Anxious Much?

I AM TIRED!

Not physically tired, but…mentally drained. I am such a Type A person and sometimes this can be exhausting. Who am I kidding lol, this can be MESSY. I love who I am. I just need to establish better boundaries for my self-care.

Having a Type A personality means that I have a tendency to remind myself of the time urgency with pretty much everything. This includes big tasks and even those smaller ones that don’t seem to matter. Funny because I know this about myself and I also forget this very fact about myself as well.

So, on the days where I feel a little extra winded and determined to complete my “forever list”, I don’t realize that I create this madness in my head until it’s too late. *slaps forehead*

Something that I have changed to counter this madness is to be intentional about quieting my mind. This process will look different for every person. But for me, I acknowledge my own weaknesses in this area. I’ve honestly tried different ways on becoming less anxious in my thoughts, and I have been successful…but this hasn’t lasted longer than maybe a few days. I’m not capable of taking on such a task on my own, so I ask God to help me here. I have to pray for peace of mind and the ability NOT to go crazy from my self-made issues.

What is your personality type and how has this impacted your level of stress?

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I refuse to be so overcome by my lists that I miss out on what’s presently more important. Like enjoying my family. Recently I’ve seen myself stop errands midway and just walk away, even for just a few hours or to pick them back up the next day. What an impact this has made on my sanity!

Trust me, this has been more difficult than it seems. For those of us who live by calendars, and to do lists…you know what taking a break means. Your mind may still not shut off. Even if you physically remove yourself from a task, you may still be talking to yourself about all that is left for you to do..and how you’re going to get it done.

Don’t get too hard on yourself because there is still hope!

Since I have temporarily transitioned from an office job to an at home job in caring for my little one, I’ve had to adjust my schedule completely from a set in stone calendar of responsibilities to allowing myself to be physically and emotionally present for myself and for my family. I’ve made the change because I’ve seen how challenging I’ve made things for myself with lists, and lists, and lists! Did I mention how unnecessary many of these were?!

I take comfort in meditating on reminders such as these:

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life” ? Matthew 6:25 & 27

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When I actually took a step back and allowed God to take control of my anxious mind and give me the opportunity to be present emotionally and physically for my family…I have truly been blessed! My days are so much lighter. I let go of things that I would normally hold onto for weeks. I smile more just because and I am genuinely happier. We all still have a ton of things to get done, so I’m not completely pushing off these responsibilities. What I AM doing is giving myself the opportunity to “take a break”, when before I would say this but this wasn’t actually the case. I want to be able to forgive myself for trying to do it all…ALL of the time!

My hope is that we all learn how to breathe a little easier and take in those moments that we used to ignore or may not even have noticed because we were knee-deep in our running tab of errands and things to get done before the days end. If you’re willing…allowing your prayers and your faith to shift your worries to be more manageable if this is something that you haven’t tried.

Until Next Time 🙂

XOXO ~Sharece

@befree2love

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Control Your Happiness

Who do you allow to create your happiness? Who has the power to control how you think about yourself?

If you haven’t seen Nappily Ever After, it truly is a must see. Many of us can relate on so many levels. It discussed growing up as a young African American female all the way to adulthood. Many of the messages are important for all of us to consider.

What I took away from this movie was the fact that many of us allow the perceptions of others control how genuine we are. How open we are to embracing ourselves versus trying to fit in.

The amount of energy spent on trying to impress others or negate their view of us can be exhausting. I’m also guilty of this. The crazy part about this way of thinking is most of the time I am limiting myself based on my own internal dialogue. I allow my behaviors to change due to my anticipation of how I may be perceived. Something I’m not proud of or want to pass on to my children.

How have you removed yourself from this way of thinking to ignore the pull to care about what others may feel or say?

muteWhat I have turned back to time and time again is my faith. My faith is something that others cannot take away from me, provides clarity and gives me strength to mute ALL negativity, whether internally or externally.  Even when I don’t feel like I can.

Proverbs 29:25 “If you are afraid of people it will trap you, but if you trust in the Lord, he will keep you safe”. NIRV

I’m learning not to place my value on what others think I should be doing. A slow process because my life has been spent worrying and anticipating judgement from others. Again…how exhausting! We’re not nice to ourselves. But that feeling doesn’t have to be permanent.

Seek what is most important to YOU! Focus on your well-being to quiet the voices that have caused you to question what you’re doing, how you choose to live, and what you put your faith into.

With Love,

Sharece @befree2love

 

 

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