Not Feeling Like Yourself? Read This.
This blog was originally published February 25, 2019.
Every season serves a purpose.
And I’m not just saying that because it’s cute rhetoric. I’m saying it because it’s true.
A couple of weeks ago, I made some astonishing discoveries about how I deal with stress – eustress, distress, chronic stress, all of it.
And here’s what I realized: I typically haven’t dealt with it well…like, ever.
From the outside, many people wouldn’t know because I’m wired to keep it pushing.
Every season serves a purpose.
I can even fool myself sometimes, too, because I’ll have an amazing day with friends or family that makes me pause my responsibilities. Although mentally I may trick myself into believing it’s all good, let me tell you what won’t be fooled – your physical body.
I’m grateful the Big Man Upstairs set it up that way, so we don’t work ourselves into a complete and utter frenzy.
The funny thing is, I always tell my small business clients that if they ignore stress, it will ALWAYS manifest somewhere. It can be physically in the form of acne, weight gain, weight loss or even mentally with negative thoughts, overgeneralization, or snappy remarks.
Oh, and let’s not forget the emotional eating.
But here’s the real kicker and the number one reason why I didn’t catch it in the beginning:
It doesn’t always appear the same way twice.
The stress that I endured while in undergrad is not the same stress that I felt when I was working my 9 to 5. The stress at my 9 to 5 wasn’t the same stress in graduate school. And any stress to keep up with the Joneses, the Jetsons, or the Kardashians is insanely different now that we have social media.
Stress takes on different forms, and it’s entirely unique for you. I would be remiss if I didn’t revisit this topic occasionally because it’s real. (Plus, anytime I can help someone have an “a-ha” moment from what I’ve gone through, this blog has served its purpose.)
It’s up to us to figure out our signs by learning how to be in tune with our bodies – they will always let us know. In my opinion, self-awareness is one trait that we can control in order to make us better creators, contributors, and members of society.
Let’s do a better job of giving ourselves a little more grace. Remember, your purpose is so big, but there’s no need to feel pressured by it. It’s designed just for you.
Breathe easy this week!
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