Good Stress

Everyone has overwhelming moments.  From stay at home moms to business executives, we’ve all felt the pressures of good stress.  This week was my turn.  So much has happened in the past few months and it’s been a (very happy) blur.  
 This week I think it really hit me – all at once. 

Even though it’s good stress, it’s still stress.  I can’t apologize for my body’s natural reaction to the changes in my life.  But I can change how I handle them going forward.   

Today's epiphany: I can change good stress into happiness by facing it and truly experiencing it.

Two major life-altering events have happened since November:

  I got a promotion (yay!) 

 I got engaged (double yay!)

Both are amazing, happy, beautiful things, and come with moments I’ve truly treasured and wouldn’t change for the world.   With these two things come a lot of change, more responsibility and a bigger commitment.

With work responsibilities piling up (traveling to 4 cities in 3 weeks during December) and wedding planning looming (getting married is not cheap) I was approaching each with my same mentality: Yes, I can handle it. 

Someone should have slapped me. 

This morning was the breaking point.  I was lying in bed looking at an Instagram account and crying because of a post someone had about putting their sweet 13 year old Vizsla to sleep.  I hugged Porter (my 2 year old V) and sobbed into his neck, begging him to stay young forever. 

Seriously?  Who am I?  That is not like me.

It became clear that I was spreading myself too thin at work, and putting too much pressure on myself with planning a wedding.

As much as I’d like to plan the wedding in a month, it’s just not feasible (both monetarily and logistically -- to those of you who can…more power to ya, it ain’t me).

Part A. Get work figured out – Don’t take on more than you can.  “You’ll only give yourself an ulcer, trust me I had one in my 20s -- not pretty.”  “At the end of the day, everything is fixable.” Wise words from my manager – gosh I LOVE my company and my job and the amazing people I get to work with everyday.

Part B. The Wedding – Stop emailing vendors, it’s not happening next month.  I’ve emailed at least 30 vendors; I am a maniac who needs to be stopped, I don’t recognize my own inbox. Instead, I'm going to make a planning list and have a few goals each month.  I’ve got to break it out for myself in realistic chunks, otherwise my type A self will (try to) plan it in a month.   At the end of the day it is about me, my fiancé and the promise we are making to God and each other – if I didn’t get my dream caterer I won’t even notice.

I am so grateful for the many blessings that I have in my life.  I have a beautiful life, and I shouldn’t let my happy stress get in the way of savoring every moment. 

Moral of the story:  Know your limits - Step back, take a breath, do a happy dance and smile.

Excuse me while I blast my new fav song: 

After work activity: yoga and a glass of red wine.  I dare you to copy me.