April is Stress Awareness Month, and it’s a good time to think about what stress can do to our bodies. Some days life reminds me of a merry-go-round that keeps speeding up faster and faster. I want to get off, but things are moving in such a whirl that I can’t.
I had a powerful reminder yesterday. I was still tired when I woke up, but with writing deadlines, I jumped out of bed and dashed into my day. I knew my productivity would be cut short because I had two doctor’s appointments that would eat up most of the afternoon.
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I zipped into the grocery store after I left the doctor’s office, and then rushed home and started dinner. I was weary, but I hadn’t met my word quota for the day—not a good thing when you’re on a tight book deadline—so I sat down at my computer to write for a few more hours.
Then I realized something important–I was genuinely exhausted. I’d pushed myself like I was Wonder Woman, as if I could do everything in superhero fashion without any consequences. That explained why I’d struggled so much with my writing the last few days. My batteries were drained, and the only thing that would help would be to recharge them.
So I shut my computer down and sacked out on the couch until bedtime. And then I enjoyed a wonderful long night of sleep. And you know what? When I sat down to write this morning, it was easy. It felt like the creativity floodgates had opened. All because I was less stressed and rested.
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Do you feel stuck on a merry-go-round? Have you been zipping around like Wonder Woman on steroids? Are you stressed to the breaking point?
Then I encourage you to do something: Take stock of your life, make time for some rest, and then take control of the stress . . . before it takes control of you. You’ll be so glad you did!
