Feeling heavy today. What is that? Feelings are such an integral experience and driving force in our lives, yet we can’t even put our finger on them half the time. Sometimes I carry a feeling from days before and in the quiet of my heart, over the course of a day or two- it begins to blossom into something larger- sometimes fear, sometimes love or concern, sometimes full fledged joy. But whatever it is- it startles me in full bloom, because of the delayed process and final presentation of a thought, idea or as we’d call it- a full formed “feeling”.
Today I feel sad. I feel a lot of sadness for a lot of things like when I was tired and snapped at Ella- for the mornings I forgot to wake up and honor God with prayer and silence. I feel heavy, because I’m carrying pain and sorrow for those hurting beside me. Even though life get’s busy and all I can offer is a quick thought or passing prayer, the afflictions of my family, friends and neighbors eventually settle into my heart. And the only way to process emotions or feelings is to ride them out- live from moment to moment enveloped in their weight and impression.
This happens for me quite often when I’m traveling for work and don’t have time to decompress. Which is why I really value my down-time and intentionally create boundaries around my family time & schedule… During my recent travels I had the beautiful opportunity to catch up with my best friends and create irreplaceable life memories, so I’d never want to dismiss those experiences, but rather embrace both in their time.
These are some photos from my recent work trip to LA:
When life get’s busy however, here are a few ways to carve out the time and mind-space to be present.
- Set aside 5-10 minutes in the morning to journal and read an inspiration book like the bible or an inspirational verse.
- Ask yourself how you’re doing and make space to let yourself “feel” what you’re feeling.
- Practice gratefulness. Write out a list (this could even be one thing) of the things you feel grateful for including your health, the health of loved one, your job, etc.
These few steps can be quite helpful when you find yourself feeling anxious or sad without any obvious cause. I find that we can get so busy in today’s world that the emotional responses are often delayed, adding confusion to otherwise normal emotional responses.
What do you do on the daily to ensure a life lived in the presence? Any tips on how to maintain mental health and balance from day to day? Please leave your thoughts and comments below…
Amanda says
Looks like you had an awesome time in LA!
xx, Amanda
Poised Avenue
Annette Dattilo says
This post is so relatable. My last few days have been just that. Emotion definitely needs its time to process. I am introverted so HAVE to have “me time” to process life. We have had a busy week due to Easter etc… so I plan to regroup this week and get re-centered. Talks with God, Nature, and music seem to do the trick quicker than anything for me. Great post, thank you for sharing.
Taylor Mobley says
I am an introverted extrovert so I totally get this! I need to unwind and remember to be present.
Deborah says
Aww looks like you had a great time in LA! I’m an introvert and I really need to get better at taking time for myself and just being silent because I’ve been feeling like I’ve been running myself ragged lately.
sharon wu says
looks like you had fun in la babe. i totally agree with you that it’s important to be present and unwind even when life gets hectic and busy. thanks for the reminder darling, and have a great week!
Stephanie Caligiuri says
Looks like you had a great time in LA! Can totally relate to this post!
xo, Steph | UrbanBlonde.com
Denise Kokinis says
Definitely a super relatable post here! I sometimes really let my emotions get the best of me and don’t always sit back and think for a second. I really need to practice more me-time and learn/ practice a bit more self-care.
Denise | Fashion Love Letters
Kristin says
Love the idea of making a list of things you’re grateful for when feeling a bit down. I think sometimes we all focus the things that mean so little instead of the heavy hitters and the things that are going right. Thanks for opening up about this, doll!
Rachel says
Thanks for writing this as it’s very relatable. I am also an introverted extrovert (other comments said the same thing) and when the introvert takes ahold (often) I mistake it for depression because I want to get out and do things but then I just cry t my husband about not having a social life because I don’t know how to talk to people.
xo Rachel – To Hell in a Handbag