I gotta admit friends, this past week was rough. My day job is overwhelming. I feel myself slipping back into my workaholic tendencies, people pleasing, and spinning out of control thoughts causing anxiety. On Friday I went to bed at 5:30. Yes 5:30, because I was exhausted.
Earlier in the week, Carole Baker interviewed me, and we chatted about Sacred Reinvention. You can check out the interview here. As I prepared for the interview, I jotted down ways to shift my mindset through these difficult times.
Here are four tactics I came up with. They've helped me navigate these difficult times, and I thought they could help you also.
1. I have a choice as to what I media I take in, watch and read. When I'm tired, I want to scroll through social media, or zone out to the news. I've worked hard this week to avoid doing both, as much as possible. Instead, I'm reading. When I want to turn on the television, I pick up a book instead. When I want to mindlessly scroll, I close my Facebook app, and switch over to my kindle app. I'm choosing to pour positivity, instead of chaos and craziness, into my mind.
2. I've mentioned it before, but it's worth repeating, as I'm having to repeat the tactic to myself multiple times a day. Ask yourself what you can control. I've found what makes me anxious and overwhelmed at work are tasks and requests that I can't control the answer and/or information. It's just not available. This goes for thoughts that may have us spinning out of control. Stop yourself and ask, what I'm thinking about, can I control it? If not, move on and make a list of what you can control.
3. I found myself this week commiserating with a coworker about my job. It's ironic and sad, that at a time when so many are out of work, I'm working more hours than I can handle. I had to choose gratitude. I had to choose to focus on what I do have, instead of what I don't. I have a job and I'm grateful for the steady paycheck. Right now, I don't have the hours to be focusing on myself and my passion business. But I know it's not forever. It's easy to get wrapped up in what we don't have.
4. It could always be worse. As I start to complain, I gotta stop myself. There really is no reason for me to complain about anything in life. I have a roof over my head, food in my pantry, heat when it's cold, a closet full of clothes, running water, and the list of what I have is endless. I have my health, and family and friends that do also. This week I found out that a sweet little boy, I wrote about months ago, passed away. I'm reminded of the conditions my friends in Africa live in. It could always be worse. When you start to complain, just utter those words. They'll stop you in your tracks.
Friends, each day as we roll out of bed, we have a lot we can control, and the hardest, at times is what we think about and take in. Hopefully my tactics listed above are helpful.
Blessings,
Stephanie
Inspirational Speaker and Award-Winning Author of "The Giving Challenge: 40 Days to a More Generous Life" and “The Gratitude Challenge: 41 Days to a Happier, Healthier, & More Content Life”
