Even when I’m a mess, still put on a vest with an “S” on my chest…
-Alicia Keys (Superwoman)
Alicia tried to play us all!! Let’s be honest. We all have days when we want to hang up our capes and take that S and maybe throw it in the laundry hamper and not the trash because we know we’ll need it again.
Instead of running yourself into the ground, I would strongly suggest taking some time to relax, relate, release (Whitley Gilbert voice) and just get your mind right.
Here are a few tactics I use to get myself together whenever necessary:
*Make sure that you are connected to your Higher Power!
For me personally, I can tell when I am disconnected from God. Whether it's not praying consistently, studying my bible or attending church regularly to be refueled, it takes a toll on me. Often, my sleep is disturbed, my thoughts are all over the place, and I become emotionally and physically drained. In order for me to reconnect, I first have to turn off the noise around me. This may mean that I can't catch up on the most recent episode of NCIS or Grey's or I may have to decline a brunch invitation, but the reward is so worth it. God lets me pick up right where I left off (because he knew I would be back) and allows me to realign myself with Him. Whatever your source of inner peace, make sure that you stay plugged into it so you're not easily disrupted.
*Put on some feel good music and maybe even do a little 2-step
These days you can find a feel good playlist on every streaming platform. Everyone's definition of feel good music is different and that's ok. If you've listened to the playlist that I curated for the blog (if not WHY?!?!?...I'm kidding...not really), then you'll know that I listen to all different types of music to recharge. Whether you're into r&b, gospel, hip-hop, country, whatever...find it and cue it up ASAP. You'd be surprised at how much a beat can put you in a good mood. You go from snapping your fingers to patting your feet. Next thing you know you're having a whole concert with FULL choreography in front of the bathroom mirror or on the balcony. Whatever floats your boat ;)
*CTRL, ALT, DEL
As someone who learned how to use a computer in the 90s CTRL, ALT, DEL was the way to fix everything. It was the perfect way to reset when the computer was stuck or possibly on the verge of crashing. See I'm going with this?? No...let me help you. Sometimes when everything seems to be going wrong, we just have to take a step back, breathe, and press reset or CTRL, ALT, DEL ourselves. Take the time (minute, hour, day, week, whatever) to gather yourself, sort out what needs to be sorted out, and get moving again. By resetting your mind and body, you've given yourself permission to walk away BUT also come back to approach whatever may be plaguing you with a renewed perspective. Sometimes we find that the answer was right in front of us but we couldn't see it because our focus was a little hazy.
*Know that you don't need to have everything figured out all the time!!!
This one is something I struggle with more often than I should. I often get on my own nerves (a direct quote from yours truly) because I'm constantly chasing after something that doesn't exist...perfection. Does this sound right? Does this look right? Am I being the "perfect" wife or mom or daughter or sister or boss or friend, in every moment of every day??? In 99.9999% of those cases, the answer is hell no. But every day, I show up and I give it all that I got. Most days are better than others but when the really hard times come, as long as I tried my best, that has to be good enough. Because that's all I had to give in that moment. I'm ok with letting go of my Superwoman complex if it means I have some peace of mind.
By no means do I have it all figured out and I've stopped pretending that I do. All that does is put an immense amount of pressure on me and cause me to get on my own nerves and some other folks too (sorry guys). Remember that you're only human and as long as you're trying, that's all anyone can ask for.
Until next time...
M.T.
P.S. Like and subscribe to the You Got This Girl playlist ;)
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