:4 steps to handling stress + wormholes:

have you seen Guardians of the Galaxy 2? go with me here. it’s not a good movie. neither was the first one. but we watched it anyway so here we are. at one point, a couple of the characters have to make this “jump” through the universe. think of it as a teleport machine in space that quickly takes you from one point in the universe to another. really it’s a wormhole. anyway, in this particular scene, the characters are making 700 jumps, which apparently messes with your physiology pretty badly. their faces stretch and contort in odd ways and it’s clearly uncomfortable.

here’s the point - that’s been what my brain has felt like for the last month or so. i talked about this a bit in my last post but i’m finally settled down and i can look back on the last four weeks and think, yep. i just traveled through 700 wormholes and all i got is this lousy t-shirt. except i don’t even have a t-shirt to show for it.

life can be pretty demanding generally and especially demanding at certain points. i guess there are a few keys to making it through:

1. have someone or a few someones with whom you can share the load. it helps me relieve the pressure when i can come home and get a good belly laugh from my partner or my girlfriends or my family. whoever your rock is, lean on them.
2. understand the difference between what you actually can do and what you always do because you can. it can feel like you cannot catch your breath during those exceptional challenges but you know there are moments when you can. i found myself avoiding my phone because i just did not want to absorb anything else into my brain. that meant less time on instagram or facebook and no time blogging. i think stepping back helped me keep on top of the things i knew i couldn’t miss. all the other stuff will be there when you’re ready to come back.
3. prioritize “me” time. maybe you need to talk to your partner about giving you a little more space (especially if kids are involved). but even if you get a half hour dedicated to re-centering yourself, it can make all the difference. i made sure to get to the gym/yoga as much as humanly possible. and then didn’t beat myself up when i just couldn’t swing it.
4. be kind to yourself. i say this often but don’t be fooled by what you see online. everyone struggles. everyone has a bad hair day or a down on their rockin’ bod day or can i really do this job day. everyone. hop back up to 1, 2, or 3 to help yourself remember that.

this post has meandered into a place i wasn’t expecting. i definitely didn’t start off thinking i would write a list. i mean, i tried to make an analogy between my life and a scene in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. this feels rather reflective of my thoughts lately! if you made it this far… wow. you give me life! and if you didn’t, i absolutely get it. either way, i love you guys and i hope you have an exceptional weekend.

hey, happy first day of fall! it’s 84 degrees! :)

tank free people (on sale here) // jeans mother // shoes stuart weitzman // sunglasses quay // watch jord // necklace cloverpost

photos // lauren