A friend checked on me yesterday because he knows that I’ve been a bit overwhelmed. He wanted to make sure that I was taking care of myself, physically and mentally. What he didn’t know, is that I had just had a check-in call with someone who is near and dear to my heart, because she has been struggling a bit too. Anyway, I was really thankful for his check-in on me. It meant a lot. It made me think about the angels that God has placed in the world for me (for all of us). But, check-in coupled with mine, also made me think about how much women bare on their proverbial shoulders. Funny, when I’m stressed, I tend to feel pain in the area between my upper back and neck – probably a result of all that weight on my shoulders….lol As women, whether we are single, connected, with or without kids, working full time, part time or stay-at-home jobs (cause you betta believe that stay-at-home mom is working too), we are so busy trying to keep it together – whatever “IT” is. We are trying to make sure that everyone is okay – hubby, boyfriend, girlfriend, significant other, kids, parents, friends, people in the office, people in various social groups. We are nurturers by nature, and it shows in our everyday routines. We were born to fix things, make the pain go away, wipe away the tears. But, in doing so, we tend to forget about ourselves. Forgetting about ourselves can mean anything from forgetting our own identities to forgetting to take care of our physical, mental and emotional well-being. We are so busy caring for others that we unconsciously forget to care for ourselves. We allow the people whose acceptance we are craving to dictate our lives, and to our own detriment. We never stop to smell the roses - our noses have become immune to them. We don’t take breaks to daydream – our minds know no such thing. We don’t ask for help – weakness doesn’t look good anyone. We fail to look in the mirror – we’re afraid of what we’ll see. With heart attacks beingone of the top silent killers of women, and stress and anxiety running rampant, woman to woman, I have to say to you, “SLOW DOWN”. Take time to make sure that you are okay – mentally AND physically. It’s perfectly fine to be the fixer, the glue that holds the bond together, the shoulder to lean on, for those that you love, but what’s not okay is doing it while slowly dying, inside or out. Love up on yourself just as much as you love up on the ones you care about, exercise, eat healthy and ask for help when you need it. Use your tribe, and if you don’t have one, get one STAT! #livingforlola #livingoutthebox #selfcare#selflove #slowdown #breathe #smelltheroses #dream #lookinthemirror #useyourtribe #findatribe #keepyourtribe
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