Have you ever felt like you are going in so many directions, you just want ‘Calgon to take you away’!!!????

“ME” MondayTM 7-29-19

BY LYNN LESSELL

We all have those moments, right? Sometimes those moments seem to happen regularly and we can get overwhelmed. The longer we stay trapped in that anxious feeling, the harder it is to move forward.

There is nothing ground-breaking about this. We have all experienced this but knowing we don’t have to stay stuck is the power we have to make a change. Why am I mentioning this?

Recently, I found myself in frustration and overwhelm with everything that has to get done. Yes, it happens to me too!

Then I received a request from a friend of mine to vote for her as a keynote speaker at a caregiver conference.

In her story about how she became a caregiver, she describes the evening that changed her life. Her husband went to bed before her, nothing unusual. She sat down in her living room to have some “me” time when she heard a loud groan. Was she hearing things? Then she heard it again. As she entered their bedroom, she discovered her husband having a seizure, something that had never happened to this otherwise healthy man. She had to call 911 and he was taken to the hospital. After numerous tests, he was diagnosed with a grade four brain tumor. Her husband thankfully survived the surgery but had a long recovery ahead. She was so focused on caring for him, she neglected to prioritize her own self-care. This resulted in unhealthy habits, weight gain, she stopped working out and lost interest in socializing. She was stuck nevertheless for traumatic reasons! Luckily, she had an AHA moment that made her realize something had to change and she did!

Why do we wait for these AHA moments before we focus on ourselves? Listening to her story reminded me that being stressed because of daily stuff is insignificant. I realized the everyday responsibilities for home and work always get done somehow. Tension and prolonged stress will likely affect my health and I have the power to prevent that.

We cannot control external circumstances. We DO have the power to control how we take care of ourselves so we are at our best no matter what we may have to face.

Life is a series of occurrences and choices. It happens to us every day, sometimes at work and sometimes at home. If we face every challenge, no matter how simple or how serious, with positive purpose, we have the control to reduce daily stress and maintain a healthy body and mind.

If you feel strain in a daily routine of “have tos”, consider “ME” Monday an opportunity to begin a new habit of scheduling some “ME” time and prioritizing self-care.

If you could do something for yourself right now that you are not doing, what would that be…?

To your health!

Lynn Lessell

Certified Health/Life Coach