I’m going to be completely honest. The past few weeks were not the best for me. I was exhausted and lacking energy, my body was ready for my infusion, and I was so overcommitted. I had managed to get involved in things that I really didn’t care about, and it was making me miserable. I was unpleasant to my family and friends, and I was not a very good girlfriend.
And then my boyfriend sent me a blog post that he stumbled across about being present, and it was a game changer.
During the two “unhappy weeks,” I rushed from meeting to meeting, came home, ate dinner, and then holed up in the bedroom to work on my blog. To me, it was my escape. But I wasn’t spending time with my boyfriend, and I was horrible at texting my friends back. After reading the post about being present, I became aware of my behavior. I created a list of goals, and I changed up my post-work routine so that I was able to balance life a little better.
Goals:
1. Say No. I’ve written so many blog posts about my struggle with saying no. But now, I’m not going to feel guilty for saying no if someone asks me to come to a meeting on the only day that I don’t have meetings after work.
2. Put the computer away. I really make a point to respond to every single comment that I get, but it can get very time consuming! I’ve realized that sometimes I need to let comments go unanswered (but not unread!) and spend that time watching a movie with my boyfriend or taking a long walk with my dog.
3. Enjoy the moment. I’m trying to focus on the moment that I’m currently in without letting what I have to do at work the next day loom over my head.
4. Try new things. I think that it’s so easy to get stuck in a rut, but part of my goal with being present and enjoying the moment is trying new things!
Now I want to hear from you – what do you do to “be present?” Any tips you want to share with me?
XX,
SS
For me being present in a relationship (after a bunch of long days at work, especially), is all about putting away the devices (phone, computer, iPad, etc.) for at least a little chunk of time. I have such a bad habit of sometimes letting my phone and social media consume my time with my boyfriend instead of actually enjoying our time together to the fullest. So during dinner time (when we are together), we try to avoid using our phones and whatnot so we can catch up on each other's days/lives. I feel like just that little bit of time makes a difference. Then if we want to do other things on our own afterwards, we are able to do that.Because sometimes everyone just needs a little me time..especially after a long day :)xoxo, Jenny || Breakfast at Lillys
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment 🙂 Putting away the devices is a big struggle for me, as well! Hope that you have a great week, dear! Xo
These goals are great ideas. Being present is something I have to think about and be conscious about every day!xo ClassToCloset
Thank you, love! Hope that you have a great week 🙂 Xo
I love the idea of being present and I struggle with it daily!! I'm working on trying to get as much done on sunday night's for the blog so i'm not overwhelmed during the week!! xo, Biana – BlovedBoston
I do the same thing!! Sundays are usually when I take my pics for the week & I try to write at least three days worth of content… I'm trying so hard to get back into the routine! Hope that you have a great week, B! xo
Being present is something I struggle with too, it's so hard not to get caught up with everything going on that your attention sometimes slack. I love your tips though, giving your attention really can make all the difference with relationships!xoxoBrooke|LookBrooke
Thank you so much! Hopefully we can work to be more conscious about it. Hope that you have a great week dear! Xo
These are great goals, SS. As you know I had to cut down my blog time due to work, well things are slowly getting back to normal with the company I am working for, but I think I won't go back to my three outfits/week thingy, that is not right now. Like you I need some time for myself, being present, time to enjoy, all those things you mentioned in the above. hugsLenyaFashionDreams&Lifestyle
I'm contemplating cutting mine back, as well! Hope that you have a great week, Lenya! Glad to hear that work is getting back to normal 🙂
Great post! Totally agree! Learning to say no not just to other but also yourself is really important! :)http://tickleyourvanity.com
Thanks so much, Ramy!! Xo
Aw so sorry you've been having a hard time. I definitely know what you mean about the struggle to be in the present, especially as a blogger! It's great to have a set list of things like this to work on! Chelsea Chow Down USA
Aww, thank you love! This week has been 100 times better, thank goodness! Glad to know that I'm not the only blogger who struggles. Hope that you have a wonderful week! Xo
I empathize with you 100%. Personally, I like to take a few moments to recentre myself and snap out of it. (I tend to do things cold turkey-style.) I'll sit down and think about my one- or five-year plans and motivate myself to get back into the groove. Running helps a lot for me, or any physical activity (like going to a yoga class). I try to make practicing mindfulness a part of everything I do now in order to keep from slipping into that less than stellar place of mind.Glad to year you're doing better! Inspirational reads always help, too!High Heels & Happy Feels
Lindsey, thanks for such a thoughtful comment! I won two months of free yoga classes from a local studio, so I really have no excuse not to be going. Thanks for always being so sweet! I hope that you have an amazing week! Xo
Actually I'm one of those people who rarely says no, but with the time I've realized that actually sometimes it's ok to say no!http://www.notesofglam95.blogspot.it/
I have the same struggle! Thanks for stopping by 🙂 Xo
Absolutely love this post. We all have those times and it is definitely good to take a little "me time" when you need it. xx.Brittanylifelikeatwentysomething.blogspot.com
Thanks for stopping by, sweet girl! Xo 🙂
Technology is certainly a blessing and a burden but putting it away sometimes really helps to "be present." Great post!xoAlex | Mrs. Mason Dixon
That is such a good way to put it; It definitely is a blessing and a burden! Hope your week is off to a great start, love 🙂 Xo
Great post, I really needed it as I get carried away sometimes and isolate myself which is not fair on everyone around me!Sarahhttps://everydayconcepts.wordpress.com/
So glad that you enjoyed it! I face the same issue. Hopefully now that we're conscious of it, we can make the changes necessary 🙂 Have a great week, dear! Xo
You are definitely doing the best thing for yourself! I use to comment everyday and it became way too much. So now I just read and respond to comments every other day. It's important to spend time with love ones, because you don't get those moments back.http://www.averysweetblog.com/
You are so sweet, Kim! Thank you for stopping by 🙂 Xo
I really enjoyed putting the computer away while I was on vacation and not even thinking about taking blog photos or topic ideas. It's important to recharge and come back with fresh ideas and experiences.-Alexwww.monstermisa.blogspot.com
I completely agree; recharging is a must! When I went for a long weekend in South Carolina, I really enjoyed not having any phone service. Maybe it's time to go back! Hope you're having a great week, love! Xo
Preach, sista! I think these are great stands to take to create a positive change in your life. It is so hard in this day and age of technology to just unplug and be engaged off of the screen. Thanks for the inspiration and good luck- you deserve it!xox. A Peachy Sonder
Such a great post and so relatable! My wake up call was ironically found on the internet titled "How to Miss a Childhood." It was basically about how you can miss your child growing up right before your eyes when you are on your phone/internet all the time. It was specifically about missing out on time with your kids but the message could be about anyone important in our lives. I try to only work on my blog when my son is napping, at school, etc. This means I don't get to post everyday, but when it comes right down to it, my life is so much more than my blog…or Facebook…or Pinterest; you get the point! Sometimes we all need a little new perspective and I'm happy that you have found it! Good luck with your goals!Rachael stylishmichiganmom.blogspot.com
A very valuable piece of advice and I really needed this right now :)Bella Pummarola
I read this post and you got me nodding my head in agreement. I'm a stay at home mum and yet, I find it almost impossible to keep up. My baby is almost 11 months old and starting to walk, and I find it really hard to juggle the time between him, family time and blogging. The thought of quitting has come across my mind but I love what I do. So now I try to answer as much comments as I could but some will be left unanswered but never unread and I made sure to visit all their blogs. It's better time management for sure. Shireen | Reflection of Sanity
I totally know what you mean! It's so important to put away with your computer and spend time with your loved ones. But at the same time, I try to comment on blogs too and it indeed is very time consuming!Tinawww.justatinabit.com
Aww, I'm sorry you had such a crappy past few weeks. Yes, it can be difficult to say no, it always hurts even though its the right thing to do. I always try to enjoy the moment and make it last as long as possible, take in everything to remember. That's how I stay in the present <3xx Bash | Bash Says Hey | bloglovin'
I hope you are having a good day! The points you've written are amazing and I think your BF is very practical and caring!Xx,Nilu YuleenaBIG hair LOUD mouth
How lovely that you boyfriend sent you the link to the blog post, it sounds as though it was exactly what you needed to read at this point in your life! I couldn't agree with you more about learning when to say 'no', I discovered the power of that a couple of years ago and have never looked back! :)Gabrielle | A Glass Of Ice x
I really need to work on putting my computer away! I sometimes get to carried away 🙁 Melanie @ meandmr.com
saying NO is the hardest thing ever and ever!!! My husband gets after me all the time for not being present…… this is a great blog post!
These are great tips! Being present is really hard for me because I find myself buried under projects, blogging stuff, etc. and leaving the most important things (spending time with family, friends, my fiance', and my animals). My biggest tip is to budget your time, it doesn't sound fun but it works!xoxo, SSThe Southern Stylista
Thank you so much for these words of wisdom! ♥ I really need to learn how to say no. 🙁 I easily get stressed out, be pressured, and panic so it's usually hard for me to say no. It caused me a lot of problems before and I think if I don't change, it would cause even more problems in the future. xxRoxanne ♥ | Awkward Turtle