Now, the title is going to seem a bit strange, but I think it’s time to just be honest with myself. I have not lied in any of the blogs that I have written so far, but I just want to let you all know how things are going. So, this is more of a sit me down and talk to me and I’m sorry for exposing you to the inner ramblings of Stephanie. Here we go.
How am I really?
It comes so naturally to us. Someone asks how are you? Our response; good. No one really gives an honest answer because for the most part, no one wants to hear the honest answer. It’s just small talk. Can we stop doing that? Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to. And if you ask someone how they’re doing and they say good or fine, but don’t elaborate, ask how they’re really doing. Let’s start caring about people again. So, how am I? Struggling. There are things I want to do, and things I want to accomplish, but can’t financially or for some other reason. I had a rough day the other day and felt like my stress was through the roof.
What can I change?
At this point, I’m not sure. I can’t make the hotel busier so that my hours go up and my paychecks get higher. Without higher paychecks I can’t pay off debt or save up to buy a house. I want to move into a different place, but I don’t want to leave my current roommate in a jam because I want to live on my own. I want to go see my mom this Christmas, but I’m not sure if I can afford it after my vacation in July. Then there’s my blogs that I wish were making money, but I haven’t reached the threshold to get paid yet. Plus, once I’m on my own I want to start a YouTube channel. Add the Arbonne Consultant gig that I’m struggling to know how to advertise and promote and sell products for and my novel where I’ve hit a wall. I also have to work nights at the hotel every weekend, which is when my friends are off work. Now making plans just got trickier.
However, I can change my attitude. I don’t need to be so negative. After all, this is simply a season where things just are not working out very well. There is no need to grumble about it. That just brings everyone else down. To those that I have done nothing but rant to, I’m sorry.
Take a deep breath
I’ve known for years that I do not manage my stress well. Many people have been on the receiving end of a stress lash out, which I’m ashamed to admit. The best thing I can do for myself, and everyone around me, is find healthy ways to manage my stress when it feels like I’m drowning. I do know that my vacation will help, as I take a step back from life and just unwind and have fun. However, that’s temporary. Those two weeks will go by and I’ll be right back in the middle of everything. So, what can I do? How do I manage my stress in a healthy way?
My solution
As a Christian, I need to get back to devotions. Taking time at the beginning of my day to read my Bible, prayer and journaling does actually help. It allows me to ease into the day, instead of laying in bed till late and having to jump into the day and the stress without taking time to bring peace to my mind. The next thing, I’ll be the first to admit, is not something I would have thought would be on this list. I need to clean more. When I was regularly cleaning up after myself, I felt happier. I used to laugh at people that said a clean house is good for the mind, but now, I believe them.
Exercise. Not just good for the body, but certainly for the mind as well. It’s been scientifically proven that exercise reduces stress. Here is a quote from Mayo Clinic. “Physical activity may help bump up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins.” I do know that I feel a lot better after a workout, even if I have to really push myself to do it in the first place. So, not just good for my blog content, but good for my mental health. Same thing with cooking my own meals. Eating something healthy, that I made, brings me a lot more joy than grabbing fast food.
Time to begin
There are lots of things in my life that I can’t control. Allowing these things to stress me out is not going to help. So, it’s time to begin again and take myself seriously. Instead of just expecting the worst all the time, I should put in the effort of someone who believes in success. I can become a successful blogger. I will get out of debt one day and buy my own place. Until then, I just need to enjoy the journey and use my time wisely. I need to be more consistent with my blogs. Once I move, I’ll start my journey as a YouTuber. If I start posting about the Arbonne products that I love, and even doing reviews, I will sell some. And I know that writer’s blocks are temporary. No one ever succeeds by giving up. So, it’s time to pick myself up and get back at it.
I’m not sure if you are in a rut, or finding yourself struggling in any area of your life. If you’re not, I’m genuinely happy for you. Keep going. If you are struggling, you’re not alone. Let’s get up together, dust ourselves off, and get back at it. Tomorrow is June first and I’ll be starting a new meal plan and workout. It will look a bit different, but I’ll explain that in a different blog. My next one I’ll update you on how May went. Until the next blog, remember, anything can happen if you try.
https://www.arbonne.com/ca/en/arb/StephanieFournier118630720/
Hey Steph
First of all I encourage you to get back to your time with God. I recently was told we should “tithe” our time to the Lord.
Secondly also just recently heard is that you should write down what you want your “future” self to look. Eg. Successful writer (define success), blogger (what does that look like) etc. once you have identified that write down what that future self actually does that makes her that way. Then you can write down steps that you would need to get there. For example if you are writer what kind of research do you need to do? How many hours will you need to devote to that picture of success and start developing those habits now. Focus, commitment, resilience and failure will be required. Yes failure, learn from the failure but don’t let it have power over your next attempts. Do that often and you will never “see” failure anymore 😜
You are a dreamer beautiful Stephanie. Write down your dreams. Visit them daily and take action.
Love you!
Thank you for the encouragement. Yes, failure is a part of every journey. Getting up and trying again is really important. And I do know that apart from God, I can do nothing, so getting back to morning devotionals is of the highest priority for me.