It’s Time to Slow My Roll…

The past few weeks have been a little crazy. And by little, I mean lots. Lots of crazy. Between traveling, moving, packing, unpacking, working, new clients, new projects, trying to maintain a personal life…like, can I get a second to breathe?

Before you say it – I know – first world problems. This post is not going to be a bitch fest (language, sorry mom). But I needed to give you some background. Long story short, this is probably one the busiest seasons I’ve ever had and I’ve been running myself deeper and deeper into a hole. And it’s my fault.

I don’t know how to slow down. I don’t know how to just BE. I definitely don’t know how to say no or pass it off to someone else.

Here’s the problem.

Don’t get me wrong, although this is a super crazy/busy time, I’m loving every moment of it in general. I feel so freaking proud of Brandon for buying a house and really excited that I get to be a part of this journey with him. I feel pretty damn lucky to be traveling back to back and exploring new places with awesome people. I feel happy AF that business is doing well enough that I can save and spend and save some more (that’s rare for a small time self-employed blogger).

As much as I see all of the good around me, I can’t seem to get a grasp on how to just enjoy it.

I’m Type A in every sense of the phrase. I like to have control. I like to plan. I like to be organized. I like to be ten steps ahead. With every trip and project and new-home situation, I have a list. I have lists for every day of the week with tasks. I have lists for things to do before I leave for Miami, things to do when I get back from Mallorca and things to do in general but before September 15th (wtf?). I have lists for things we still need to do to the house, things we still need to get for the house, things I want to do if I can get them sponsored but they aren’t must-haves. Again, wtf. Nonstop lists and tasks and calendar reminders.

On top of the lists, my mind is always racing. Ideas, reminders, day-dreams, big-dreams. In addition to my mind always being on the go, I am physically always moving. Now that I’ve got an actual gym/workout routine, I get to add that to driving back and forth to the new house a few times a day, running to meetings, back and forth to the airport, traveling, etc. I feel like I’m going nonstop in all aspects of my life and I can start to see it taking a small toll on my sanity.

I literally had a breakdown the other day over not getting a straw with my Uber eats order. Like crying, angry, laid on the floor breakdown. Over a straw.

Obviously, it wasn’t because of the straw. Duh. But it hit me that I need to slow my ass down and just switch up my perspective during this insane time.

Here’s the plan.

• No more answering emails after 8:00 pm & before 8:00 am. This might seem like a no-brainer for most but when you’re your own boss and run two businesses, it’s hard not to be constantly refreshing my inbox. New clients, existing clients, new projects, existing project updates – it’s a constant game of checking and replying, replying and checking. But it’s also driving me crazy. Being glued to my phone and 10 or 11pm every night and then opening up my phone’s email every morning when I first open my eyes is ridiculous. NOTHING is an emergency and if it is, they have my phone number.
• Slowly saying NO. I have FOMO like nobody else. I never want to miss out on anything. Trips, events, dinners. You name it, I always say yes and deal with it later. Now, I don’t always attend everything. BUT, I’m starting to realize that even just the fact that I say yes, add it to my calendar and then try to build my day around squeezing everything in to make it all work is part of the problem. It stresses me out when I get to burned out by the end of the day and can’t go to a blogger event or have to cancel on dinner with a friend. So from now on, I’m putting tentative holds on my calendar every few days for “just say no hours”. Meaning, maybe this Tuesday between 3pm-9pm, I’m not saying yes to or scheduling any activities. If I get all of my work done by then, those hours are new free time for me to just relax or have fun solo. We’ll see how long this lasts but it’s worth a shot!
• No more phone in the car. Well, obviously my phone has to physically be in the car but I mean no more checking emails, answering texts, jotting down ideas/to-do list items, scrolling through IG while I’m driving. I’m so embarrassed to admit that I’m totally that girl who texts and drives. Well really emails, IG’s, plans content, etc. while drives. It’s so dangerous and just stupid for no reason. That constant feeling that I always need to be on my phone no matter the situation is a real problem. Again, nothing in the blogging world is an emergency. It can ALL wait until I get to where I need to be.

This is just the start. I don’t want to get too overwhelmed with making changes but I think these small swaps will help me get rid of some stress and get a better grasp on just being in the moment.

Do you guys have any tips for slowing down? Comment below!!