What's wrong with this picture? Simple. That hammock is empty. I should be right there, right now.
I don't know about you, but lately, I've been kind of feeling like the Little Engine we read about as kids. You know, the one that kept telling herself, "I think I can. I think I can." Eventually, she did, but it was quite the long and tiring process.
It's tough juggling everything that life tosses at us, and if you're anything like me, you always let people throw new things at you without dropping something to keep the show running smoothly. Things can get wobbly...
This blog is simply about staying afloat- keeping your chin up, even when the pressure and stress of everyday life is trying to swallow you up. Trust me, writing this is just as much for me as it is for you.
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Adding "no, thank you" to your vocabulary...
It really is okay to pass every now and then. If you are stressing about how you're going to make time for something, it's probably too much.
One of my professors recently gave me this advice:
"Don't just say 'no,'" Jill Gibson told me. "Instead of closing the door completely, see if there is someway to work things out."
Opportunities are everywhere and it can be really tough trying to choose the "right" path. Meeting that fork in the road where I know I have no choice but to choose one way and leave the other makes me sick to my stomach, but it happens.
Mrs. Gibson's advice was exactly what I needed to hear at the time. It really is possible (and wise, especially as a college student) to negotiate some kind of reasonable compromise.
"I would really love to help out, but my education is my priority right now...is there any way I can help out doing _____ or _____ for a while?"
Just saying "no" might burn the bridge, but a gentle and sincere "no, thank you" could be a great favor not only to yourself, but to everyone around you too.
It also always helps me to make a list. Fold a piece of paper hot dog-style down the middle, label one column "Pros" and the other "Cons" and start scribbling away. When I see it on paper, it almost always seems much clearer.
Take a few minutes to make a cup of tea...
...or coffee or to fix yourself your favorite healthy snack.
Tea is my personal favorite. It takes less than five minutes to boil a cup of water and steep some tea and it instantly makes me feel better. It's warm and soothing and the smell is calming. That, or I'm crazy!
Plus, getting up to grab something to drink or munch on gets you away from the computer or book...out of your chair and away from the source of stress. This gives you time to breathe, which is very, very important, in case you didn't know.
Speaking of breathing...
According to my degree plan and transcript, I needed a physical education credit in order to graduate in May. Yoga looked most appealing on the list, so I signed up for a class at the ungodly hour of 7:30 a.m. twice a week. Best. Decision. Ever.
Seriously.
What does this have to do with breathing?
Part of the practice of yoga is relaxing breathing. Deep breaths, in and out through the nose, allowing your lungs to fill completely before slowly letting it all out. It's amazing how relaxing this is in itself.
Add soothing New Age music and the poses and you have yourself the perfect start to your day. (I also enjoy yoga in the evening to calm me down after a rough day.) And guys, you can do yoga too!
Meditation and/or prayer also help with stress. Focus on the positive, because it almost always outweighs the negative...even on really, really rough days.
Remember that "Pros and Cons" hot dog list I talked about before? Try making one for your life.
Take time to remember what really matters...
Staying optimistic can be really tricky sometimes, but it's so worth it.
Answer this...
I'm struggling, just downright in a bad mood and having a lousy day, I'm going to:
A. Mope about it. My life sucks, I'm exhausted and miserable...
B. Pretend that everything is just fine and keep plowing through it.
C. Take a deep breath (yoga breathing!), make a cup of tea (or whatever suits your fancy), and zone in on that light at the end of the tunnel (it's there, I promise!).
"A" is the easiest to do, I can guarantee you that. Sometimes I wish I was five again and could throw myself face-down on the floor, screaming and bawling my eyes out. Really, I do. But I'm 21, so I think that's considered socially unacceptable by now...
Just think of how much time is wasted by focusing on the negative. All of the negative energy eats at you, making you miserable. Smiles may be contagious, but bad moods are pretty catchy, too.
I have to be careful about "B." It's tempting, but then that negativity just eats away at you from the inside. I was called a "volcano" once...not because I'm darn hot sexy, unfortunately. It was because I would bottle things up and eventually lash out at someone undeserving or wear myself out trying to stay calm. I could try to grin and bear it, but it would eventually catch up to me.
"C" is the correct answer, if you didn't figure that out by now. It's not the easiest, but it's the healthiest and the one that will make you feel best in the long run.
Respecting yourself is number one. Go ahead, be selfish. Admitting your only human and facing your weaknesses...concentrating on the positive, fighting through the tough times and bearing in mind that cliché, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
I know this one is lengthy, and I apologize for that. Thank you for bearing with me. As I said before, this one was just as much for me (if not more so) than it was for you.
We're halfway through the semester now...the end of something is in sight.
"I think I can. I think I can."
Excellent advice! (Now if I could only take it!)
Always nice to hear that someone else feels the same way as I do. Sometimes we think we are the only one(s) going through something when really there are several other people who are also and who can understand. Thx!!
You know, I really should learn how to "practice what I preach." I'm not always the greatest as following my own advice...that's why I commented that this blog was just as much for me as it was for anyone else out there. :)