B A L A N C E Pt. 2

Going full speed vs knowing when to rest. That's what I'm touching on tonight.

Life, it's a hard game to play sometimes, and a lot of us have a hard time knowing when to say no, and we end up trying to light the candle on both ends and pour from an empty cup.

I have been there myself, but I've actually really gotten into a good rhythm of saying "no" if I don't have the energy to do something, and I try not to bite off more than I can chew, but sometimes it's inevitable, because sometimes life makes these decisions for us (aka losing your job and having to scramble to find a new one, or being a stay at home mom whose husband isn’t always home) , and we have to do our best to learn to keep our head above water.

So here are a few things I do to help prevent from being overwhelmed, taking too much on and then crash and burn.

1. Say no. I exercise my will to say no, A LOT. If I don't want to do something, or if I know it's going to drain me. I won't do it. So, it’s okay to say no, and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it, and your true friends will understand and not give you a hard time about it. If they do give you a hard time, or can’t seem to get past it, I recommend evaluating your relationship with this person. 👀

2. Get a planner. I used to be notorious for double booking myself, so I started utilizing a planner and don't do it nearly as often now, and the only times I do accidentally do it, are usually times I made plans without having my planner nearby.

3. Don't let people guilt trip you into saying yes. I'm sorry but this one REALLY annoys me. I usually always say something sternly like "no means no". Lol, and then I just drop it. I don't like guilt trippers.

4. Try not to overbook yourself with stuff do, so like, don't try to go to two different parties one day apart, or be in two different states in the same weekend. Figure out which one is more important to you and show up there, be all present in one place, especially if you already feel emotional/mentally drained. I am all for showing up for people, but if you are going through a low energy spell, probably a better idea to stay at home.

5. Make sure to schedule down time in, like for me, I might have a 2 weekends out of the month where I'm doing stuff everyday, and then a couple of weekends when I have no plans, so I can just chill, watch netflix, go to the pool, be lazy, etc.

6. Try to form a routine, especially during the work week. I work M-F currently, week nights are for me. I try to make sure I stay on my routine, as to not get over exhausted and burn out. I try not to make plans for any after work obligations because it's too much on me and Ill end up feeling really, really drained. I stick to work, gym, sleep repeat.

7. What are ways you like to "recover" or "rest". Figure out what is good for you as far as recovering: mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Mental recovery for me comes through my writing and going to speak with my counselor. I am an auditory processor, so any time I say things out loud it really helps me a considerable amount. Emotional recovery takes time away from people for me. I like to sort through my feelings and really get to the bottom of them without anyone else around. Physical recovery maybe in the form of yoga or a walk ( I love walking A LOT now, if you follow me on insta, you know allll about my HGW).

8. Schedule time outside. Feel the sun beating down on your skin. Being outside for me is an instant spiritual fulfillment.

Please don't get me wrong. I know that life is meant to be lived, and enjoyed, and a lot of that comes with saying yes to EVERY experience that you can, and it's okay to do that as long as you feel like you have the energy to do so, but when your body is feeling tired, or your brain is feeling overworked, or you're starting to just feel emotionally overwhelmed, it's OKAY to slow down and take a break and enjoy the slow part of life, too.

I remember when I was really young, I used to think I had to be doing something all the time. I thought if I sat in my room for too long that was "boring". Now that I work all the time, and I don't get much "down time". I find that I cherish my relaxing weekends at home doing nothing the most, and y'all all know I love a good adventure, and know how to appreciate life more than most. It's just that I have learned to truly appreciate that rest because it helps me appreciate the rest of my life even more. I can show up fully present and aware, and I can be a better human too. One that is more present, and receiving of whatever it is that you might need me to receive. I can show up better for you, because I allowed myself that rest. I can pour from my cup better, because I took the time to slow down and let it refill so that I could pour more into you. Life is too short to feel like you're running around on E.

It's okay to slow down and smell the roses, or lay in bed all Saturday and watch tv or write your blog, or spend a couple of hours at the pool, or do a 4.5 mile walk to decompress.

Do whatever you need to do to keep your cup full!!

But also know too that you the reward outweighs the energy expenditure: like that one time I drove to Orlando from Biloxi after getting off work at noon, just to love on my new baby niece, only to have to turn right back around and go home on Sunday bc duty calls on Monday (oddly enough the same Monday I’m told I no longer have a job after August 31-long story call for details) then it’s WORTH it to get a little off balance in this type of situation.

There are going to be many times when you have to decide if the reward outweighs the expenditure and I think when these situations arise it’s okay for us to think differently about saying no, bc if we choose to say no too much, especially in moments like these, we will live with the regret of not making it happen.

This week has been so challenging for me, and shocking and at first I was a little unwell about it, but now I really think it was a blessing in disguise, and through it all I can only be proud of myself with how well I have responded to it all. I just can actively see my own personal growth and it’s truly a beautiful thing to be able to see and acknowledge within myself.

Thank you for anyone who has reached out to support me and lift me up!

I value it more than you will ever truly know.

I look forward to sharing part three on B A L A N C E on August 21, 2022.

Until Next Time,

xoxo, Mishako <3