Mirror Monday!

So here we go!

This is my first Mirror Monday, where I look in the mirror and tell you what I see.  Then I tell you how I think I can build on that, or turn it around.  

Today I see exhaustion.  I see the remnants of stress and not sleeping.  Last week was a little rough.  I feel as though I let some work stuff get to me more than it should, and I pretty much feel like I didn't stop moving.  Even the weekend was busy with work, friends, and things to do.  

October is always a very busy month for me.  There's always a fun fall activity to do and friends start to realize that they haven't seen me for a while so they start to plan things.  I love being able to see my friends, but this is also the season in teaching when things start to pick up as well in various aspects.  It winds up feeling like I don't stop.  

Normally this would be fine, but for the past 2 Octobers, this also happens to be around the time that I stop sleeping.  I don't know if it's habit from years of working in the restaurant industry where I don't sleep.  I don't know if it's from the weather.  I also don't know if it's from my neighbors being more active at later hours.  Either way, I get less sleep than I would like.  Even if I go to bed at an earlier hour, I wake up at various points throughout the night.

So seeing all this, the best I can do is take care of my body.  My skin is currently riddled with a stress breakout, so I need to drink more water and eat better.  I need to lay off the bad food, and stick to what I know will nourish my body rather than cave in to a craving.  I need to sleep when I can, and spend my time wisely during the day.  Workouts will help with those lovely endorphins, and hopefully I can remain grounded. 

I think the biggest thing I need to remember this week is not to be too hard on myself.  I get frustrated when I get stuck on something with work, and I need to just remember to let things go.  I need to let things roll off my shoulders and breathe.  My brain usually does not like to turn off, so this is the time that I need to find ways to let my brain shut off.   I am lucky to have an amazing fiance whose hugs immediately relieve stress from my shoulders, and his sweet words are almost always a reminder of why I can't wait to call him my husband.  

Grounded.  That is my word for the week.