I can’t STRESS this enough…

Just when you think you’re taking 2 steps forward you realize you’re actually taking 5 steps back…

Doesn’t this feel like a continuous thing in our daily lives? If it’s not one thing it’s another..am I right?

Far too often our eyes are bigger than our stomachs and we load our plate, realizing we are not going to eat all of that food! What I am starting to learn is that you have to slow down, enjoy the food that’s in front of you, finish it, and then decide if you’re ready for more.

Now take this analogy and apply it to other aspects of your life. “Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they started.” David Allen

We all have to do lists, we all want to check those things off our lists. but SLOW DOWN!! Create those lists, prioritize them by importance, start working on that list ONE task at a time!

I myself create lists all of the time, I also have a vision of completing the list but I want it done NOW! So I start the list and I jump from task to task-now my stress levels are through the roof! “Nothing is getting done…I don’t have enough time in the day… there is too much to get done… Ill never get this stuff done..”

And sometimes I am at a standstill with my list because life happens and I can’t cross that last task off my list then more thoughts start flowing. “what am I doing wrong… I should be doing this… I should have that… why am I not where I want to be?” All of these thoughts could be avoided by slowing down,
completing one task at a time, and managing your stress!

Maybe you didn’t complete that last task this time around but make a new list and don’t forget to add that task to it!! Just because it didn’t happen now doesn’t it mean it won’t happen later.

We all have our individual time clocks…tick tick tick…

Someone on your left could just be starting school while you just graduated, and the person on your right could have 20 years under their belt doing what they were bound to do. It doesn’t make any of you less successful, you are just working on your own journey at your own pace. So don’t compare to the person next door, compare to the person in the mirror. As long as you keep focused and striving towards your goals ONE step at a time then you will be successful.

“Rule #1: don’t worry about the small stuff
Rule #2: its all the small stuff”

We all have stress, some more than others, but it’s all how you handle it.
Here are a few ways to relieve stress:

1) Enjoy the moment
2) Vent to someone you trust
3) Slow Down (the more calm you are, the faster you get it done)
4) Listen to music
5) Hit the gym, change diet
6) Journal (self reflection questions)
7) Meditate (use candles, essential oils)
8) Take a bath (bath salts, essential oils)
9) check out beliefnet.com

Anything that will distract your mind for a moment, to get you to reevaluate the situation and to get you back on the right track!

“It’s not stress that kills us, it’s our reaction to it.” -Hans Selye

Ms. Gina
Wellness Coordinator

Growing up I had simple ideas of who I wanted to be or what I wanted to do as an adult. First it was a singer, then maybe a basketball star, or maybe a photographer of some sorts. I dabbled in all of it.

My parents took me to auditions for television, I played on nationally competitive ball teams, and my parents bought me my first camera. They fostered and cared for my every passion- no matter how frequent it changed.

Of course, I didn’t quite realize their drive for my success at the time but now, as an adult, hindsight shows me just how important of an influence my parents had on my interests. And now, as a mother, I understand it.

It wasn’t until the end of high school I had more of an understanding of what it was I truly wanted to do; I wanted to help people. I entered a university as a psychology major and growing up in a large military community, I thought the Veteran Affairs Office was where I was headed. Of course, my parents supported this dream too and I hit the ground running. I networked with the right people and worked hard in school. But, I still felt myself wanting to do “more” and feeling that maybe I wasn’t focusing on the right goal.

My desire to do more all started about my second year of schooling- I became a mother towards the end of my sophomore year and all of a sudden I was someone’s protector. Suddenly I had a little boy who looked up to me and the pressure of finding my “calling” was ever-present. However, there’s more to life than fulfilling ideas of how to make a living. The vital piece of information, that many miss, is finding who you are. Understanding the concept of self-actualization helps form a better realization of what you’re doing with your life, and where you want to be.

Self actualization means being all you can be, honoring your unique gifts and talents, and living a life of passion and purpose. In school, I was taught Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Basic needs need to be met, like food and water, then safety, love, self esteem- then self actualization becomes available. Of course, this is something I subconsciously was always striving for, but now I wanted to be an example of it for my son.

Sarah Lendt, a nationally certified counselor, states “Self-actualization is looking outside ourselves to do good for others, and receiving satisfaction in life for such behaviors.” She also states that people who have reached self actualization utilize their passions and talents in a realistic manner.

After having my son, I realized my talent was connecting with children. I had already been in early childhood for four years but becoming a mom only strengthened my ability to understand youth. My passion, still lied in psychology and I earned my BA after many night, Saturday, and online classes. When I graduated, I unexpectedly lost sight of what I wanted to do. See, that’s the thing about understanding yourself, it flows in seasons just like the rest of life. Events happen, you grow, you learn, and you readjust. My readjustment lead me to my end goal of elementary school counseling, my passion and talent finally collided.

There’s a lot of mess in finding yourself. A lot of struggle, a lot of questions, and a lot of those readjustments. I’m happy my son was a part of all of that this first time around. I never want to pretend to be anything less than human in front of him. I’ve learned that children learn best by example and all I hope is that I am a realistic one, with a touch of drive and beating the impossible.

I was blessed with parents who encouraged my every dream but also let me see the humanness in them. My goal, for myself and as a parent, is to set an example of enjoying the journey of life while reaching self-obtained goals. I need to show my boy how to find himself in this world by showing him that I find myself, time and time again.

~ Ms. Caitlin, Wellness Director