NAVIGATING MY RECENT STRESS

The last few weeks have been a bit crazy for me. Not in a bad way, really. I've just been busy and working a lot. But I'm starting to notice that when I'm not busy, I'm either binge-watching TV like no other or catching up with friends over FaceTime. While I enjoy doing these things, I realize I haven't had much time alone with my thoughts to really get in touch with how I'm feeling mentally, and it's making me feel burnt out and stressed. When I'm really stressed, I tend to get a stress rash across my whole chest. I can't remember the last time it has appeared, but it showed up twice this week. I've been so occupied and distracted, and I haven't been able to take a moment just to slow down and be present. I'm kind of just going through the motions.

I feel like my screen time has contributed a lot to my recent stress, so here's my game plan for now... I'm going to try to minimize my screen time (on my phone, computer, and television) and spend more time getting in touch with my feelings. So, instead of watching 3 episodes of tv in a row, I might watch 1 episode and then spend some time with my journal. Also, a tik tok hiatus is much needed, so I removed the app from my phone. That shit is so addicting, lol. This one is going to be more challenging since it's such a habit of mine, but I'm going to try to wait at least 40 mins until after I wake up to look at my phone. Looking at my phone first thing in the morning does nothing but increase my stress + anxiety.

I even already feel better after taking time just to sit down and write this post. It's so wild how helpful self-reflecting and creating a game plan can be. I highly suggest it. I'm also actually looking forward to these shifts. They're small and simple, for the most part, but I know they will make a difference and are a good, realistic place to begin. I know there are other things I can shift and introduce as well, but when I try to make too many adjustments or a big adjustment at once, it typically is more overwhelming and isn't as efficient or long-lasting. as my mom always says, "progress, not perfection." ❤️‍🔥🤠🐸🍄🤩