Post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess
We've all been there. Life is just moving along at a great pace; your business is thriving, your family is
healthy and happy and the pets in your life are flea-free and content. Then down comes the curtain. Your close to 80-year-old mother falls and injures herself badly enough that she is hospitalized, clients start asking for more services from you (you certainly can provide them AND had the bandwith last week), your diva poodle gets sick and you adopt your mother's aging not-very-friendly Chihuaua.
Whew. Yes, I am speaking from experience and all of that happened last week. I went from happy-go-lucky to pulling my hair out. But, you know what? I've been there before. Case in point, April 8, 2012 life was going along at a great pace; April 9, 2012 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. What followed put any other overwhelming obstacle that may fall into my path more of a pebble than a boulder.
What does all of this mean to you? It means that by gosh if I can get through what I'm going through, you can get through whatever is overwhelming you, too. Here are my tips for conquering the overwhelm:
- Remember, you're not Super Woman. You may have a cape but you're not invulnerable to stress and, well, life in general. Tell yourself that you don't have to be perfect. You can ask friends and family for help. Reach out to your clients and give them the bare bones break down on what's going on, assure them you're still available, but you may need to stop work at 5 pm rather than being available until 8 pm. Baby steps.
Take time to scream and/or cry. My siblings tell me I "cry to easily." Honestly, I don't care. I do try to not cry in public, if possible, but there are times that can't be helped. Also, following a cleansing cry I sometimes feel more in control and better able to deal with what lies ahead. Don't be afraid of your tears. If you can't cry, then try a good, loud scream! I recommend not doing this in public... scream in the shower, or in your home, or take your dog for a walk and scream in the woods. This, too is very therapeutic.
Write down a to-do list. While this may seem counter-intuitive I cannot tell you how great it is to look at a daily to-do list and see that you have crossed items off. When I was recovering from surgery my to-do list would sometimes consist of: do client's social media updates; write a blog post; take a shower; try to eat dinner at the table with the family; put on some mascara. It didn't matter how small the task was, on some days simply getting out of bed should be a to-do list task that can be crossed off. Don't push yourself with your to-dos and don't let those items that didn't get crossed off haunt you. Focus on what did get crossed off. Celebrate your accomplishments.
Make time for yourself. The world will not stop spinning if you decide to not go to the hospital to visit a family member for one day. Take advantage of social media status schedulers like HootSuite to let you upload status updates for a few days (or even one) in advance so you can take a day off; take a walk; take a long soak in a bath with a glass of wine and candlelight; read a book; call a friend. You'll be of no use to anyone if you don't care for yourself.
Remember that "this too shall pass" it may not seem like it will when you're in the middle of it, but if you keep putting one foot in front of the other, crossing items off your to-do list and taking care of yourself you will come out the other side.
I'd love to know... how do you cope when you're being pelted by life's lemons?
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