A great phrase isn’t, it? It was pretty much my mantra a couple of weeks ago. Between writing posts and cooking for the blog, freelancing, nesting (I’ve been cleaning our house like crazy), keeping up with running, carrying a 3+ pound child in my uterus and planning and executing our daughter’s birthday party, I began to feel very wiped out and overwhelmed (I’m exhausted just reading that run-on).
Unfortunately, my head was still in denial of being overworked and I kept chugging on…
…until my body jumped in and kicked me in the shins. I ended up getting hit by one of the worst colds I’ve ever had. I’m talking a can’t-breath-aches-and-pains-no-sleep-kind-of-cold. On top of it all, it took me a while to shake it off because pregnant women can’t take the good drugs!
If you haven’t guessed it yet, I learned a couple of valuable lessons through taking on more than I could handle, and it got me thinking that there are likely a number of women with or without children, pregnant or not pregnant, who bite off more than they can chew quite often.
- Mamas (women in general) bite off more than we can chew because we’re so good at it. We are so great at multi-tasking, juggling relationships and bouncing back from a number of circumstances. We make it look easy, which is why we become bothered when we can’t handle it all.
- In order to run at full speed, we need to slow down and relax. I don’t know about you, but I personally find a bit of rush when I’m taking on multiple to-dos. I feel like I thrive in these instances, but through my recent experience I’ve realized that in order to function at the high speed at which we (women) operate, we also need to cool our jets and find comfort in relaxation and “me” time. As horrible and long-lasting as my cold was, looking back I’m kind of thankful for it. It was the loud, flashy alarm I needed to get me to slow down during. I actually took time to relax and watch movies on the couch and for the first time in forever came empty handed to two of our holiday gatherings.
- When feeling overwhelmed, it’s okay to ask for help! Asking for help doesn’t mean you’re not capable, it just means you need the rest of tribe/village to get you to where you need to be. Your tribe is there for a reason – raise your hand when you need them and help them when they need you.
- Scaling back is best. For me, it was taking a week off from the blog and running while trying to get better and plan our daughter’s party. It allowed me to still spend time with my family and focus on the important things.
So, the next time you’re killing yourself to clean your house even though you’re exhausted, or your to-do list isn’t getting crossed off fast enough because your children/spouse needs some time with you, step back and relax. The things that need to get done will get done. You’re still superwoman even when things don’t go exactly the way you planned. Have a glass of wine and bask in the fact that most of the time you do the impossible, and believe me, many men and women in your life are amazed at how much you can accomplish. We’re all in this together!
Marina Makes 