Say NO to Save Sanity
October 10, 2008 by Tracee Sioux
Filed under Parenting
I’m starting to feel panic underlying everything I do.
It’s a tension in my body that starts in my shoulders and neck and moves up to clenching my jaw and squinting, holding my joints rigidly, bracing myself for something bad, holding my breath and grinding my teeth.
I’m having to remind myself to breath and relax.
I start getting bitchy, frustrated, rushed, anxious, short-tempered and irritable. I’m getting cranky. I feel more pain in my body.
I recognize this feeling from last year.
It happens when The Busy Monster gets hold of my life.
It happens when I say YES too many times to too many good things.
The only cure is to say NO to good things. Notice it took me only 8-9 months to move to an entirely new place for The Busy Monster to find me. You would think no knowing a single soul would insulate me for at least a year.
I do good things. But, I suck at them and don’t enjoy them if I do too many of them. I’ve got to cut back or I will lose it in a few short weeks at this rate.
I’m not exactly clear which yes it was that tipped me over the edge – and I’m not 100% sure which thing is going to have to go, but I do know this – I will respect that my body and my feelings are telling me and cut something out.
It won’t be exercise and it won’t be activities that feed my soul. Saying NO will have to wait till Monday though because, I have to throw a party this weekend for my daughter’s 7th Birthday.
This is a Blogtoberfest Post.
Leave a comment guessing what it could be and in one week I’ll draw a winner for something very that will feed your soul instead of suck the life out of you.
I’m giving something away every day (sometimes two things) for two weeks straight, subscribe to Blog Fabulous (RSS button at top, share at bottom) so you don’t miss any Christmas hoarding opportunities (see our cool list of prizes here.
Hop around the whole b5media Lifestyle’s channel to enter for many more prizes.
I get the same way when I try to do too much. I really don’t know how those supermoms (you know who I am talking about) do it! I think breathing and cutting back helps and so does uping my blood pressure pills and chocolate.
Have a great weekend and a great 7th birthday party for your daughter.
My guess for the prize is a foot massager (thats what I need).
Sounds like my husband, he can never say no and is always working and doing things for someone. Good luck with the party and practice saying no
I know just how you feel. There is never an end to the to-do list ! My guess is an organizer?
Sorry the monster caught you so quickly. :0(
Saying no is tough!
bebemiqui82(at)yahoo(dot)com
I have such a hard time saying NO, but I am trying to get better. I bet the prize is a calendar to keep track of all those events we can’t say NO to.
Soothe my soul? Umm, new shoes?
Some kind of yoga video or something like it.
My husband and I have agreed to a moratorium on volunteering for anything new until this baby is a few months old. I do feel bad when I say no, but then shortly afterward, when I see how much stuff I already have to do, I feel relieved.
I’m guessing that it will be some kind of book. Perhaps a soul food cookbook?
Aww, happy birthday to the kidlet!
When I think of things that feed my soul, the first thing that often comes to mind is music.
I get the same way. Especially this time of year and I hate that because I love love love this time of year.
I am guessing a book to put things in perspective.
Bath and body pampering products are my favorite way to escape for a few minutes- if only there was one more hour in the day!
Is it a massage chair? That would be super awesome!
My husband and I are from different states (also different from the one in which we live now) and we’ve been driving back (traveling thousands of miles) for so many family gatherings and holidays over the years — so much so that the trips stress us out. We’ve finally said no to traveling back a couple of times this year and will finally have our first Thanksgiving at our own home. I’ll miss everyone (we’ll be missing my family’s get-together), but at the same time, I’m really quite relieved.
Create a Life That Tickles Your Soul-
i am trying to say ‘No” more