oct 9, 2012
Yup, for the last 3 weeks i have gotten lost on the way to work almost every night. I usually have a great sense of direction but i think with the lack of sleep(no blinds and curtains), my car breaking down AGAIN, a head full of to do lists, and my father's impending visit ...i just kept missing the road i needed to turn down to get to work, stress, stress and more stress...sigh.
Yesterday was the first "normal" day i have had since moving. I just finished putting up all my blinds and curtains on Sunday, when my dad & step mom took the kids out, YEA!!! Yesterday when my company headed for home, i had a darkened room, which i call the bat cave,that i could sleep in. SO AWESOME! I love my family...but 2 1/2 weeks into a move...with boxes, curtains,blinds, and pictures all around , six people in 600sq feet and only four beds, me working 50hrs a week on the night shift, 3 kids who work & have after school activities, cooking, cleaning, crossfitting ...i am just tired.
So how do i handle all the stress? Hmmmm good question!
Its OK to accept Help!
This one is hard for me, it is difficult for me to trust that someone would actually want to help me, because of the abuse i had suffered, i have remained isolated and silent for a very long time but i am learning to do this better. I am very lucky tho, my dad and step mom are truly awesome house guests! They do offer to help me out whenever and as much as they can. Even though my dad arrived 8 HOURS earlier than he told me he was, lolololol..the first thing he did was offer to help by picking my son up from school for me....so i took him up on his offer of help. Many times we get overwhelmed with daily stress and we think its "weak" to ask for help..its not! It is wisdom when you understand you cant do everything all by yourself. My Mom always told me never be too proud to ask for or accept help when you need it. I owe a debt of gratitude to my friend Martha. I was supposed to meet her for lunch 2 weeks ago and when she called, i began to describe how unclean my new apartment was, that i couldn't go to lunch and i started to cry, she told me she was coming over to help, and i couldn't say no, i so humbly said OK. She spent her day off {she is an ER nurse} helping me scrub my kitchen cabinets(there was fuzzy things growing on them), moving furniture, unpacking boxes, etc! Thank God for Friends!! When you allow your friends and family to help it gives you a chance to step back for a second, breathe, and refocus on what needs to be done to relieve your problem or reduce your stress. So reach out and ask for help when you need it..its OK!
Be grateful and think positive!
While my dad was picking up my son i was scrambling to put more stuff away, and i was putting rug tape down on my area rugs so they wouldn't slide. I prayed "lord, please help me to not panic that my house is not in order, because my dad is visiting", all of a sudden i "realized", i was in an"ass to grass" position(a squat). All i could do was laugh and thank the Lord for showing me a reason to be grateful, this position was not something i could physically do in January of this year. Hmmmm i started thinking of the positive things in my life and being appreciative of them, "Thank you Lord that my dad is alive(so many of my friends don't have their parents) and healthy, that i have a good relationship with him, i am happy to see him and my children have the awesome pleasure of knowing, and visiting with their Grandfather(he is a really great grandpa and my kids adore him and my step mom)." I just went down the list of positive things in my life that i am Thankful for...like i am grateful for my healthy kids, my own health, my stupid car that breaks down alot (lmao on this one but alot of people don't have cars..so i am happy i have one), my friends, my job. By the time my dad and step mom got to my door from picking up my son..i gave them a big hug..and said "i am soo happy your here", and i meant it!
exercise
My dad walked thru my door and said "Lis, you look even better than when i saw you in July, keep up the great work! Wow this apartment is really nice! Mike (my son) looks great, i am glad he Crossfits with you". I let out my breath, and was relieved. i am really glad that i entered the Lurong Paleo Challenge because thru this move, and my dad's visit it has kept me motivated to keep to my exercise schedule. Moving furniture and boxes, hanging curtains, hammering nails to hang pictures, up and down on the step stool to scrub the cabinets, squatting to pick up stuff, carrying out heavy garbage...all of this is functional movement..that's what Crossfit is...and let me tell you how thankful that i have been crossfitting!! I know Crossfitting has made the physical part of moving sooo much easier, i think back to January and how unfit i was and this move would have been impossible for me. In Crossfit many times we have WODS (workout of the day) that we term "chippers". "Chipper" wods are workouts that have a VERY large work loads that seem impossible (ie; 10 pull ups, 20 sit ups, 30 kettle bell swings, 40 air squats, 200 jump ropes that's 1 round and we need to do as many rounds as possible in 10mins..seems impossible right) but you "chip" away at the workload and amazingly you accomplish it. That is how i approached organizing my apartment this week before my dad arrived...i just kept chipping away at what needed to be done! I also know the medical community have documented the benefit of exercising on mental health, so i make it a point on Sunday's to plan for the week what days i will get to Crossfit. The challenge and Crossfit have really helped me to keep me focused on the positives, the "I CAN" instead of being down in the dumps and negatives, or the " I CAN'T".
Be Flexible
Sometimes your day just doesn't go they way you want it to! Last week in preparation for my dads visit i was food shopping and the fire alarm went off in the food store and we had to evacuate the store...OMG! I started out my day getting errands accomplished, doing great on time, i was almost done....and bam! It took the fire marshal 30 minutes to search the store and make sure it was safe for us to go back inside. That 30 mins set ME back an hour...but what can you do? NOTHING!!! Sometimes you just have to know that there are things you have no control over and you cant change them...sooo suck it up! lololololol I ended up taking pictures of the fire engines and our VOLUNTEER Firefighters (god bless these volunteers) and thought "gee this have never happened to me before"...and laughed...i was probably dilerious but i was happy and laughing!
Eating/Sleeping
When your stressed the body doesn't recover or repair itself...your body is busy maintaining the important functions...so it is the utmost importance to eat healthy and get sleep!! Most people underestimate the importance of sleep, a lack of sleep WILL kill you. Those people who don't get enough sleep (8hrs is best) will increase your risk of high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. If your not sleeping ...look at your sleep environment is it dark or do you have the TV going, radio playing and your computer in front of you? Working the night shift, I can tell you it is hard to sleep during the day, my room has blackout blinds, blackout curtains...so it is very dark, i only take my cellphone in my room(only because of my kids)and it is docked on a station so it is not near me. If my mind is busy thinking of all the things i have to do then i read a book...guaranteed to knock me out! Exercise has been documented by the medical community to aide in sleeping better. I have seen this happen in my own life, Crossfit definitely helps me to sleep better! During the last 3 stressful weeks i have noticed that i am craving carbs and hungrier, which since i started a paleo lifestyle in January, i have not felt this way. I really have made sure that i stick to my healthy eating and if i do feel like i want carbs, i have an extra small meal of protein and vegetables instead. I really don't need to fill myself with yucky foods that will only hurt me or make me gain weight. Been there ,done that and it feels awful!
so hang in there my friends, life is full of stress but it is how we deal with it that counts! This is one of my favorite inspirational videos..i hope you enjoy it!
Yesterday was the first "normal" day i have had since moving. I just finished putting up all my blinds and curtains on Sunday, when my dad & step mom took the kids out, YEA!!! Yesterday when my company headed for home, i had a darkened room, which i call the bat cave,that i could sleep in. SO AWESOME! I love my family...but 2 1/2 weeks into a move...with boxes, curtains,blinds, and pictures all around , six people in 600sq feet and only four beds, me working 50hrs a week on the night shift, 3 kids who work & have after school activities, cooking, cleaning, crossfitting ...i am just tired.
So how do i handle all the stress? Hmmmm good question!
Its OK to accept Help!
This one is hard for me, it is difficult for me to trust that someone would actually want to help me, because of the abuse i had suffered, i have remained isolated and silent for a very long time but i am learning to do this better. I am very lucky tho, my dad and step mom are truly awesome house guests! They do offer to help me out whenever and as much as they can. Even though my dad arrived 8 HOURS earlier than he told me he was, lolololol..the first thing he did was offer to help by picking my son up from school for me....so i took him up on his offer of help. Many times we get overwhelmed with daily stress and we think its "weak" to ask for help..its not! It is wisdom when you understand you cant do everything all by yourself. My Mom always told me never be too proud to ask for or accept help when you need it. I owe a debt of gratitude to my friend Martha. I was supposed to meet her for lunch 2 weeks ago and when she called, i began to describe how unclean my new apartment was, that i couldn't go to lunch and i started to cry, she told me she was coming over to help, and i couldn't say no, i so humbly said OK. She spent her day off {she is an ER nurse} helping me scrub my kitchen cabinets(there was fuzzy things growing on them), moving furniture, unpacking boxes, etc! Thank God for Friends!! When you allow your friends and family to help it gives you a chance to step back for a second, breathe, and refocus on what needs to be done to relieve your problem or reduce your stress. So reach out and ask for help when you need it..its OK!
Be grateful and think positive!
While my dad was picking up my son i was scrambling to put more stuff away, and i was putting rug tape down on my area rugs so they wouldn't slide. I prayed "lord, please help me to not panic that my house is not in order, because my dad is visiting", all of a sudden i "realized", i was in an"ass to grass" position(a squat). All i could do was laugh and thank the Lord for showing me a reason to be grateful, this position was not something i could physically do in January of this year. Hmmmm i started thinking of the positive things in my life and being appreciative of them, "Thank you Lord that my dad is alive(so many of my friends don't have their parents) and healthy, that i have a good relationship with him, i am happy to see him and my children have the awesome pleasure of knowing, and visiting with their Grandfather(he is a really great grandpa and my kids adore him and my step mom)." I just went down the list of positive things in my life that i am Thankful for...like i am grateful for my healthy kids, my own health, my stupid car that breaks down alot (lmao on this one but alot of people don't have cars..so i am happy i have one), my friends, my job. By the time my dad and step mom got to my door from picking up my son..i gave them a big hug..and said "i am soo happy your here", and i meant it!
exercise
My dad walked thru my door and said "Lis, you look even better than when i saw you in July, keep up the great work! Wow this apartment is really nice! Mike (my son) looks great, i am glad he Crossfits with you". I let out my breath, and was relieved. i am really glad that i entered the Lurong Paleo Challenge because thru this move, and my dad's visit it has kept me motivated to keep to my exercise schedule. Moving furniture and boxes, hanging curtains, hammering nails to hang pictures, up and down on the step stool to scrub the cabinets, squatting to pick up stuff, carrying out heavy garbage...all of this is functional movement..that's what Crossfit is...and let me tell you how thankful that i have been crossfitting!! I know Crossfitting has made the physical part of moving sooo much easier, i think back to January and how unfit i was and this move would have been impossible for me. In Crossfit many times we have WODS (workout of the day) that we term "chippers". "Chipper" wods are workouts that have a VERY large work loads that seem impossible (ie; 10 pull ups, 20 sit ups, 30 kettle bell swings, 40 air squats, 200 jump ropes that's 1 round and we need to do as many rounds as possible in 10mins..seems impossible right) but you "chip" away at the workload and amazingly you accomplish it. That is how i approached organizing my apartment this week before my dad arrived...i just kept chipping away at what needed to be done! I also know the medical community have documented the benefit of exercising on mental health, so i make it a point on Sunday's to plan for the week what days i will get to Crossfit. The challenge and Crossfit have really helped me to keep me focused on the positives, the "I CAN" instead of being down in the dumps and negatives, or the " I CAN'T".
Be Flexible
Sometimes your day just doesn't go they way you want it to! Last week in preparation for my dads visit i was food shopping and the fire alarm went off in the food store and we had to evacuate the store...OMG! I started out my day getting errands accomplished, doing great on time, i was almost done....and bam! It took the fire marshal 30 minutes to search the store and make sure it was safe for us to go back inside. That 30 mins set ME back an hour...but what can you do? NOTHING!!! Sometimes you just have to know that there are things you have no control over and you cant change them...sooo suck it up! lololololol I ended up taking pictures of the fire engines and our VOLUNTEER Firefighters (god bless these volunteers) and thought "gee this have never happened to me before"...and laughed...i was probably dilerious but i was happy and laughing!
Eating/Sleeping
When your stressed the body doesn't recover or repair itself...your body is busy maintaining the important functions...so it is the utmost importance to eat healthy and get sleep!! Most people underestimate the importance of sleep, a lack of sleep WILL kill you. Those people who don't get enough sleep (8hrs is best) will increase your risk of high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. If your not sleeping ...look at your sleep environment is it dark or do you have the TV going, radio playing and your computer in front of you? Working the night shift, I can tell you it is hard to sleep during the day, my room has blackout blinds, blackout curtains...so it is very dark, i only take my cellphone in my room(only because of my kids)and it is docked on a station so it is not near me. If my mind is busy thinking of all the things i have to do then i read a book...guaranteed to knock me out! Exercise has been documented by the medical community to aide in sleeping better. I have seen this happen in my own life, Crossfit definitely helps me to sleep better! During the last 3 stressful weeks i have noticed that i am craving carbs and hungrier, which since i started a paleo lifestyle in January, i have not felt this way. I really have made sure that i stick to my healthy eating and if i do feel like i want carbs, i have an extra small meal of protein and vegetables instead. I really don't need to fill myself with yucky foods that will only hurt me or make me gain weight. Been there ,done that and it feels awful!
so hang in there my friends, life is full of stress but it is how we deal with it that counts! This is one of my favorite inspirational videos..i hope you enjoy it!
Stress is surely a hard one to manage when you are trying so hard to manage everything else. I have found myself highly irritable this past week. Nitpicking one everything and I had an out right screaming match with my boss just yesterday. Anyone who knows me knows it takes A LOT to get me to the point of screaming (when working with Kyle last weekend he told me use my mad and convert that energy into the lift, I told him I am not a mad person in general and he said "I know"). But all this competition planning ahead and the roadblocks I hit while visiting my son in Syracuse and having to make the right choices in light of it, blah blah blah can make one want to pull their hair out.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right how important it is tho to not let it get in the way or be an excuse. Take a breath, replan. That is so much better than making the quick, wrong, unhealthy choice. Keep up the positive thinking!!!
I still can't believe there is 6 more weeks to go tho.
Thankyou Stacy, dealing with stress is soo hard and can drive you crazy if you let it..thats why i wrote this one...stress happens to all of us..its how we handle the stress that counts! I wanted everyone to know that they are not alone!
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