Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Taking a Break before I Break!


I’ve had quite the overwhelming past couple of week! Whoever told you that living happy and free means everything will begin to always go your way is not the best advice giver. Now, I don’t think I’ve ever been told that by anyone however sometimes I get these real “Mary Poppins” type of ideas in my head, oh and by “Mary Poppins” I mean like all things will work out magically wonderful because you are being positive and making priority lists!  I guess it stems from the hope I have that makes me believe things will always turn out right because I’m consciously and proactively choosing to put forth my most positive effort as passionately as I know how. I mean when you give your all it’s supposed to, right?! So when things don’t work out the way that I THINK they should due to all my passionate and hard work, I usually spend more time than I need to trying to figure out why? Or I tend to go overboard and analyze everything I did and didn’t do to figure out how I could have done it better. It sounds exhausting and let me just say it IS!!

I’m far from perfect but I love to give it my all in hopes that the things that I do turn out "perfect". I believe that’s why I’ve had a rough couple of weeks. I’m in the midst of spring cleaning which includes finish decorating my room and remodeling my kitchen. I’m preparing for my own college graduation as well as my daughter’s high school graduation this also means prom preparations. In a three month radius an open house/cookout is expected and I won't bother mentioning my other three younger kids schedules I’m juggling like most working moms that are also pursuing  higher education while staying involved in their kids’ lives all before making sure dinner is served between 6:30-7pm nightly.

I sometimes become so focus that I fail to realize I’ve placed too many “irons in the fire” until it’s almost too late. I don’t always take the “break” necessary when I know I should, believing I have enough in me to just keep going and it will be “ok”. I won’t list everything that happened because for one it’s tedious and secondly I don’t like whining…..well too much anyway.  However I am sharing all of this to remind myself to “Live the Advice I give”! I have to allow myself to STOP and breath! Taking the breaks necessary to regroup doesn’t mean failure or that it will never happen. I also have to be OK with being human like everyone else……dammit! (Ok I just laughed at myself because I really need to start owning that I am.)

While I was preparing for the support group I facilitate, I was looking for something on managing stress and feeling overwhelmed. I came across this article below by Tanya J. Peterson on stress and anxiety. The article is so well written and has a few very helpful tips that can easily be applied to everyday living.  One of the tips she has offered is to make a “To Done List” which I actually do this however I use the word accomplished! I have always felt encouraged when I can physically see the fruits of my labor. I champion this suggestion because doing it always encourages me and feels like a “pat on the back”. I often have to remind myself to slow down and relax so not to become overwhelmed but there are times, like the last couple of weeks I forget. So I was reminded by my guy that “everything was going to be alright” during a time when my plans weren’t lining up the way that I wanted them to and now as I sit here processing last week and writing myself some affirmation notes, I came across this quote "Note to self: I don’t have to take this day all at once, but rather one step, one moment one breath at a time. I am only one person. Things will get done when they get done!” in other words DO what you can and let the rest……do what it do?!
I’m going to be a lot more proactive in living this advice I’m giving to you, so in the words of the wise-cracking Whitley Gilbert “Relax, Relate & Release”!

http://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/anxiety-schmanxiety/2014/08/overwhelmed-by-stress-and-anxiety-how-to-deal-with-it/

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