"Stop unwinding - Did you ever think that if you weren’t overworked, stressed out, and over it, that you wouldn’t have to spend so much time and money unwinding?" (From this article)
Well hmmm...
You mean if I was doing less, I would be less stressed out? You mean I can control how stressed out I feel? It seems so "duh" and so foreign at the same time. If I quit wasting my time doing nothing I could get things done so that I was less stressed out and could actually enjoy my free time? I could do worthwhile things in my free time instead of just spacing out?
We are in the busy season. Plans every weekend, wanting to get in all the Christmas activities on top of juggling our regular life as working parents with two small children. Part of this is intentional and part of it isn't. I tend to involve myself in many projects because if I don't, I wallow. The Christmas season will always be hard. I used to love Christmas, but things have obviously changed. In the life of a babyloss mom, the holidays are a good reminder of what we do have and also a painful reminder that someone is missing. And so, I have a tendency to dive headfirst into whatever I can find to keep myself busy. NICU care packages, craft fairs, Christmas activities with my kids and whatever else comes my way. I don't regret doing many of those things, they are worthwhile. It's everything else in between.
But sometimes I forget that I can control my stress (well, most of it).
I control how I spend my time, good or bad.
There are things that I love doing and things I feel good about doing. And there are other things that (spending an hour on facebook, checking my phone every 5 seconds, not fully engaging with my babies) that I feel less satisfied with. Let's be honest, I waste a lot of time. It's just so easy, one thing leads to another and before I know it, it's been an hour and I haven't done anything worthwhile.
This has been rolling around in my head for a few days and I really want to make a conscious effort to waste less time. To create less stress for myself. To make and spend more time doing things that have value and not just things that I end up doing because I don't want to think about anything for awhile. I want more quality time with my family. I want a clean(er) house. I want to sit back and enjoy the peace and quiet and not just do things to turn my brain off. So here we go, wish me luck!
Can anyone relate?
I can totally relate and I was thinking about this just the other day. I feel so overwhelmed, stressed out, and (sometimes) depressed that it's easy to say "I need a break." But what, exactly, do I need a break from? That's what I'm trying to figure out now - I'd say the top things I really need a break from are: Facebook (because of all the pictures of families spending time with each other during RSV season), checking blog stats (because I obsess about whether or not my latest post was "good enough"), and Pinterest (because I never feel up to par looking at all those photos). Instead, I'm trying to spend time with things that make me feel good about myself - spending quality time with Jax, talking to friends on the phone, exercising, and soon I will start planning my garden to help me get through the long winter. Thanks for helping me think this through! Now - we're both on the road to less stress! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comment. Glad to know I'm not the only one who struggles with this...and with so many of the same things as you! :) Let me know how it goes!!
DeleteSo true - I can definitely relate!
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