Hello hello, and welcome to Episode 4 of Life on the Brink!
I am now ONE WEEK from my wedding day, which is insane. For those of you that don’t know, I got engaged last October and was supposed to be getting married at the end of May, but obviously things have shifted in 2020. Josh and I really wanted to celebrate with our families, and while we don’t have a very big group, we couldn’t be more thrilled to finally be getting married next week.
The wait has been difficult, I’m not gonna lie. Time moved very slowly all spring long, but now that we’re in the final stretch I’ve been trying really hard not to let these days pass in one big blur. I know I’m going to want to remember this time of my life, but it turns out that I’m not very good about keeping up with journaling. So instead, I’m doing my best to be as present as possible so I can really be aware and remember all of this.
I’ve found that there’s a bit of a disconnect between my mind and my body. I’m at peace with everything happening and I know I cannot possibly wait any longer to marry Josh, but my body is kind of freaking out at the huge transition that’s about to happen. A couple mornings ago I started to feel nervous/excited/anxious all over before I was even fully awake, and I know that will only increase as the day gets closer. I guess it’s finally setting in that I’m actually getting married!
But what we’re talking about today is how to enjoy these in-between days, whether you’re about to enter a new school year with brand new protocol, or your job is about to shift, or you’re moving house like me. Even on the brink (hehe) of the next thing, how can we be intentional to enjoy each day and get our bodies and minds to chill out?
These are just a couple things that I have been implementing that have actually really helped me:
1. Breathe:
I know, sounds obvious. We’re breathing all the time, right? What I’m talking about is stopping whatever you’re doing and taking at least 5 deep, slow breaths. In fact, stop reading real quick and try it.
Breathing signals to our body that hey, everything is ok. It helps to reset, to center your focus and relieve the tension that you’ve been unconsciously carrying. It’s simple and it’s free, win-win.
2. Stop working at a set time:
Of course there are a million things to do to prepare for this transition, and I am incredibly list-oriented, but somewhere between 4:00 and 5:00 I set it all aside and stop prepping for the day. The evenings are spent with my family or with Josh, sometimes cooking, sometimes being extremely lazy, but they are enjoyed as if it was any ordinary day. And let me tell you, these evenings have been the best part of these past couple weeks.
As a bonus, knowing that I’m going to stop working or planning at a certain time tends to increase my productivity earlier in the day!
3. Move Insta farther away:
You know how you can close an app on your phone and your thumb opens another, just out of muscle memory? While there’s nothing innately wrong with social media, I’ve realized that I can waste a lot of time looking at my phone without consciously choosing it. Here’s my simple solution: I moved my social media apps (fortunately I only have 2) from my front screen to their own menu screen a couple swipes away. That way if I’m on Instagram, it’s because I had the time and I chose to open it up, whether to engage with people I care about or to be inspired by the uplifting accounts I follow. It’s helped me spend more time away from my phone, and therefore more present with each day.
But ultimately, the one thing that has got me through this crazy time is prayer. I take time each morning before looking at the to-do list or facing the opinions of the world to stop and put things into perspective. This is just a moment, it’s going to be ok. And I don’t need to fear the next thing, because it’s going to be good. Honestly, this daily reminder of whose I am is what I have clung to in this time of huge transition. There’s no substitute for God’s peace.
I’ve actually been quite surprised at how much I’ve been enjoying (and not as much stressing) these couple weeks before my wedding, especially as someone who loves to have control over any situation. There’s so much out of my hands, and I’ve actually been ok with it.
No matter what you’re walking out of or where you’re going, it’s not easy to value these days in between. There is, however, so much joy to be found when we’re able to be excited about the future while living each day to its own little fullest. It gives the brain less room to worry, which is the big win in my book. So just take a nice big breath and take it one day at a time.
As a bit of housekeeping, I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be back with more podcast some time in August (probably), but that I’ll be a bit MIA for a couple weeks. In case you missed it, I’M GETTING MARRIED!!!
This Week’s Little Joy: The sunflowers that I planted (from seed) in front of the new apartment have grown into huge stalks, and one of them now has a total of 4 flowers growing. They’re so beautiful, and I can’t believe how fast they grew! Sunflowers just make the heart happy, and now they’re outside my front door.
What I’ve Been Listening To: This album by Jonathan Ogden is called Twenty Four, and man is it wonderful. Each track represents an hour of the day, and they flow absolutely seamlessly into each other. I highly recommend playing it from beginning to end (cause the last track is amazing, especially if you’ve listened to everything else first), it’s refreshing for the soul.
Thank you for tuning in to the show! I’ll be back next month as a married lady. Until then, friends, have a lovely week!