Trying to be kind to myself.

Today I was kind to myself when I delegated responsibilities when I decided that the weekend musts were not going happen and when I declared to my surrounding in the evening that I was not available (unless there was blood or fire of course).

It was Saturday morning and I was already exhausted or should I say wiped out. The kind of deep bone exhaustion that leaves you staring at the person talking to you. It was also the day of the dance recital for my daughter. End of the season. A big day. No rest for the wicked. Rather - no rest for anyone. Spent the morning getting worked up about all that needed to be done and how I could be everywhere, making sure it's done the right way... At the same time I had my goals of walking my daily steps in the back head as a loud demand.

Not going to bore you with details. In the end I exhausted myself but the recital was a success and with the help of a few painkillers my head didn't fall of my shoulders. On the way home though I decided to not do anything else for the weekend so I put on my sneakers when we got home and went out to get my steps in. After two months of regular workouts it has become a place of release and relief for me. I felt better and back home I closed my eyes and asked my family to tell me when food was delivered.

The rest of the evening I spent staring at the ceiling, breathing or watching a feel good movie.

In these situations I often forget all about breathing, calmness and priority. I take on full responsibilities of everything that needs to happen when it actually would be more helpful of breathing deeper, staying calm and prioritize.

In finding a go-to-trick that helps me I had to look into myself and how I function. I am a great fan of silence. Too much noise or too high volume raises my alarms and my nervous system goes into fight or flight. I have spent too much time fighting over the years so now instead I try to flight. Ear plugs or headphones is my best friend when I cannot remove myself from a situation.

Do you have any tips or tricks for stressful moments or situations?