Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Taking Time to Reset

Today, I'm talking all about how to take time for yourself and reset. After Christmas, I was feeling very burnt out from everything, which is not a good way for a 25-year old with a great life to feel. I was letting my schedule consume me and not finding a good balance, so I decided to take some time to figure out priorities and how to balance it all. 

I always find it interesting as to how others' days go, so here's a little peek into a Monday during this busy time of year:
5:45am - Alarm goes off
6:00am - finally peel myself out of bed
6:00 - 6:50am - shower, pack work clothes, get ready for barre
7:10 - 8:00am - barre
8:00 - 8:45am - commute to work
8:45am - 5:30pm - work day
6:15 - dinner with a friend
7:00pm - committee meeting for Azalea Festival Princess Pageant
8:00pm - load of laundry and The Bachelor

This daily schedule isn't too bad, except it's combined with wedding planning, a million and one things each weekend - many of those out of town, and trying to fit in "me" time every once in awhile. Again, no complaints here but I was feeling incredibly burnt out and needed to mentally reset to embrace my busyness instead of dread it.

“It’s up to us to choose contentment and thankfulness now—and to stop imagining that we have to have everything perfect before we’ll be happy.” - Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Story


You'll notice that one thing that's in my schedule is Pure Barre. There for awhile, I would come up with a million excuses as to why I couldn't make it to barre. Many of them were valid reasons, but those reasons were keeping me away from 55 minutes dedicated to my health. I remember walking into barre one day and one of the PB gals said, "Hey! We haven't seen you in awhile!" I replied with, "I've been so busy at work and my schedule is just not letting me make it here." Her response? You have to take time for yourself. 

At the time, I thought, Right, but if I have to work late then I can't really help that I can't make it to barre. But then I got into a better routine of starting my day with my workout instead of ending it and it has honestly made all the difference. Yes, it is irritating to have to pack for the entire day so early in the morning and get ready at the gym, but the rest of my day feels so much more accomplished when I know I've gotten my workout in. 

I've been trying to implement the following as ways to reset each day/week/month and make the most out of my busyness.

Working Out | As I mentioned above, I've really been trying to make this a priority. It started February 1st, when Pure Barre kicked off the Barre Bestie Challenge. Because I was partnered up with someone, I didn't want to pull my own weight so I made getting to barre a priority. Now, it's started turning into a habit and I'm going 4-5 times a week.

Reading a good book | A couple of weekends ago, I headed to Barnes & Noble for the first time in awhile and picked up a few good books. Instead of being on social media as much (key words: as much), I've been trying to spend more time at night reading or writing instead of staying glued to my phone. The gorgeous weather has helped as well as I've spent time outside engrossed in a good book.

Healthy eating | To be honest, this is where I'm struggling the most. I'm the kind of picky eater that only likes carbs, and grilled chicken just doesn't do much for me. So I'm really trying to invest time into ways to really enjoy eating healthy.

Quiet Time | This is a big one for me. I really need to spend more time embracing the quiet. Whether it's doing a Bible study, doing yoga, or just sitting in the silence, I need to spend less time on my smart phone or laptop and escape from the TV.

Spending Time Outside | This one can be hard when we're in the winter months, but the warm weather we've been having in NC has done wonders for my mood. It has been so nice to sit outside in the sunshine.

Saying No | This one is incredibly hard for me. We have so much going on over this year, with 10 weddings to attend plus our own and all of the fun showers and parties that go with it. We're excited to celebrate with all of our friends this year, but that means I've had to learn to say to other things and be okay with missing out if it beens a great weekend at home.

Setting Goals | I make a to-do list every day at the office, but I'm not as good about putting life goals down on paper and evaluating them each week. Whether it's something long term or just making the effort to eat at home 3 times that week, it's a good idea to put them down on paper at the start of each week.

“Happiness is not a goal; it's a product of a life well lived. ” - Eleanor Roosevelt

How do you take time to reset and refresh?
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