I don't know if you're familiar with the expression, "falling off the wagon" or not, but that's what happened to me. It means you were on track to do something but you went off track for a while. That was me. I've been living simply for almost a year now, continuing in my minimalism mindset, but then it happened...the stress got away from me.
As many of you know, it's my first time in college in decades and it's so much harder now. There's no books, only online textbooks, online resources, online database articles, academic articles, and so much to remember for tests with nothing but lecture notes. How good or bad those notes are definitely depend on the teacher's ability to bring the information to you in a clear way that's easy to understand. If the teacher gets side tracked, or tells too many personal stories, it's easy to misunderstand the most important points and not do so well on the tests.
I have to admit, other than school stress, my life is pretty good compared to my closest circle of friends. Right now I have been up nights praying for healing, miracles, marriages/divorces, guidance, truth, protection, health, peace, rest, salvation, finances, and so much more - for my friends - for weeks on end now.
So here I am far too long since my last post, exhausted mentally, which is making me feel tired physically too. So if you fall "off the wagon" of simple living too now and then, it's okay. It happens. Life is happening to and around all of us. No one's perfect. What you and I both need to do is get back ON THE WAGON. Don't abandon all you've learned so far. What are some strategies?
1. Take a breather. It may be just a few hours away in the mountains or at the lake. It may be lunch or dinner with someone you care about. It may be a nap in the middle of the day on your day off. Just take that few hours to recharge. There's no way to recover without taking a breather.
2. ReFocus. What are your plans? Are you heading in the right direction? Are you still making baby steps in the right direction to get you where you eventually want to be? Remember the times when you DID have a handle on things and you could better handle stress and let go of things that you don't need to worry about controlling.
3. Start again. When you wake up tomorrow, wake up with the intent of doing what's most important to you. Don't drag yesterday's stuff around with you. Go back to your minimalism or simple living roots. Don't over complicate things. You just handle one thing at a time. You'll get back on track.
So like I have to learn to do...forgive yourself for letting things get out of hand for a while, and start again ready to face the world in a more calm, mindful, intentional way. You and I CAN choose how we react or respond to things. Let go of what is out of your control anyway. And breathe!
