There is MORE
Have you ever struggled with anxiety? It can be an embarrassing topic sometimes - not because anxiety isn’t a serious and credible issue - but for me, the reason I don’t like talking about anxiety is because it’s an area where I lack control. But I think it’s a totally necessary conversation, because so many people deal with it.
If you know me, you probably know that I love to get things done and do a great job at it. I love to set goals and actually plan out my year both personally and financially through goal setting. While this is a great way to hold myself accountable, when I am already experiencing a lot of stress, it can lead to anxiety. I also have realized that I tend to throw myself 100% into whatever work I have, which can cause me to be a lot more emotionally invested in it than is actually healthy.
And a big added stresser, which I never realized until I had a kid, is the fear/anxiety that comes with loving my daughter to pieces. Can anyone relate or am I alone in this mom-craziness?!
You see, my mind was already in the fight or flight mode because work can be crazy, picking up extra side-gigs and balancing that with being a mom and wife was just tearing away at my state of mind. I just couldn’t keep up, and I started to have physical manifestations of anxiety.
panic attacks
back and neck pain & tightness
headaches
throat tightness
abdominal pain
I went to the doctor convinced that I had some sort of hormonal issue. I was having so many weird symptoms and constantly felt terrible, but with no real cause. I went to my doctor and had him do a crazy amount of blood work, testing everything - everything that they could. Thyroid, hormones, vitamins, etc.
It came back NORMAL!
Meanwhile I was having like 3-4 panic attacks a week. What gives? My doctor reached out and let me know that he was happy to write me an anxiety medication and that he thought it would be a great help to me. But I didn’t really have peace about that.
So I did something a little radical, but it worked.
I quit my job and made an active choice to stop rationalizing anxiety for the sake of money or a more ideal financial situation.
Just as a side note, don’t justify an unhealthy situation or endure mental turmoil for the sake of a paycheck, like, ever. Just don’t do it. It’s not worth it. It’s not worth the mental and physical toll on your body. You can always find another job. You can find a better environment. You can find a better pace of life. Money is not worth that kind of sacrifice. There is MORE TO LIFE!
I stopped trying to multitask. I stopped trying to fit everything into my schedule. I stopped coping with unhealthy lifestyles and changed my environment.
And it worked.
I’ve had ZERO panic attacks since I left my full-time position. I even went to my chiropractor and he commented on how much looser I was compared with previous weeks. Why? Because I am not constantly running from obligation to obligation. I am giving my body things that it’s been crying out for, which is more rest, actual downtime, and physical activity/sunshine where I can enjoy and appreciate my life in a deeper way.
Here’s why I’m sharing this with you:
Many of us have dealt with stress and anxiety. I want to challenge your thinking and ask if it could be because we are pushing ourselves beyond what we are physically and mentally capable of doing? If some of the things that stress you out were eliminated from your life, would you feel better?
God created us with the intention of us observing rest from time to time, and it’s something that almost feels long forgotten. I can tell you that I had not been taking time off or resting much in the last few years. Now standing on the other side of a rough couple months of anxiety, I just wonder what it would have been like to actually medicate myself and continue pushing beyond my limitations. How would that have affected my family? How would that have affected my moods and my health?
Last little statement and you can move on with your day…
I saw an article on LinkedIn that was so simple but so revelational. I wish I would have saved the article but I didn’t. It was about a guy who was sharing how he’s quit 5 jobs and given ample notice each time, only to be dismissed and replaced before the two weeks was up. He had worked so hard, sacrificed extra time, and given his all… only to be a quick replacement. The moral of the story: enjoy your life, take time off, don’t miss things that are going on with your family, explore hobbies… because work is NOT everything. At the end of your life, you’re not going to wish you worked more. You’re going to wish you spent more time doing what was important to you and that you loved.
Even if you don’t struggle with anxiety, we can all learn to enjoy life a little more and spend it on things that you care about. What are some ways you can shift your balance in your life/workload?
Disclaimer: I know that anxiety is not always just a situational thing, and that it can exist regardless of your environment or situation. I am not discrediting the value and use of anxiety medication. In my case, my anxiety was directly linked to what I was experiencing on a day-to-day basis. The times I have experienced anxiety were always around times where I had too much on my plate, which is why I knew that medication would not solve it. I am also not saying that the answer to every situation is to quit your job. Do not put yourself in a financial crisis because you do not like your job. I had taken a lot of time to think through my decision and had another position lined up before I resigned from my position. I will always encourage you to pray about any major decision and also do the math and understand what you are doing before you make the jump.