I'm at The 205 Coffee Bar doing a little work for the November Retreat on Overwhelm. Have you been to 205? It's located in downtown Holland and it's a lovely little spot. I like to come here for a change of scenery and a cuppa tea when my home office gets too quiet.
A fellow NtF Society member just walked in and we had the loveliest chat.
She said "Jill, I'm putting in 50+ hours/week at work and I see how this is negatively affecting my health. And then she said:
“Is this busy and overwhelming grind worth it if I don't take care of myself in the process?"
I started tearing up as she answered her own question:
"No. No, it is not."
It has me wondering for you, dear reader, what are you willing to sacrifice in the name of "keeping up?" In the name of how things are supposed to be done? In order to satisfy other people's agendas?
How often are you convinced that something else is more important or that you don't have time to take care of yourself?
But here's the thing...
You are at the core of your life and how you feel mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually is impacts everything else.
And deep inside, you know this. Just like the woman I was just talking to...
This is about giving yourself permission to make space for self-nourishment and making it a non-negotiable. This is about setting standards and creating boundaries to reduce overwhelm. This is about learning what you're willing (or not willing) to tolerate so you know what you value and how you want to feel.
And while it may start here, it is about way more than exercise and healthy eating, this is about connection (or disconnection), play, downtime, hobbies and making space for what you value and what's most meaningful in your life.
So my invitation to you today is to ask yourself the question:
"Is X (name your busy, overwhelm, stress) worth it if I am not taking care of myself in the process?
And if the answer is NO (and I'm hoping it's a big fat NO for you!), then what needs to change? Where will you begin?
I'd love to suggest beginning by joining me and an amazing community of women at our Overcoming Overwhelm Retreat Experience, November 8 & 9.
All the details are HERE.
What I know for sure, , is that you can't keep doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.
It is easy to talk about what we don't want to experience (stress, overwhelm, busy, boundary-less.) It's an entirely different thing to voice what you want to experience and then doing something about it. This Retreat will give you tools and inspiration to do something about it.
xo,Jill
"A friend and I recently talked about how deeply invested we both are in people thinking that we're low maintenance - we both want to be seen as flexible, tough, roll-with-anything kinds of women. And this ends up keeping us from asking for what we need, for fear of being labeled difficult or diva-ish. But what good is it doing me to have people think I'm laidback and flexible...when really that cherished reputation keeps me tangled up, needs unmet, voice silenced?" Shauna Niequist, Present Over Perfect