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Stress is Taking its Toll on Me
I am exhausted. Seriously. It has been a tough day in a tough week in a tough month at work. I’m not sleeping well, either, which isn’t helping me manage the stress. I’m stressed about my job, my car, my house, a dozen or so projects I want to finish and none of it seems to be getting anywhere these days.
To top it all off, I’m even stressed about my blog and the other creative projects I am hoping to work on this year. And when I get overly stressed like this I tend to shut down for awhile to recover.Work is work. It runs on a cycle. I know when the busy times are coming and can try to compensate for my work stress by getting enough sleep and eating extra healthy carbs.
Most of the other stressors are ones that I’ve pretty much created. I’m stupid like that. I took on this blog because I have a love for food and am passionate about learning how proper nutrition can heal our bodies. I think I am stressed at times because I realize how much I don’t know and I feel woefully inadequate.
Sometimes I worry I’m not posting enough content or I’m worried about where I will get content to post. I’m working on some recipes that I hope will come together soon, but so far, I don’t have much in the pipeline. I feel a little guilty about that, like I should be doing more somehow.
I have to remind myself that this is my blog, and I set the rules. It’s a bit like life. I don’t have to have it all figured out. I just need to get on with the business of doing this lifestyle called paleo and sharing with you the juicy tidbits I find interesting along the way. I’ll find my rhythm somewhere along the journey. I’m sure of it.
Last year I replaced the floors in my house. I did the majority of the work myself, and, at one point, I was so overwhelmed that I was paralyzed with fear for a few weeks. I did nothing but sit on the couch and watch television. Then I decided that I would set small goals each weekend that were doable and allow myself to feel a sense of success despite all that still needed to be done.
It took me six months, but I did it and I am proud to say that I learned more about myself through that project than I ever have. I learned two very important lessons: 1) that burning your elbow with a heat gun is a great way to remind yourself to keep them off the table, and 2) that I am capable of far more than I ever realized.This blog and my other projects that I have on my plate are totally doable. I just need to break them down into smaller chunks and then allow myself to feel good about what I accomplish along the way.
The first order of business is sleep. I’ve been getting to bed far too late most nights the past few weeks mainly due to work. Maybe I will use sleep as a topic in an upcoming blog post. Mark that down in the potential blog post column.
The second thing I need to do is start lists of the projects and things that I want to accomplish and break them out into some smaller chunks that I can feel good about when I finish.
The third thing I need to do is schedule some down time to just unplug and relax. I find I am far too plugged in some days, and it adds to the stress. I’ve got a ton of new books on my Kindle looking for a little attention. I think I’m going to go check one out tonight, if I manage to stay awake for any length of time.
