Hi There!
Fist blog post ever!
It's December 18th, 2024. As a mom- I am IN IT. It's that time of year where we as women are being pulled in 1000 different directions, and everything has a due date. It was just a few years ago when I would deal with all of the overwhelm I felt by pouring myself a glass of wine, or mixing up a margarita if it was a weekend. I didn't know how to relax unless I was drinking- and as you can imagine, this eventually became a problematic behavior in my life. I think conditioning for productivity starts when we are kids. We can turn in work for "extra credit" we are rewarded with candy for doing well on tests, we get paid for good grades on report cards. Inherently productivity is not a bad thing- in fact it is a vital quality to be successful in different areas of our lives. The problem lies when we tie our self worth into our productivity. As a busy, working mom, I have always felt guilty when I wanted to relax. There is always something that needs to be done. The only way I would allow myself to relax was when I was drinking. Alcohol didn't make my to-do list go away- but it did allow me slow down enough to give myself a "break" ( no matter how counter productive it was) I would later come to learn that alcohol contributed to my anxiety immensely, as well as inhibited restorative sleep- so the 'break' I was giving myself was actually doing more harm than good.
Today I am around 3 years sober ( I don't count days- never have!) and I still find myself not wanting to allow myself time for rest. There are school dress up days, parties, traveling, gifts to buy (we are a blended family and I have 7 kids to shop for!), cookies to bake, and get togethers with family friends and work. In addition to that, I am in the last 8 weeks of training for my first marathon ( something I never could have done if I was actively drinking!) I have come down with a cold this week in the midst of all the chaos and at first I found myself speaking very negatively about my need for rest and the persistent fatigue I was feeling. Since I am now clear minded, and live what I consider an intentional life, I was able to turn my self talk around and show myself some grace. I have spent the last few days resting when I can, going to bed early, saying "no" to extra commitments, and focusing on nourishing myself with nutritious food- and I even took a bath!
If you are a magic making woman who is balancing on a tight rope this holiday season, please know that you aren't alone, and you will get through this! Your value as a human is not tied to the check marks on your to-do list. You deserve rest and to take time to enjoy your life- no matter what needs to get done around you. You will find that if you allow yourself periods of rest, you will be able to get after the never ending list of tasks with more vigor and a better attitude than if you run yourself ragged. If you need support to get through the holidays without drinking, or if you would like more information on my 21 Day Clarity Course- please reach out to me!
Until then- Happy Holidays!
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