Oh my goodness, I never gave y’all the update on how I’m doing with my grocery project! I tend to get a little bit distracted sometimes all the time. (Oooopsies.) Anyways, on Monday I spent a grand total of $85 on groceries. I don’t know how I feel about that number. It killed me to swipe my debit card when I saw the total on the screen. I’m used to $50 a week, not $85 and don’t forget next Monday I’m going to have to restock on perishables (milk, eggs, etc.). I shopped at Aldi for almost everything. Unfortunately, they were out of chicken breasts so I had to go to Walmart. If I can spend under $15 next Monday I’ll be happy but I’m beginning to feel a little uneasy about this project. I’m going to have to keep pricing around and check out Sam’s Club. Maybe if I buy more in bulk, I’ll see the difference in our wallets.
To be continued…
Yesterday I talked all about how I am constantly working on reducing my stress levels. (Check out my Twitter, I found a whole new and yummy way to relieve stress!) Today I want to talk about how I am learning to take care of myself. I have decided that putting yourself first sometimes isn’t necessarily bad. In fact, it can be good and letting go of things can help reduce the stress.
I’m one of those people who stresses too much, analyzes too much, overthinks everything, I subconsciously live in my head, and I avoid conflict to my best ability. Terrible right? I tend to create anxiety over nothing. Bad, bad, bad. Slowly but surely I’m learning to let things slide off my shoulders. But let me tell you, it’s not easy and it’s definitely been a process.
Typically I am always worried if people like me or not and if what I said offended them. It’s an obsessive disorder that I so desperately want to shake. Yesterday I made a decision, I decided to LET IT GO, to stop worrying about what other people think, and to focus on making more time for myself.
You don’t like me? That’s okay. You don’t approve of Kevin and I together? I don’t care. You’re going to be rude? Be rude. I do not need negative people in my life. People who are going to bring you down, say goodbye. People who are going to let you down, get them out of your life. Now you don’t have to go and say mean things to those people, just be silent. Stop talking to them. They’ll get the picture.
The whole point of that little rant is to prove a point. When I think of the people in my life who bring me down or when I start obsessing, it creates the negative thinking process that in turn leaves me feeling stressed with an added dose of anxiety. Eeeeeeek!
The rush of unwanted feelings started to happen yesterday so I decided to make some time for myself, to try and put myself first instead of worrying about what other people think. I wanted to see if I could stop my brain from obsessing over others by doing something for myself instead.
Let me tell you, it was one of the best things I ever did. When you start putting yourself first, you begin to see everything in a whole new light. You can feel yourself start to relax. So what exactly do I do when I feel those feelings coming on? Read below!
Making time for yourself:
- Do something you enjoy. I will always go for a run especially when I’m angry. I know I talked about this in my previous post, but it’s an “Ashlyn, go-to, staple.” It helps me to run harder and faster. When I run I can feel the negative/angry energy begin to leave my body. Plus, it’s good for the heart!
- Take a bath. Fill the tub, add lots of bubbles, light some candles, turn on your favorite tunes, and feel the anxiousness slowly leave your body.
- Read a book. Sometimes reading can help me to get my mind off of things. It helps me get out of my head and focus on myself rather than obsessing over things or people I can’t control.
- Cook. Cooking can be very relaxing. Have a restaurant favorite? Look up the copycat recipe and go to town.
- Get a mani/pedi. If you’re like me and you don’t want to spend the money on going to a nail salon. Get a $3 bottle of nail polish and paint your own nails. It’s not that hard, and since doing my own nails, I have saved hundreds!
- Buy a little something for yourself. I’m not saying you should go out for a big shopping spree, just pick up something you’ve been wanting for awhile. Maybe it’s the cute shirt you saw at Target, the earrings from Walmart, or the sweet smelling lotion from Victoria Secret. Whatever it is, treat yourself!
- Stop doing too much. Is your calendar filled for the next two months? Really try and cancel some things. I realized having anxiety doesn’t just happen. It’s more like a snowball effect. If you’re up and out the door early every day, running here and there all the time, well, eventually you’re going to be tired…really tired. Not only physically but emotionally too. And tiredness doesn’t just make you drag, oh no, it makes everything going on more magnified and seem more dramatic than it really is. You have to take some “time out time.” Make time for a nap! Not to be rude, but cancel the coffee date and DO NOT feel bad. That’s right I said it. Think about yourself, there will always be more coffee dates.
- The next time somebody voices their opinion when it is not needed, ignore them. Do not respond. Just let it go. There are opinionated people everywhere. I’m one of them, but that doesn’t mean I need to voice my opinion about how other people should choose to live. Some people don’t have filters, and you can’t stop them. All you can do is ignore it. Let it go.
So the next time you get an offensive text, somebody says something negative about you, ignores you, or their opinions begin to eat you alive. Just stop. Don’t respond. Laugh it off if you have to. Like Kevin says, “They’re just jealous.” Whether he’s right or not, you just have to learn to let it go, and move on. Take some “time out time” for yourself, and continue living YOUR life. It’s not their decision to make, and as far as I’m concerned their negativity is going in one ear and out the other. You know why? I do not care. I’m going to go take a bath now! 🙂
What are some ways you make time for yourself? How do you cope with negative people and anxiety? Comment below!
