I inadvertently took most of July off from my blog. I just didn’t write.  It wasn’t on purpose. It just happened (or didn’t happen, so to speak).

I live my life according to an academic year calendar because I work with educators and schools. In Europe, most schools end between mid and late June, which makes for a busy month. Add our annual New Member Orientation, Leadership and Board meetings, June was jam-packed. It wore me out.

And July didn’t start out with the breathing room I anticipated for the summer. I frantically tried to tie up loose ends so I could enjoy a quieter schedule this season but that took about 2 weeks to manage. This drained my energy and stole my drive. Very demotivating. I wanted to be done. I just couldn’t add another thing to my to do list, even something as life giving as writing. It was just too much.

I realized that this space I had unwittingly created was good. It was a much-needed break for my well-being. A time to refocus and reenergize. My blog deadlines are self-imposed. I am not going to feel guilty for listening to my own needs and giving myself a little room.

A big part of my job is pouring into others. You can’t pour from an empty vessel. We all know this. I am not profoundly explaining something new. But how many of us take time regularly to fill back up, be refreshed? After my health scare a little over a year and a half ago (read more about that here), I am unwilling to let myself get to that place again. You know where that place is - when you are stretched so thin but you still try to do All. The. Things. You feel responsible and that you are the only person who can get it done. Man, talk about unhealthy thought distortions.

I have found a few ways to ease up a little and give myself the space to breathe and grow. I am not perfect and I still find myself getting too busy. But when I do recognize the need for a breather, here are a few things I have found that help.

·       Delegate – This is a hard one. Figure out what you can take off your plate and hand it to someone else. If needed, take the time to train someone to do it. It may take more of an effort to do this at the beginning but in the long run, it will be so, so helpful. Most importantly, once it is off your plate, don’t take it back. Hold the other person capable and trust them to do it. It might look different from how you do it but that is ok.

·       Prioritize – Sometimes you need to triage your workload and do the absolute bare necessities until you get back on track or out of an extremely busy season. What must be done today? What projects can wait (or be delegated)? You may have to let some things go for a time like I did with my blog.

·       Set clear boundaries – Get in the practice of saying that you aren’t available or that you can’t at this time and not offering all the reasons why. I know I feel like I need to justify why I don’t have time to do something. But the truth is, I don’t. I just need to let my no be no. Period. No reasons need to be given.

·       Mindfulness – Develop a mindfulness practice. This could be meditation (I use the Balance app) or breathing exercises. It could also include affirmations or a breathing prayer. Yoga is a great way to incorporate mindfulness and movement. Let me know in the comments below if you would like more resources or drop me an email.

·       Journal – Take a moment to get your thoughts down on paper. It helps clear your mind and process your thoughts. I started journaling again after a long hiatus and it has been beneficial in many ways.

·       Take a break – This could be as simple as taking a walk or meeting a friend for coffee. Or you can go on a retreat or a weekend alone. Maybe you need a bigger break like a vacation. We all need time away to refocus and recharge.

I have been using all of the above on a regular basis this year and it does make a difference. Yes, there are times when it all gets to be a bit too much (June, anyone?) but the key is to recognize the busyness and reset. And try not to feel guilty or that you should be doing more.

I’m slowing down a bit for the rest of the summer. I’m not taking as many calls or scheduling as many meetings. I have planned a few breaks and even a short vacation in August (Can I just say how much I have missed traveling?). With countries opening back up, I will be back to a more normal schedule that includes travel in the fall. I know I need to take what time I can this summer. I also know that when things ramp up in September, I need to be intentional to use the above techniques, so I don’t burnout or get strained.

I am glad I listened to myself and took this unintentional break from writing. But I am ready to get back to it. I hope you will join me as I enter back into this journey. For now, I can truly say it is well with my soul. Friend, I hope you can too.

This blog post was centered around the theme of Well-being. Please click the links below to read other posts on well-being by some fellow hope*writers.

Does Comfort Lead to Wellbeing?

 www.sharlahallett.com/does-comfort-lead-to-wellbeing/

Important Ways to Improve Your Spiritual Well-being
http://lindseygibson.com/stressed-important-ways-to-improve-your-spiritual-well-being/

Proven Child Sleep Meditation to Boost Wellbeing

https://louvaria.com/child-sleep-meditation/

When Your Soul is Overwhelmed: Choosing “Well-Being” over “Well-Doing”

https://kellycallenheath.com/when-your-soul-is-overwhelmed-choosing-well-being-over-well-doing/