Today I told my class I would see them next week, on Monday. You know, as in five days from now. There was silence, confused looks, a question about whether or not there was class on Wednesday this week. To which I replied, oblivious, “you mean like today?”

Ummmmmmm. Nooooooo. Nope. Just no. Today is not Wednesday, today is Monday. Next Monday is not five days from now, it’s seven. As in a week. Awesome. High five self.  So glad I made that announcement while I was getting observed too, I mean, do I have my act together or WHAT? #sosmart.

So um, I maybe, again, am flying in too many different directions at once and not getting enough sleep. It’s possible. A little bird told me so. And by little bird, I mean the voices, in my head, that I may or may not be verbally responding to… Don’t judge. It’s been a rough few weeks.

Eesh. That sounded like an excuse.

And it is.

The truth is, I signed myself up for this. I make my own schedule, I choose what work to accept and which to decline and I make conscious decisions about the quantity, quality and content of the fun in which I choose to engage. I don’t have to exercise 2-3 hours a day, I choose to. I don’t have to spend my evenings and weekends having fun with my kids and my friends, I choose to. It’s worth it. Usually. Until it’s not.

Until, I hit burnout mode. Until apparently, I can’t remember what day it is. Then, ahem (insert image of old lady shaking finger at me, hand on hip), it’s time to shut down, get some sleep and recharge.

Uh oh. I feel the excuses coming on. But I want to go out to dinner with my friends. But I really should call my clients back. But I love working out. But I didn’t sweat enough today. But I really like going there. But I really have a lot of work to do. But I ought to finish this before I start that. But my favorite dress isn’t clean. But I don’t like that outfit. But I want to go there. But I want to check out that new restaurant, park, venue, etc…

Girl. Knock that shit off. Excuses are like assholes, everybody has one. Quit whining, chuck it in the fuck-it bucket and move on.

Seriously. What’s going to happen if I go to bed at 9pm instead of midnight? Will the world stop turning? If I don’t make that phone call tonight, will my phone not work tomorrow? If I say “no” to one fun event, does that mean I’ll never get another chance to do it?

Hell no it doesn’t.

I believe life is short. I believe that you should carpe the fucking diem out of every day. I also believe if you are too tired to enjoy it all,  you won’t.

So, from one overachiever, go-getter, superhero-in-training to another, here are some suggestions for recovery:

1. Be Mindful

It is difficult to enjoy your dinner if you’re already thinking about dessert. It’s hard to have a good time at the party if you’re concerned with who is going to clean up afterwards. Appreciating today is a challenge if you are hanging on to yesterday and planning always for tomorrow. Be aware of the forest, but see the tree right in front of you, and like it, dammit. Thank it for its presence. Be grateful it is there for you, providing and shit. Namaste, tree, namaste.

2. Meditate

Yep. Do it. DO IT. It takes two minutes. Seriously. Two. Don’t even try to tell me you don’t have two minutes to sit your ass down on the floor, close your eyes and just chill. No, there isn’t a right or wrong way. There just is simply meditation. The end.  Want help? Google it.

3. Write a list, then let it go

It can be hard to turn your mind off if you are worried about things to do. Make a list of all the things with which you are concerned, then set it aside. It will still be there tomorrow, I promise. In fact, I’d recommend you try this list method to save your sanity-

4. Shut down

Turn.off.the.screen. Like all of them. Remember books? Those funny rectangular things filled with paper and words? Those are books.  Real ones. They are made from trees. Check one out, literally.

5. Sleep like a baby

No wait. Babies wake up all the damn time. Sleep like a man. YES. That. Crash out, hard, despite your surroundings. If you’re a parent, pretend these are PK days, when you knew how to sleep with both eyes closed and without the ability to hear a pin drop, four rooms down, with the doors closed. Help yourself by blocking out all noise and light, making your bed super cozy and getting in it early, so you can enjoy it. Shoot for 8 hours, more if you can. Sleeping in is difficult if your body is hardwired to be awake at the same time every day. Instead, go to bed earlier. I swear this works. I read it somewhere sometime. It is, therefore, a FACT.

6. Fuel Up

Take care of your body. Stay hydrated, eat balanced healthy food, monitor your caffeine intake and watch your supplements. You are literally fueling your brain and determining how efficiently your body will work with what you stick in your mouth. Choose well.

7. Just say “no”

To drugs too. Ha! But also, set some limits. Be reasonable with your commitments so that you can maintain your impeccable word, integrity, and reputation as someone who follows through in life. Overbooking never ends well. Just ask a Southwest passenger.

8. Outsource

Yes, I mean delegate; hire out if that works better. Let someone else be in charge for the day. Will it be like you do it? Probably not. Does that matter? Yeah. . . no. If it gets done, it’s done. Who cares how they do it, so long as wasn’t you and it’s completed. Honey, let some responsibility GO.

9.  Pick your Poison (and your battles)

What are your real priorities? Really? What matters to you? Where is your time and energy going to meet those priorities? How might you readjust your life to better serve them and increase your satisfaction in those areas? Yikes, this is real talk. I feel an ostrich moment coming on. RUUUUUUNNNNNNNNN.

10. Be still

This is kind of like meditating and kind of like mindfulness. It is also known as simply breathing. Speaking of, do that. Breathe. In through the nose, hold it, exhale slowly out through the nose. Repeat up to ten times. This simple exercise creates an amazing boost in energy, mental clarity and a calm state of mind. It also prevents you from making more stupid decisions. Before you react to anything, take five deep breaths. Get your game tight. Then decide what to do.

I’m off to do step one, myself. Planning to work through the rest of it before returning to item three. At which time, I might possibly be working on um, an article about procrastinating. Like the one getting published tomorrow. Or maybe the next day. . .

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