photo above and below all courtesy of bing/loosingsteam

This topic was submitted by Tracy C – Justsuminspiration FB follower

Ever had that time when you were up to your eyeballs in trying to get things done and was wishing that someone would ask you for help? But, when asked if you needed help, you just put a BIG/HUGE smile on your face and said nicely “Oh, No – I’m good, I got It” only to turn around and burst into tears because you really did need help, you just didn’t want to bother anybody or felt like if you asked them or showed them what to do, you’ll just have to re-do it all anyway because “nobody can do it like you?”

Okay, so I know that was like a long thought – but when a person is on the verge of losing steam, that’s what they do. They want the help, but don’t know how to delegate what they need help with – They’d rather take the easy road out and just complain about everything instead – does that make sense? No, I’m sure it doesn’t – but by a show of hands; how many of us have done IT! (don’t raise your hands all at once, it’s not a trick question…lol)

Well, if you’re afraid to raise yours – excuse me while I raise mine because the scenario above has been a major issue in my “working and personal” life. There have been many times where I’ve lost steam, but because I knew people were counting on me to get things done, I allowed that thought to be my driving force and kept working my way through it all, even when the red lights were flashing and the train horns were blowing. I’ve noticed that when I get overwhelmed; my attention span is shortened, it’s like I can’t even concentrate on what I’m supposed to be doing. I get fidgety and nervous and most times instead of doing the important stuff that needs to be done, I find myself putting my attention on things that really don’t require a lot of thinking – such as writing or even playing a game on my phone. I’ve found solace in reading a scripture or just staring into space (I know, mindless activities are my favorite = )

For the past month and a half – I went into work putting together my first BIG event. Before I went into it, I had all these ideas of how I wanted it to go – I literally figured that it would be a piece of cake, something small that wouldn’t need a lot of time in trying to get together. Boy, was I wrong – something that started out being a 1 on a scale of 20, ended up spiking up to a 50 as the event got closer and closer to show time. I was so stressed and don’t even speak of steam….by the time the event came, I needed to borrow some steam just to make it through the event – did I mention that I was also one of the speakers? As if that wasn’t pressure enough, I was so busy trying to make sure that everything from A-Z was taken care of, until I hadn’t even had time to go over what I was going to talk about. If it were up to me, I would’ve just handed that off to someone else to do, seriously!

But, what do we do when we’ve reached our wits end and that little steam has turned into a FIRE! What do we do when we can’t seem to focus or keep going? How do we keep the little steam we have to get through other projects? Two words:

I know it’s easier said than done, because I’m still trying to practice it myself. But, I’ve come to the realization that things for me are done better when I give myself a break! As much as it may seem hard to do – I have to make myself get up and go for a walk or talk to a coworker, read, eat a snack, drink some water and even breathe! Before my sanity gets the best of me and I began to display actions that are outside of my character,  because it’s true what they say:

“There’s a thin line between sanity and insanity”

Listed below are a couple of other things that you can do to keep that steam engine moving in the right direction:

Be like DJ Unk and Walk It Out!

Honeyyyyy, you gotta take a break from whatever has got you stressed. You’ll be surprised at what a short walk around the corner, the house or down the block can do for you. Just get up and move! Walking not only improves our mood but it also gets those creative juices moving as well. So, if you’re stressed out, walking will not only help you release that stress; but you just may go back to your job, project or task with a new outlook on how to accomplish your goal.

Have a Spa day

If your steam is at an all time low, then maybe you need to get away. Even if it’s just to take a break and go get your nails done or finally make use of that free massage coupon that someone gave you for Christmas that you still hadn’t used yet and it’s JUNE! Sometimes taking a complete break away from our stressors is a good opportunity for us to re-charge, release and get back at our grind with a new focus.

Talk It Up with Friends 

When that steam is really hot, it’s good to have a good support group. While DJ Unk says “Walk it Out” sometimes a good “Talk it Out” is just as important. When we’re stressed we tend to hold a lot of stuff in – which in turn, releases those negative energies into our blood stream; which raises our blood pressure and brings on those nasty headaches that don’t seem to go away any time soon. Being able to vent is another way to get that steam under control.

Meditation, Oh Yeah Baby!

Aww, Yes – this is my favorite one. Sometimes I leave my work space and just go and sit with my eyes closed for 10min; even if it’s in my car! Getting away for those few minutes to reflect on what I’m doing and why, is good. I pray, take a deep breath in and RELEASE! Because sometimes we can get so caught up into our own processes – we forget or lose sight on who we are and our purpose in doing what we’re doing. Meditating, whether you do it by listening to some soft music or not saying anything at all in a room or space all by yourself; does your body, as well as your mind – GOOD!

So, now it’s your turn! What are a couple of tips that has helped you get through those, frustrating, steamy days. Leave your comments below…

I want to give a Special, Special Shout Out to Tracy C. for this second topic! I really appreciate you, thanks for consistently following, always reading, commenting and just being truly AWESOME!!!  I appreciate your support!!

If you would like to see what next week’s topic will be, tune in next Tuesday between the hours of 2:30pm and 3:00pm on the Justsuminspiration FB page – I may just go live or post a video of me pulling the next topic – just like I did this one!

Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of A Blog, A Magazine. It’s JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager