Extremely Busy

This time of year can be extremely busy. Are you feeling a little off?

A close friend of mine was telling me how chaotic her schedule is right now. She said that between work, back to school meetings and weekend sports commitments with her kids, she feels like she’s lost her sparkle.

At first I couldn’t stop laughing because it was such an adorable way to say she’s tired, exhausted and feels like the life has been sucked out of her.

It’s easy for all of us to lose our sparkle.

The daily stresses of life can cause us to feel off balance. When I feel off balance, I get grumpy. And, when I get grumpy I tend to raise my voice, especially when my children don’t listen. OK, maybe that was too generously expressed. When I’m grumpy I YELL, which then makes me feel guilty. I stress about the permanent damage I’m causing my kids and then I feel off balance again.

I’m exhausted just telling you about it.

We rush around like crazy people trying to be everything to everybody, but we don’t have to. Sometimes, we just have to take a step backwards, reexamine our lives and be willing to say enough is enough.

Do whatever you must, but don’t lose your sparkle.

I wish I had a special bag of pink pixie dust I could sprinkle on myself whenever life starts wearing me down. Since I don’t, here’s what I recommend:

Send yourself to time-out in your bathroom, pour a glass of wine and soak your troubles away in a hot bath. And, make sure you lock your door. You don’t want THEM coming into the bathroom while you’re relaxing. The last thing you need is for your husband to think he’s invited. He is not. This is about you.

Take a walk, go for a run or try to exercise for at least thirty minutes. It’s amazing how good you will feel after sweating out your stress. Burning calories is always a plus.

Meet a friend for coffee or lunch and tell her your woes. Things always feel better after you’ve spent time with a friend. Just make sure she isn’t too perfect, or you’ll walk away feeling inadequate, or worse.

Retail therapy. Need I say more? You don’t need my permission to buy a cute new outfit or those must have boots you saw online.

Put on your pajamas, order a pizza for dinner and catch up on reality TV. And, don’t feel guilty about it.

Figure out what works for you, and then do it.

The key is to not get to the point where you need to escape and recharge. Taking a little time for yourself each day will do wonders for your spirt and help you stay balanced.

This article was first published on the Huffington Post Blog.