Do things that spark joy. Leave the rest behind.

July was a really challenging month that tested my patience in every sense of the word. Every day I woke up to a fire that I needed to put out and I began to wonder if it was me. Literally. Ever have those weeks? Months? Well, for me…it was happening and all I could do was drink a glass of wine or three every night to relax. Definitely not the healthiest decision but hey…we all have our moments.

During this period of time I found myself with less patience, more anxiety and overall stressed. And I began to think… It’s summer. The only person or thing that is robbing me of happiness is myself. I can either choose to accept what I cannot control and do my darnedest to fix it or have a hellacious night of sleep followed by a frenetic, groggy morning. So I chose to accept it. Plus, my internet research armed me with the knowledge that Mercury, was indeed, in Retrograde. That Mercury is a real bastard.

Now obviously as an adult, we cannot just walk away from unresolved problems because the problems become greater but we can prevent them from taking over our lives. So for the sake of transparency, here’s how I handled my stress and opted to do things that only sparked joy:

1. I let my sitters go an hour early. It was very clear to me that everyone was on vacation while I was beating my head against my MacBook.

2. I took melatonin almost nightly.

3. I refused to attend almost all organized events and only committed to the spontaneous ones that felt right.

4. I committed to working out no matter how bad I wanted to lay in a pile of unfolded laundry.

5. I said yes to the best speaking engagement of my life without the added comfort of my partner being there. Major sweaty pits. Side bar - it went awesome!

6. I wrote blog posts because I had the actual time vs feeling pressured.

7. I opened the back hatch of our jeep and sat in the trunk in our driveway and watched my kids ride bikes back and forth. Don’t judge.

8. I taught myself a couple of new cocktail recipes.

9. I bitched a lot to people I trust.

10. I slept in. Might I add that sleeping in until 6:45 was like the greatest thing ever and I don’t feel bad about it at all.

11. I told my staff to work from home for two weeks so that I could get my head on straight and check some things off my substantial to-do list. I needed to be productive for my sanity.

12. I booked a hotel night before my kids go back to school. One with a giant king bed, too.

13. I ended a toxic friendship. I was bummed for a week and then I realized I didn’t need to put up with that crap. I deserve better.

14. I tried to be more affectionate with my husband but ended up elbowing him in the face a lot at night. We’re looking for progress not perfection. I know he appreciated the effort as I am not much of a snuggler.

15. I bought a frother for my coffee. Why the hell not?

16. I also bought another pair of plastic shoes. Buy them and then tell me I am wrong. I dare you.

17. I went on more date nights with my husband.

And the rest? I closed the laptop, discontinued texting or turned off the TV. It will all be there tomorrow…or maybe not. I guess that’s up to me.