I got the wind knocked out of me. I consider myself a fairly optimistic gal, but this was one of those inexplicably devastating moments and I was struggling to get my feet under me.
My choices were to crawl under the covers and not come out until spring, grab a pint of ice cream and determine what binge-worthy Netflix show would become my new bestie, or take a breath and regroup.
Calmer heads prevailed and I went with Option #3, but I will confess, initially, the choice was not an obvious one.
When you are building something new or working toward a goal; it isn’t a matter of IF there will be hard times, but rather WHEN.
The magnitude of impact of the inevitable hard times, depend on what you have in place to weather both the light sprinkle of misfortune as well as a tsunami shitshow.
I’d like to share some of what is currently helping me, in the hopes that it will either remind you of what you already know to be true OR possibly add another resource to your toolbox.
Self-Care is Key
My self-care game hasn’t always been strong. I use to pull all-nighters on the regular, thought stress was an unavoidable reality (and if I’m being honest a bizarre badge of honor) and to identify what I need or want was an “indulgence” only to be enjoyed on special occasions like a birthday and possibly after you have kids you may throw in a Mother’s or Father’s Day.
However, I have been learning that self-care is NOT selfish, instead it’s essential to navigating this wack-a-doodle world. And for those times when you are getting hit with a wave of trouble or have dropped into a pit of despair, you need to increase the level of self-care ASAP.
If you are just beginning to wade into the self-care pool, keep in mind it is a process to figure out what works for you. One person’s zen nature walk is another person’s allergy nightmare. But don’t look at it as another “to do” instead have fun and explore what activities or practices help you to feel better. Or moves the needle from the “all-people-suck-in-this-great-big-stupid-world” zone and gets closer to the “imma-gonna-be-OK” place.
Self-Talk Matters
Are you aware of how you talk to yourself? Even if you aren’t literally talking out loud, I’m sure you have thoughts about yourself and the things you do. SIDENOTE: I have no problem with straight-up talking to myself All. The. Time. First, I’m a verbal processor and it helps me to get clarity. Second, I’m a hoot.
What’s the overall vibe of how you talk to yourself? Remember, you are the only person you will always be around, so why not lay-off the hypercritical and harsh words, and speak with a little more compassion. Basically, talk to yourself like you would to someone you really care about who may be having a crappy day and just needs a kind word, cuz who doesn’t need more of that?
And while we are talking about what to do with your words, remember there can be value to writing your words down in a journal or even just piece of paper that you shred afterward (if the thought of keeping a journal gives you heart palpitations.) Or maybe calling a friend to share what’s going on so you don’t feel so alone in what you’re going through.
Even right now, having shared with you fine folks about being in a rough patch, I’m already feeling a little better and getting perspective of how to move forward.
No one is immune from this stuff. But hopefully by sharing the low moments we can recognize how similar we are and then move on, rather than torturing ourselves with the idea that no one else would have this kind of problem.
It reminds me of that quote by Nelson Mandela:
“I never lose. I either win or learn.” #damnstraight
Finally, as we head into this Thanksgiving week I wanted to share some gratitude. While I’m not a BlackFriday/CyberMonday participant (mostly because I don’t have my shit together that early in the season) for those who are looking to get some unique gifts be it mugs, wall art, phone cases, t-shirts or note cards (man, I kinda forgot all of the stuff I’ve made over the years) anyhoo, I wanted to share a 20% off discount on anything in my shop.
This will be valid for the next week and is exclusive to you as someone who has signed up for my blog.
Click here to access 10% Discount or use the code BlackFriday10 at checkout.
I’ll be posting a smaller discount on social media for the masses, but as always, I like to give my peeps a little something extra. #youdabomb
Thanks for allowing me to drop into your inbox. Until next time…keep creating and connecting.
Leave a Reply