When Things Are Hard
Sometimes it can seem like life, even the seemingly simple things, is harder than normal. Or harder than it "should" be.
I'm in the middle of one of these times right now. I have a very busy month. I haven't felt 100% for over a week. I didn't sleep well for a couple of nights in a row. And on top of that, I'm dealing with a couple of stressful personal situations.
I could tell myself these are just excuses and not a reason to slow down or get less done.
My guess is many of you respond this way when things feel hard. You tell yourself you can just keep going. Or you can get through it by making yourself do more.
That is the option I chose for many years too. And the temptation to push through is still very strong.
But yesterday and today I chose something different.
I still showed up for my clients and a few other calls I wanted to make. But I allowed myself to skip the rest. And let my to-do list fall by the wayside.
Not forever. Just for now.
Because I trust myself to manage my energy and to honor the commitments I make to myself and other people.
I know I don't have to be mean to myself and push through when things feel mentally and physically hard.
I trust myself to know the difference between making excuses and taking care of my mind and body.
I let myself heat up leftovers for dinner, finish a book and go to bed instead of shaming and judging myself into doing more work.
If this feels impossible for you, it's likely for two reasons:
Patriarchal conditioning (of course) that tells you your worth is measured by how much you accomplish and do for others which often translates into how little you take care of you.
Lack of trust in yourself that you know what is best for you and you can make it a priority while still managing to get other things done.
You aren't supposed to be a high-performing robot who never gets sick, tired, discouraged or all of the above at once.
Sometimes life feels harder than at other times and that's normal.
And when it happens it's ok to get less done and take some time to regroup. Without shame, judgment or guilt.
