Life,  Uncategorized

Why I had to quit…a lesson in putting me first

In a prior post called “Get your Sleep On” I talked about the importance of getting adequate rest and also my desire to do better in that department. Also, regarding my Spring Resolution Reboot goals, I had it in mind to continually create and work on writing more content for my growing blog. Well while maintaining a 9-5 job I also dedicated my time to volunteer work and writing for this blog, not to mention my personal life as wife at home too. With all my ambitions and desires, I discovered that with progress comes work but I may have not anticipated how much more work comes when you are doing a job and doing it well. So with this revelation it soon became clear something’s got to give and a sacrifice would have to be made. I would have to quit.

So what did I quit? No I did not quite my 9-5 job, but unfortunately I did have to quit my volunteer gig with Kitty Kind a few weeks ago. I wrote about my experience with the organization and how working with them helping in turning my pain into purpose, which I’m forever grateful. However over time, with my work commitments, personal responsibilities at home and building this blog and gaining positive responses, I could see and feel I was starting to drown.

I like to be a practitioner of what I preach and hence the name Impurrfectlife! Life’s not perfect nor will I ever give you the impression that I’m some Kardashian or model, because that’s so not me. What I do strive to do is bring inspiration, comfort, support and validation to pet parents and intertwine life lessons and experiences I go through to share with others.

work
Photo credit: Pixabay.com

The build up

So with building this blog and being the dedicated hard-working person I am, I want to be able to always be a woman of my word and deliver what I say I will do. I take pride in being a person with integrity as that is who I am. With knowing this I also realized that my commitments with work, my blog, commuting over 2 hours a day, maintaining the home, and volunteering was taking its toll. I was working 5 days a week at my 9-5 job, 2.5 hours of commuting a day, working on my blog in the afterhours and then errands /house chores and groceries on Saturday and Sunday volunteer work online updates during most the day. I wasn’t leaving anytime for downtime or much ME time.

I was losing time to rest and sleep and recharge during the week. I could feel my dependency on coffee increase. Since I was experiencing low energy and feeling fatigued, I also began to gain the pounds. The last straw came when I began to have feelings of losing my cheery self. I was started to get moody, stressed to the max and snippy. That’s so not me.  Something had to change.

Time to Quit

As much as you may want to feel you can do it all. I realized nope I can’t. I need to stop before I have complete burn out. My revelation came when not only the scale changed but also myself changed. I realized that things that once brought me joy felt like a burden infringing on ME time. When I say ME time I mean time to sleep and recharge and reboot. So for my own mental and physical health, I had to make a decision. Put volunteering first or put me and my wellbeing first. I had to put in my two week notice for my volunteer job. I felt bad not to be able to help out however I knew I made the right choice for my sanity and my overall health.

me time
Photo credit: Pixabay.com

Lesson learned

Having goals is great but knowing when to say no and make changes feels even better.  I’ve learned listening to your body and knowing the symptoms of stress and when you are experiencing burn out is important. Life’s too short to stress yourself out. It’s important to take care of yourself. We only get one life. This life is not a dress rehearsal. So I’m taking my own advice and trying to turn things around. I’m taking steps to plan out my weeks better so I’m able to get more ME time and sleep time. I’m slowly feeling more like myself again and I’m happier for it. I now have time to paint! I hope what I have learned resonates with others to not feel bad about doing what’s right and necessary for you. Sometimes there needs to be a necessary ending so you can have a fresh new beginning.

Did my experience resonate with you? Have you had to make necessary changes in your life to ensure a better quality life? Share your comments below.