Letting Go of the Self-Imposed Pressures

Since having Ezra, I have been reminded of the importance of saying no and letting go of self-imposed pressures.

As you can imagine, having a baby six weeks before you release your first book is a bit crazy. And while being on maternity leave from my full-time job definitely means I have had a lot of time to focus on projects related to the release, it also means I’M ON MATERNITY LEAVE AND WANT TO FOCUS ON MY BABY!

Case and point, yesterday, I had a list of 10 things I wanted to accomplish. It was a lot, but doable.

But instead of completing all 10 of those tasks, I completed seven of them. I let go of the self-imposed pressure of that to do list and took time to just sit with Ezra and take in this special season. Matthew also took a few photos of us together, which I know I will always treasure.

I also spent some time photographing Ezra, capturing some really precious shots.

Taking those photos brought me such joy, and probably even more so because I didn’t let my to do list overwhelm me.

I don’t think I would have been able to let go as freely five years ago. Instead, I would have stressed out, stayed up late and probably missed out on some special newborn moments all for the sake of getting “it” done.

But over time I have learned that “it” is usually not worth it. Those self-imposed pressures that we put on ourselves – are just that – self-imposed.

We must learn to recognize when we are pushing ourselves beyond what is healthy and necessary. We need to say no and prioritize taking care of ourselves.

And while all that stuff on that list needs to get done, a few items could wait one more day.

Today, Ezra is just a little bit bigger and a bit more alert. I am grateful for the time I savored yesterday.

Self-imposed pressures is one of the reasons women don’t make time for themselves. To learn more about overcoming this struggle, pre-order my book The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You