For some reason parties stress me out.
So does shopping…and food…and food shopping.
House cleaning stresses me out.
So between home opens, parties, a baptism, kids eating me out of house and home, renovation shopping and dress shopping I’ve been feeling a little crazed.
I’ve searched for an answer to why seemingly fun things are such a source of angst for me and I have come up with this:
There is so little time for me in my week that to add anything extra means my whole life is out of balance.
And I think this rings true for a lot of Mums.
Suddenly I have to skip yoga, forgo meditation and my little lie down during the day, I’m grabbing meals on the run and trying to de-stress using a glass of wine or two.
I wake up thinking about my to do list and go to sleep with it.
I suddenly don’t feel like me.
I’m snapping, not sleeping properly and getting annoyed at the little things.
But what to do?
This is life. There are busier times and there are things that must be done. When I don’t have a baby and toddler in tow I’m sure food shopping and clothes shopping will become pleasurable again. Planning a party when everyone is at school will be easy. Our house will sell and our renovations will finish.
The pleasurable act of clothes shopping with kids
I’m sure other things will come along but what about right now?
Take the week off.
The week after an event for me I always try and clear my schedule. Refuse outings, keep the weekend free, order food online.
So I can chill.
Some people have extremely productive stress-relief power tools – cooking, cleaning, crafting, creating but me? All my efforts are lavished on me from the inside out. And that’s ok because we are all different.
I go to bed early, bunker down with books, meditation tracks and book in extra yoga.
You know what happens?
For a couple of days I feel worse. Post-event stress runs through my body as the adrenalin to “get things done” leaves.
But then I start to smile.
The yelling stops.
I’m back in balance and it feels good.
Do you ever feel this way? What do you do to chill out?
