I was doing so well.
It was just a few weeks ago that I was away on a solo retreat. When I got back, I was rested, focused, relaxed and ready to engage.
I don’t know what happened…
Right after I got back in town, our medical group went through a massive hospital transition. Moving 400+ physicians and associate providers is no small feat, and of course, it didn’t go particularly smoothly. But we’re getting through it. Then the hospital I work at changed electronic medical records and it’s incredibly complex, busy, and not at all user friendly. The weekend after I returned was Hampton’s homecoming, so I was out of town for a second weekend. Then our anniversary weekend came and we went to Asheville for the weekend. The following weekend was a huge 40th birthday celebration for my wonderful husband, which I hosted. Four days later, he and I gave the midweek lesson to our married ministry at church.
So now I’m a wreck.
Why? It was all good stuff – lots of fun and travel and celebrations! But: I spent three weekends in a row out of town, I gave a party for about 50 people (which I’ve never done before), and while Perry and I both speak and teach, we really hadn’t done a lesson like this together before, and we have very different processing styles.
Here’s the good news: one of my friends jumped in and helped me out with the food and the set up. Another friend made the special homemade biscuits Perry requested. My kids helped get the decorations together, and my in-laws ran around picking up food and doing other errands. Thank God I had help!
Perry and I gave the lesson and it went well.
But over these weeks I’ve spent way too many nights up late, either on call or working on one of these projects. I’ve been hit-or-miss with my yoga practice, and my back has been letting me know it. I haven’t been eating well (too many celebratory dinners and desserts), so my weight is frustrating me. My sleep cycle is all off schedule – I’m not ready to go to bed on time, then I don’t want to get up early like I need to in order to get things done before the kids get up. I’m back in that place where I feel like my list is running my life and I’m back on the hamster wheel.
But I’m getting back on track. I know what I have to do. When I get up in my head, caught up in all the things to do and busyness, I have to get my mind and body reconnected.
Step 1: Get sleep.
It’s hard. When I am connected to my normal biorhythms, I predictably get sleepy at 930 pm, go to sleep by 10, and am up without help around 5 am. But if I’m pushing that bedtime off to get things done, I get a second wind and stay up even later. Then the next morning is rough and I’m drinking coffee to get going and the cycle continues. If I don’t get back on schedule, my days stay out of whack. So the first step is to get to bed on time.
Step 2: Practice yoga
Regular exercise is a good thing for many reasons including improved sleep, heart health, stress management and others. But I practice yoga specifically to help reconnect my mind and my body. When I get crazy busy, my mind much more easily spins around in circles, racing around to be sure I don’t forget anything important. I end up in a place I call “up in my head”. Coming back to being grounded and settled take deliberate efforts, and yoga helps me to slow my racing brain and connect back to the body I live in.
Step 3: Do something mindless
My patterning…
This one sounds odd, but stay with me. If I’m busy and have too much to do, how does doing something mindless help me get things done? To clarify, I don’t mean sit in front of the TV and zone out. Actually, TV jazzes up the noise in my brain and makes it harder for me to settle into sleep. I’m talking about doing an activity that connects the mind and the body and slows you down, like coloring or patterning. When you’re involved in one of these types of activities, you need to pay attention and focus on what you’re doing. You need to stay in the lines, or repeat the pattern until you run out of space. It helps my mind to move from one thing to another instead of bouncing around like a monkey. Try it!
I’m getting back on track! I’ve got to do this now, before we get any further into the holiday and birthday season. I need a pretty firm restart, so I’m starting today with a fast. Of course, as soon as I planned that, I remembered that last piece of birthday cake in the kitchen. Nope – not gonna do it! I’ll be sorry later, so it’s not worth it. I want to get back in balance!
What do you do to get back on track? How do you get centered when you get off balance? Please share in the comments below!
Comments7
We must always remember that GOD is at our helm🙏🏽 Be encouraged🦋 Love in JESUS, Mom💜
“When GOD is at the
                Helm”
                   by
              Dierdre
   Downing-Jackson
“When GOD is at the helm, there Is no greater ride: With JESUS by your side, you’ll conquer every tide.
When GOD is at the helm, there is no need to worry: HE comforts and protects you; you’ll see there’s no need to hurry.
When GOD is at the helm, your heart waits patiently: HE shows you how to pray, and peace HE leaves with thee.
When GOD is at the helm, HIS mercy HE provides: The grace of HIS salvation, HIS truth always resides.
When GOD is at the helm, your goal is humility: HE leads you forth in peace, and grants you tranquility.
When GOD is at the helm, you learn to walk by faith: HE guides you with HIS love, until you see HIM face to face.
When GOD is at the helm, your life is in HIS hands: HE holds you with HIS care, So you’ll know how to stand.
When GOD is at the helm, your joy is in HIS glory: HE leads you straight to JESUS, and HIS strength will be your story.
When GOD is at the helm, no weapon will prosper against you: HE sees that you are faithful; HIS love will always keep you.
When GOD is at the helm, your love will harvest souls; to greet GOD in HIS kingdom, He’ll bless you for your soul. “
Psalm 91:2
“I will say of the LORD He is my refuge and my fortress: my GOD in Him will I trust.”
Psalm 48:14
“For this GOD is our GOD for ever and ever, HE will be our guide even unto death.”
I can so relate to you on so many levels.
Melvin and I started our own real estate investment company, and ever since we have been married we have been doing things pretty much separately. We think totally different. We love the same meet up in the middle and it just seems to work for us.
Having to work with him and make our future together… has been the most stressful time of my life. I have been so off kilter.
Finally I went away for just one day to see a dear friend of mine, God truly blessed me with her friendship and wisdom. I drove there praying for peace and resolve from all that I felt I was going through. I came home refreshed with a new outlook of how to work with my hubby not against him. A total mind shift for me. I had been thick in the forest and blinded by my own thoughts and insecurities. Misplaced worries.
My sleep is better, attitude and appreciation for where we are going together. Our communication is all together increased because I submit to his knowledge in areas where I’m weak and vice versa.
I am a creature of order. My world has to have some structure for me to experience peace. I get up and go to bed generally at the same time every day. My body needs at least six hours of sleep to function. I wash clothes on the same day I clean my house so on and on. Not OCD just order. My husband is an amazing man and can do anything just at the drop of a hat. I admire that quality. I suppose that’s why opposites attract. Maybe it’s being in a family of ten, get where you fit in. As opposed to me two siblings and there were plenty of rules and regulations.
We are quirky at best and he is my best friend, but God give me strength in this venture with him. I know it is a growing step in our long walk together.
You’re so right – opposites do attract! I relate to your need for order because I’m the same way. Both of our husbands have the gift of spontaneity and sometimes it’s hard to see it as a gift. I can see it as wrecking my order! But once we get that mind shift, we can appreciate the good that others bring to our lives. Good for you!
Absolutely gorgeous and Absolutely True🙏🏽
I love yoga! I just started doing it this year and it had made such a difference for my health. I’ll have to try the patterning!
I’m glad yoga has been helping you. The patterning is good for “unplugging” the mind – I hope you’ll like it!
Thanks for sharing Andrea, Yes, the sleep part makes a tremendous difference. We forget how important it is . The body NEEDS that rest and reboot. It has taken me many years to grasp that but I am learning. Looking forward to that next class.