I have a tendency of gratefully saying “yes” to every opportunity that comes my way, when at times I know I should be saying “no”. The consequences of this have crept up on me in the last week, where I’ve found myself feeling stressed and overwhelmed with all that’s going on. To make it worse I’ve come down with a horrible bug which has left me feeling lethargic, uninspired and unmotivated. Ugh, it is not fun feeling this way!
The reality is that I should be enjoying this time as exciting things are happening. I want to enjoy the process of researching and planning my trip; I want to be prepared and focused for starting my new job in 2 weeks; and I want look after my body which is clearly telling me to just chill out.
So I’m going to be kind to myself, which means that for the next little while things will be a bit quieter around here while I focus on getting some balance back in my life, and take the time to stop and smell the roses. I will of course be still Pinning, Tweeting + Instagramming and stopping in here when I can.
I know I’m not alone in feeling this way as I’ve read similar posts recently like this + this. As bloggers we are juggling so many things: a full-time job, family and friends, just to name a few, so it’s very easy to feel overwhelmed.
How do you get your balance right?
Rachel xo
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Oh Rachel - I wish I knew the answer to getting the balance right. It took my body literally failing me to realise at one point that it was time to slow down. I have only just started learning to say no - though not making peace with doing so - which has not alleviated the problem as I wind up being anxious in case I have let the other person down!! I think putting health is paramount - we can catch up on everything else, but that. In your case, I'd focus on enjoying beautiful research into Paris Xx
ReplyDeleteI agree Sarah, health definitely has to be paramount, otherwise without it you can't do much of anything else! Sometimes it takes these situations for us to relevaulate really what is important + it really does help to put things into perspective xx
DeleteI like that quote.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your situation. I hope you recover soon.
About the balance thing. I learned to say no and I prioritise, all with a touch of carelessness. And yes, I stopped watching TV and I no longer read anything that doesn't inspire me.
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI know you said you were going to rifle through my blog for my Paris tips, but there's not much there (mainly because I was being lazy in Paris and not updating my blog with all my fabulous finds... I'm only just sorting through the photos now almost three months on). If you are interested in my Paris favourites, here they are:
Favourite sweets: café eclairs from any patisserie (some are better than others), crème puffs from Popelini (http://popelini.com/en/home-1.html) and macarons from Pierre Hermé (http://www.pierreherme.com/). I was not a fan of Ladurée macarons, but they do have cute gifts to bring back home.
Favourite restaurants: Le Troquet (https://plus.google.com/110690152773234488404/about?gl=au&hl=en) in the 15eme was our best French meal, Café Constant (http://www.cafeconstant.com/1.aspx) in the 7eme also serve really good French food, although the restaurant is full of tourists because it's very highly rated in the Lonely Planet guide (ask for a seat downstairs, it's much quieter) and Grazie (http://graziegrazie.fr/) in the 3eme has fantastic pizza (if you need a break from French food), it was better than any we found in Italy.
Favourite shops: aside from the French luxury brands, the clothing giants (Zara, MNG, H&M) and the grand magasins (Printemps & Galeries Lafayette), my favourite design stores were Merci (http://www.merci-merci.com/) and Fleux (http://www.fleux.com/).
Favourite view: from atop the Arc de Triomphe, with the twelve converging streets appearing to slice up Paris like a cake (although I could be a little biased because we stayed right near here). A lot of Paris museums are free to visit on the first Sunday of the month, including the Arc de Triomphe (not all year round) and the Musée du Louvre (all year round). Full list here (http://en.parisinfo.com/guide-paris/money/free-admission-and-good-deals/guide/free-admission-and-good-deals-in-museums-and-monuments_free-on-1st-sunday-of-the-month-all-year-round).
I also loved having picnics on the grass in front of the Eiffel Tower or in les Tuileries and seeing the Féerie show at the Moulin Rouge. It was expensive and I thought it would be overrated, so I went in with low expectations, but it was quite spectacular to watch.
That's all I can think of for now and this is making me hungry when I really should be going to sleep. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I'm definitely not an expert on Paris, but I'll help if I can.
One last thing, the best map we found was available for free from Galeries Lafayette (just ask at the information counter on the ground floor).
All the best for your trip.
Melinda
Wow, thank you Melinda these are all seriously amazing tips! I have now added all of these to my trip planner - can't thank you enough! xx
DeleteI know how you feel, Rachel! I can't say no to anything either, and often end up being stressed over things I consider a favor or a hobby of mine. It will feel nice to take a break for a few days. Your readers will still be here when you return! xx
ReplyDeleteThank you Molly! It is so crazy that saying No is so hard! I need to learn to master this quickly xx
Deletedon't feel bad about not blogging. it is a hobby that is meant to bring us joy, not stress us out. i hope you feel better soon and i'll still be here reading along when you return :) xx
ReplyDeleteIt's good to take a step back, figure out your priorities and a blog brake is sometimes so much needed and welcome. And I'm with Lisa: the fact that I stopped watching TV a couple of years ago, has proved so inspiring, allowing me to manage my time so much better. xo
ReplyDeleteAda
goodluck on finding your way back to a happy medium! we always want to take advantage of every opportunity, but with a full workload we don't ever get to ENJOY those times. best of luck!
ReplyDeleteWow, it's amazing how much I understand and feel similiarly to you when you post things like this-- we seem to be on similar wavelengths. I often find that I say yes too easily, and forget to factor in what's really good for me. And I have been doing that quite a bit lately. Not good. I should know better by now, but it is certainly a learning process. Balance, indeed.
ReplyDeleteI know, it's like we know we should be saying no but end up saying yes anyway! I know there is a balance it just takes a whole lot of prioritising + knowing yourself + your own limits. We are always the hardest on ourselves and our own worst enemy at times, but being forced to reevaluate our priorities is something that I'm sure will have to be done over and over again to get the balance right xx
DeleteYou are not alone in feeling this way at all. I think many bloggers feel under pressure to keep up and sometimes that's just not realistic. I was ill recently and just had to step offline for a while to make sure I got better - make sure you do the same, sweetie. Feel better soon, we'll all be here waiting for you when you're ready! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Will :) xx
DeleteI'm feeling ya! Its like yeah sure, you can have everything and do everything... but not at all at the same time! And it's better that way because when you accomplish just one thing that you have nurtured and given life to you are in a better place to take the next step and do something different on the list! Doing everything, having everything, knowing everything - it's just a headspin if you're not able to stop and abosrb it, taste it, or appreciate it, I think. Taking a step back and prioritising your health is the main thing - after all, if you don't look after YOU then who will? And when you feel recharged, then you can begin to offer of yourself back out there - it's all give and take after all. Enjoy your blog break and don't stress - its not good for you.:)x
ReplyDeleteYou know how I feel about this! Last week I couldn't run much (rained for 2 whole days and I was down with a flu for other 2), so I was feeling very off, very stressed about everything I need to get done before leaving. Well, I went for a run this afternoon, and I'm my happy self again! If you get a chance, go for a workout, yoga or some running, it does wonders to the mind ;)
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