Every once and awhile, recently more often than not I get these moments where I feel incredibly anxious and discouraged. Let me tell you, it is not fun. My inspiration and motivation goes right out of the window and I sit (or scroll) with despair. As a business owner/entrepreneurial spirit/ and musician it does not serve me well to be void of motivation, it also doesn’t serve me to sit in despair. It actually compounds any anxiety I feel *eye roll emoji*. I know from conversations with friends, and general engagement with the broader community of social media that I am not the only one to ever feel this way.
Lately, when I’ve been feeling down I’ve been practicing reminding myself of a few things. These reminders don’t always act as a huge despair cleansing blast but they do shed a little bit of light on things when they all feel hard-because sometimes all of the things really do feel hard. Oftentimes these reminders shed just enough light to keep me moving. I wanted to share some of them with you so that maybe, one day if you are feeling down you can refer back to this to remind yourself of some small things that may shed some light.
Here we go,
When I’m anxious about social interactions that have occurred or have yet to occur I remind myself…
You are capable of having meaningful conversations and building meaningful relationships
They are not thinking about that thing you said anymore
Everyone has awkward moments you are not strange, they understand
People can take you as you are or not, there is no reason not to show up fully as yourself – you are wonderful
Allow people to interpret you the way they choose, you can’t control their perception of you
You always show up a little better than you believe you do
Even if this goes horribly wrong you are still worthy of love and respect
When I’m anxious about completing a task I remind myself…
You have made it this far in life, you can do this too
You are capable of doing what you dream of doing
No one gets it right every time, but you only fail if you don’t try
Each attempt pushes you closer to where you want to be
You get to pursue the life you dream of, it’s up to you
Mistakes and trial and error build successes – go for it
When I’m feeling overwhelmed or just sad in general I remind myself…
Your biggest job is to care for yourself
Rest is a sacred practice
You don’t need to be anything for anyone but yourself at this moment
It is okay to prioritize yourself
You do not owe anyone your energy
It is okay to say no
It is okay to set boundaries
The past is in the past you can choose to grow from it
You are not who other people say you are
(I ask myself)
What do you need right now?
What would make you feel safe?
What would bring you joy right now?
What can you do now to set yourself up well later?
Sometimes a few of these reminders are all I need, sometimes I need reminders and food, sometimes I just need to vent to someone to let it all out, sometimes it just takes a little bit of time. I hope that you can use some of these reminders and questions whenever you’re feeling low. Remember, we are in a global pandemic you are doing what you can and that is enough. Also, even if we weren’t in a global pandemic doing what you can is still enough. If no one has told you today, I’m proud of you and you are so very loved. ❤
What are some ways you encourage yourself when you are feeling down?
Jubilee Renee 