Taking Your Own Advice

I have people turn to me often asking advice or asking me to just listen. And I feel like I give some pretty darn good advice. Until it comes to me. I am terrible at taking my own advice! Especially when it comes to slowing down and taking a breath.

This past week has been very busy for me and I don't see it slowing down much in the immediate future. I have been working in the evenings and on the weekends a lot. With COVID still going strong, we aren't doing a lot out of the house anyway so I figure I'll just take advantage of the fact I'm at home anyway and keep working.

Jim is being especially helpful during the busy time. He is going above and beyond keeping the house in order and doing whatever he can to keep me my anxiety low (good luck to Jim, right?).

Friday night I was on my way home from work and one of my co-workers call. She was on the brink of an emotional breakdown. She is also extremely busy and under some heavy deadlines. She told me she was going to have to work all weekend, day and night to meet her deadlines.

She was really worked up and I knew I needed to calm her down and provide support. So I listened. Until she stopped. I know when people are that stressed your first step should be to listen. Not interrupt.

Once she stopped, the first thing she did was thank me for listening. She said she felt better just venting to me. Then she asked me how she should move forward.

I told her to go outside and take a walk. She laughed at me and said "I can't afford to take the time to go take a walk". To which I responded, "You can't afford to NOT go take a walk". I continued to explain to her that you have to give yourself a break. Pushing yourself harder and harder without being kind to yourself is bad for everyone. It affects your productivity as well as the quality of your work. She finally agreed that she would go take a break.

I got home and thought about all the work I planned to get done over the weekend and immediately felt overwhelmed. I went to be with the plan to get up in the morning and get to work. I woke up Saturday and looked outside. The sun was shining and the sky was beautiful I could tell it was going to be one of those Fall days that are my favorite. Chilly with sunny skies and lots of beautiful colors in the trees. And instead of getting up and getting to work, I reminded myself of what I told my co-worker. And I took a walk!