The Grace You Didn’t Know You Needed

Giving yourself grace during the times where you need it the most, and where you may not realize you needed it at all.

If you’re anything like me, you may be continuing on day by day, only to have your emotions catch up with you. I don’t think we always realize when we are pushing away our feelings, stressors, etc. when we should be acknowledging them, giving them space and grace, and moving forward.

I recently had been moving forward every day uninspired, exhausted and forgetting to give myself grace. I think we, as a society, are told to keep moving and to push forward, but no one really talks about what happens when you push yourself too far. It doesn’t have to be anything big that pushes you over either, for me, it’s a lot of little things. It’s things I can control, and things I can’t. I am not here to give you all of the answers, because I am still writing them myself, but when all else fails, give yourself grace. Give yourself grace to feel, give yourself grace to slow, give yourself grace to pick it all back up again.

So, here is a few things that I do when I need to pick myself back up.

1. Stretch & breathe. Slow it down and give yourself physical space by creating room within your body. We often hear that we should workout when we don’t feel like it, and although that is often true, I think stretching and slowing down is highly underrated as well.
2. Write it out. One of my best friends gave me the advice to write blog posts, even if I don’t publish them. Grab a journal and write out your feelings, your gratitude list, or even your worries, seeing it all on paper may help.
3. Tell someone about it. Text your bestie, sit down your husband, call your mom. Sometimes knowing someone sees you and hears you is enough, even if they can’t fix it for you.
4. Pamper yourself. Even if it is only to take 5 minutes to wash your face. We can sometimes neglect those daily habits when we are overwhelmed, and taking the time to refresh has always helped me.
5. Cook or bake something. Busy or not, a girls got to eat, right?! Sometimes the process of making something from scratch (or the box, no judgement here) can help to ground you. Make a dish or treat that always makes you feel at home or reminds you of someone you love.
6. Make a list. It can feel like we are juggling hundreds of things, and seeing it all in order can help you prioritize and knock off some of the items that have been stressing you out. Other times, you may not have as much to do as you thought, but now you know your to do list wasn’t the root of your stress.
7. Forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for feeling this way, because it is normal, allowed, and accepted. You will always be your biggest critic, and it is okay not to feel okay all of the time.

You got this, give yourself the grace you need and get back on track as your best self.

Love, M