I am extremely introverted – this does not mean I am not social. Introversion and social anxiety are two completely different things. I am very social, but being around people constantly is not what recharges me. I need alone time where I can relax and refocus. Sometimes we overwhelm ourselves with work, social obligations, and even social media to the point where we are exhausted and not fully present. We start picking fights with our loved ones (or at least I do) because I become irritable.

The first week of the month is the most difficult for me because, by day, I am an accountant and we are working on closing revenue during that first week, every single month (I know, I’ll pause while you yawn.) It’s long hours and high pressure – everything that comes across my desk is urgent and everyone wants it done immediately. My work outs seem to decrease in quantity and quality that week because I just don’t have the energy for it. When I finally get home, I am completely spent. One day last week, I felt like I could barely form sentences much less follow a recipe to make dinner.

On that day all I wanted to do was go lie down, my mind needed to rest. But when I got home I took the dogs out and fed them, started a load of laundry, and loaded the dishwasher, and finally laid down on the floor in the dark and turned on some meditation music. I strongly believe in quiet time and meditation, especially if you already have a hard time being still and staying present. Jon walked in the door about 5 minutes later. I felt a little better but honestly, I needed more time. The people pleasing part of my brain kicked in and took over. I am a people-pleaser to a fault – that does not mean I  think I am the nicest person in the world. It means I’m not taking care of myself and if we don’t do that, how can we expect to “show up” for those we care about?

I popped up from the floor and immediately started helping with dinner and masking my true emotions. I explained later how I was feeling. I did end up going to bed early that night and that was an improvement for me, asking for what my mind and body needed. However, we need to do more of this and not feel bad about it. Take time for yourself. Go for that run, go sit in silence, go cry in your car, whatever you need to do. Ask for what you need to keep yourself healthy and in a good head space. Two of my most recent goals have been to wake up an hour earlier than normal at least 2 days a week to make time to read before going into work and taking on any chaos the day may bring. Another goal has been to skip the gym on Wednesday evenings and head home to write. These are things that make me happy and therefore, I need to make time to do them. Don’t get me wrong, I love my alone time at the gym too, but I am trying to find the right balance that works for me. Being “too busy” is a myth, you are the only one who can prioritize your time – make the best of it!