on regularity. If I miss my window I always wake up super early the next morning not feeling properly rested. In fact, the late nights that come with drinking probably had as bad an effect on my overall wellbeing as the actual booze!


What do you do when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? How do you pull yourself up?

I get really honest with myself about why I'm feeling that way, and try to find a way to process it. This could be as simple as I didn't sleep very well, in which case I remove any tasks requiring high levels of concentration and motivation from my to-do list and commit to tackling them tomorrow. If it's something emotional, I'll either do some deeper self-enquiry or reach out to somebody I trust to talk about it. Depending on my energy levels, some yoga or a brisk walk in the sunshine helps to move any feelings of "stuckness", too.


What do you do when your energy levels are low?

I tend to go with it and accept that tomorrow will be another day. I'll switch out a workout for a soothing yoga session, cancel any meetings (when possible) that I know will require me to be extra "on", and in an ideal world book a deep tissue massage. My no. 1 self-care rule is to not beat myself up for not being able to "perform" the way I'd like on any given day. Granted, being my own boss and working from home makes this way easier—but honestly, being in charge of my own schedule so that I can respond to my changing moods and needs is one of the main reasons I choose to work this way.


Describe your current mood, today and this month.

Today I feel peaceful and calm, with a tinge of excitement / anxiety about a Full Moon workshop I'm hosting for Free People this evening in their SoHo store in NYC. This month, I'm feeling very hopeful and optimistic about having planted seeds of various new projects I'll hopefully be working on in 2018. 


How would you describe your relationship with your moods?

Intimate. Not drinking means being and staying with every single emotion as it arises, and having a regular meditation practice means I've also got very good at witnessing, and then questioning, the presence of different moods as they come up. In my book Material Girl, Mystical World, I also talk about how our feelings are our intuition in action—signposts from the Universe as to the next right actions to take for our highest good. I've come to believe that choosing to ignore or override these signs with substances or other avoidance tactics (usually to keep other people happy, or because we're afraid to rock the boat) is what holds us back from growing and evolving into the happiest, healthiest people we can be.


Nominate three friends that should visit Moody.

Louise Anrdolia (an expert at "feeling feelings"), Alexandra Roxo (my partner in Moonclub.co), and Lisa Lister (author of Code Red and Love your Lady Landscape). 


What would your dream super power be?

I'd love to be able to maintain high levels of enthusiasm for a project from start to finish. Many mortals are able to do this, but I tend to burn out after the initial adrenalin rush of starting something new, and so staying power is a super power to me!


Ruby Warrington

Author: Material Girl, Mystical World

Founder: www.the-numinous.com

Co-founder: www.moonclub.co

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