It’s been one WILD calendar month.
One of the things I pride myself on is the ability to keep an even keel. I’m not sure where it was rooted from but it’s always came naturally to me. I’ve been described as laid back, easy going, and someone who seems to be able to just go with the flow. Through various parts of my journey I’ve really struggled to relax but once I found out just how much it helps a person out - my easy going nature was rediscovered REAL quick.
It is interesting, however, that we can slip into stress so easily. It often happens with small events and as these compound throughout the days and weeks they start to significantly impact everyday life. A word is said, something happens at work, or we fight with a family member. If these things aren’t solved or acknowledged and moved past quickly they build up. We usually can find 5 minutes to decompress in a day and let go of whatever we’re stressing about.
But - what if we can’t?
Can’t is a real tough word for me to even type because I believe once we set our mind to something - anything we deeply want we can make it happen. But life can just plain suck sometimes huh?
That’s exactly what my friend said; what if we can’t? What if there is nothing to simplify or “cut out”?
As I began to respond I hesitated for a minute. “That’s a really good question” I whispered to myself. As I thought about it deeper I realized something - right then I was feeling the exact same way!
This past calendar month has been an absolute whirlwind. To sum it up - I was stressed out.
I had just wrapped up the KELOLAND Living segments about my book and was still responding back to messages, emails, and texts about the week. Mitch and I recorded two podcast episodes and selected winners for our healthcare workers giveaway. Northwestern Mutual asked me to speak to their Aberdeen sales team which I thoroughly enjoyed! That Thursday I hopped on a plane to head down to Arizona. It was a much needed vacation and the weather was welcomed with open arms. I spent 4 and a half days without a care in the world and no emails or phone calls to respond to. We landed back in South Dakota Monday night at 10:00pm. I woke up Tuesday morning in a post vacation daze and abruptly remembered something - I was MOVING to a new apartment the coming Friday and hadn’t packed a THING.
This may seem like a completely different stress than you experience in your own life. No two of us are the same. How often do you feel like that though? When life is moving at 100mph and you can’t seem to find time to breathe, let alone enjoy a hobby or sleep for 6 straight hours. We’ve all been there right?
After packing everything up and transferring it to my new apartment the fun had just begun. I had to clean, sell my couch, clean, dust, clean, clean, and clean. Once that was all over I drove over to my new place to find 87 boxes in one place and half a day to go before I had to sign back into work the following morning.
We’ve all moved. I don’t need to explain moving anymore (thanks for sticking with me). The morale of the story is I was overwhelmed, anxious, and both mentally and physically exhausted.
But that’s ok isn’t it?
Life is just chaotic sometimes. It is what it is - and that’s perfectly fine. As long as we acknowledge it, grind through it, and most importantly of all laugh at the mess sometimes - we’ll be just fine. As my friends down in Oklahoma say “it’s a beautiful mess.”
Once I settled down and unpacked some things I simply had to drop everything for a few days and reset. It’s what I’ve been preaching throughout my messaging on here - slow down, be present, simplify your life, and enjoy the little things. It’s easy to slip into stress but I also believe that it’s easy to reset too. It just takes some focus. How great do you feel after a workout, a walk with your dog, or reading your favorite book at night? It’s the best! Now - think how great we would feel if we simply made these things for ourselves a higher priority?
We have the power, at all times, to choose what we put effort into and what we focus on. If we need to slow down - we can slow down. If we need to focus and work our way down the to-do list - we can. Stress impacts us but we can keep it to a minimum if we make time to fill our cup first and focus on the little things. This is just a friendly reminder that no matter how at ease, happy, or free we may seem on the outside - we are all going through something. That’s ok! Continue to battle, take care of yourself, and always be kind to others. You never know who may need it.
Once I made a conscious choice to put aside the mess I instantly felt better. A few workouts, nights of reading vs organizing, and some reflection on the truly great things about my current life I was all set to go. I was centered and realigned. I was still. I was clear. And I was happy.
Then a box full of clothes tipped over and shirts scattered EVERYWHERE.
A palm-to-the-face and chuckle ensued.
theitsjustjakeblog@gmail.com