I nearly didn’t write my WOTY update for April and just managed to put it together at the eleventh hour. That is what happens when life is overwhelming – you can’t think straight, your mind is muddled and you just want to hide from the world. Isn’t it silly to feel pressured about writing a post, because what is the worst that could happen? I mean the world won’t end. However, commitment can sometimes feel like pressure can’t it? I committed in January to a WOTY and also introduced a WOTY link up co-hosted with my good blogging friends, Debbie, Jo and Donna. So I took a moment to actually think about my month and document my WOTY progress.
Do you ever feel like you are on a roller coaster ride and you just want to get off?
That has been my life during April and I suppose it is relevant to my WOTY – ‘BE’, because life isn’t always on the same plane. I’ve had ups, downs, happiness, joy, heartbreak, concern – the whole gambit of feelings during the month. It is what ‘be-ing’ is all about isn’t it? Experiencing a myriad of feelings and experiences – enjoying some and coping with others.
The month brought happiness as Mr M and I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary plus three birthdays – my daughter, my grandson and my running Saturday Sister. I enjoyed one-on-one time with my daughter and a long overdue run and breakfast with my Saturday Sister on her birthday.
But it was my grandson who made my day. Each year I make a birthday cake for my grandsons. He asked me if I would have time to make a Picachu cake. When I told him to open the refrigerator and he saw the cake – the joyous response from him -‘Nan that is just what I wanted it looks great!’ certainly lifted my spirits.
The month also brought concern as Mr M had a couple of trips to hospital but HE IS FINE, thank goodness. It does make you stop and remind yourself that life is precious and we need to live each day. We are now definitely going to book our holiday for October.
We had a heartbreaking experience in the family which I’m not going to share but it certainly rocked our world. It was time for extra love and support for my family this month.
Generally, though I’ve proven to myself that I can live my WOTY ‘BE’-ing despite where I am on the roller coaster ride. I continue to BE Pro-Aging by promoting a healthy lifestyle – it is never too late to start. If you pop over to my Instagram account @womenlivingwellafter50 you can see how I’ve been doing this.
So when life is starting to feel like a roller coaster these are some strategies I use to get through the ride:
Don’t BE too proud to ask for help and support if you need it
Like everyone I have my ‘down’ days but now that I’m older I’m not embarrassed to reach out and talk about it with friends. If I felt I needed professional help I would accept that as well, but I wasn’t at that stage.
Sometimes you just needs a ‘cuppa’ and a ‘chat’ with a friend – or baking which is something my friend does when life isn’t great.
BE open to exploring your feelings – Don’t ignore your feelings or the issue
It is easy to focus on our feelings and experiences when they are joyful. However, we also need to experience the feelings when things aren’t going well, rather than pushing them down inside to fester and build even more anxiety. We need to work through the issue, the feelings and finally come to an acceptance. There is a difference though with giving in to the feelings and just giving up.
BE Active – Stay active
Throughout the month there were days I just didn’t feel like exercising. It would have been so easy to just retreat and I’m sure you can relate. Some days you just aren’t feeling it. However, I proved to myself time and again during the month that despite not really being in the mood at the start, by the end of my workout I felt great in mind and also mentally.
A friend shared that staying busy helps her.
I’ve maintained my workouts with my friends and back to running with my Saturday Sister plus Yoga on my own which has helped tremendously.
Going for a walk, dancing, yoga, housework – whatever activity it is will certainly help during times of stress.
BE-ing Grateful to Focus on the Moment
I started an Instragram challenge on April 1 to find something good to focus on the moment each day. This really helps when you are feeling stressed, anxious, or just feeling low. It gives you a positive focus, something to be grateful for or something that has brought joy or learning. I missed a couple of days but the exercise certainly helped me to cope with some of the more difficult times during the month.
Even when you don’t think there is any good, you will be surprised to find that there is – sometimes you just have to look harder.
BE-ing KIND to yourself
If the roller coaster is going too fast, I make sure I take some time out to be kind to myself. That means giving yourself permission to relax, take care of yourself and give your mind a rest. Too often we feel pressured to be ‘on’ all the time or there for everyone, when inside our mind (and usually our body) is telling us it needs a break. I find enjoyment getting lost in a book. I love my home and find it a very calming and relaxing environment. I had some fun trying out some new Australian makeup products which was gifted to me by Enhance Proage and take under 5 minutes to boost your mood. You can see my video and thoughts HERE
Find whatever works for you to give yourself the love support that you readily give to others.
How do you cope when you are on the roller coaster of life and you just want to get off? I’d love you to share your strategies with me.
Welcome to the 2022 WOTY Link Party
2022 WORD OF THE YEAR LINK PARTY GUIDELINES
The 2022 WOTY Link Party is a way for us to stay accountable to our WOTY (or Goals or Intentions if you haven’t settled on a particular Word for the Year) and write about how we are tracking each month on the last Thursday PM (Northern Hemisphere)/ Last Friday AM (Southern Hemisphere). We would still encourage everyone to leave a comment or if you have written a post feel free to link up with us.
What: 2022 Word of the Year Link Party (#2022wotylinkpary).
When: Last Thursday PM (Northern Hemisphere)/ Last Friday AM (Southern Hemisphere). The link will be open for 3 days so you’ve got plenty of time to join.
Why: To encourage us all to keep the focus on our chosen WOTY (OR GOAL OR INTENTION)
Where: Link Party, Blog, Blog Comments, Instagram or other Social Media.
Who: This linkup is open to everyone.
How: You can share in the comments, with a blog post, or on other social media of your choice. Include the hashtag #2022wotylinkparty so that we can find you and include your link in our posts.
Be a proud contributor to #2022wotylinkparty
To show our appreciation to all participants, contributors are welcome to display this badge on their blog, website or social media.
Sharing their WOTY progress this month
Take a moment to link through to see what my co-hosts and others have written……
Deb from Deb’s World
Jo from And Anyways
Donna from Retirement Reflections
Now over to you – how are you living your WOTY, Goal or Intention?
Deb, Donna, Jo and I hope that you will join us each month and share what you’ve been doing to focus on your 2022 WOTY. If you have any questions just ask us. You can also link to any, or all of our posts, with a pingback, that way we get to see your posts quicker!
29 Comments
Well done sue, such an honest and heartfelt post. You are Be-ing you and showing your vulnerability isn’t a bad thing but it can be hard to do so. I take my hat off to you for all you do and have been through this month. Wishing you well and hope things improve for you next month. Always great advice as usual so many thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks Deb, I nearly didn’t write anything but it certainly helped putting thoughts down. Life can’t always be rainbows and unicorns can it? xx
No it can’t always be unicorns but we need to hear the thoughts of others to recognise that it’s OK to say that out loud from time to time. I’m so glad you wrote this post and shared your thoughts with us 🙂
Thanks Deb as always for your friendship and support. Hopefully by writing this, others might feel that they aren’t on the roller coaster alone. xx
Sometimes life throws many curveballs at us. It can throw us off our path for a time. But, we must remember the path hasn’t gone away and we will return to it in no time. Life can be unpredictable for all us. Sometimes we need to refocus or pivot for awhile. I’ve found that out in the last two years. But I find myself returning to my path, back to the core of my life as I call it, the one I’ve worked hard to clear and the one that settles me back into life.
I hope you have found yourself heading back to your path, Sue. You are strong and wonderful.
Hello Nikole yes I agree about trying to rediscover our path especially during difficult times. Thank you for your kind words of support and inspiration. Enjoy your week. xx
Hi, Sue – I’m so sorry that you have had a rollercoaster month. I wish that I lived close by and could give you a big hug, and take you on an even bigger hike (walking is my answer to all that ails). Despite having a challenging month, you have accomplished so much and have continued to be an inspiration to others. Your Instagram posts have been so motivating and that birthday cake for your grandson is so darn adorable! I’m glad that you have also been taking some time for yourself. You deserve it – and so much more. Sending big hugs your way.
Thank you my friend, I would certainly appreciate going for a long hike with you! I cherish our friendship and your support despite the physical distance. I wanted to share my thoughts it the hope that it might help others because we all go on a roller coaster ride at times, don’t we? xx
Hi, Sue – That is so true that we all experience life’s ups and downs, twists and turns. Honestly sharing this with others makes such a positive difference in helping each of us realize that we are not alone. Thank you so much for doing this.
I sensed that in April things have not been going so well for you Sue, and I am sorry it’s been this way. I know that you have taken the chance to share here and for me, writing a blog post can be a mood shifter! Glad about the good news on M, the great appreciation for the birthday cake and that you feel confident to book a holiday. I have recently dropped some more of the “have to and should” from my day and week. In fact, I had started an IG challenge about self compassion and at Day 20 I stopped. It’s OK that I could do that too. Life is a series of temporary events, nothing is permanent but we have the love of and for others, nature and gratitude…may this weekend and week ahead bring you some peace. Denyse x
Hi Denyse, thank you for your kind words of support. I agree about the challenges on Instagram. We should be able to try and then if it isn’t working for us or we can’t keep going we need to be less guilty and more accepting, don’t we. Good to hear you are being kind to yourself and doing what brings joy, whilst letting go of what doesn’t make you feel good. Enjoy your weekend xx
I’m so sorry to read that you’ve had a tough time of it, Sue. Life is like that sometimes. The tough times don’t last, but neither do the easy times, and I think your strategies for getting through the rough bits are brilliant. Thank you for sharing them and your authentic self!
Deb
Hi Deb, it was a bit difficult to write and put myself out there this month. We all have our share of ups and downs and perhaps by showing my vulnerable side it might help others feel they aren’t alone on the roller coaster ride. Enjoy your weekend and thanks for stopping by x
I also shared a down moment this month – life isn’t perfect all the time, and neither am I…Life really is both precious and textured. Book that holiday… xxx
Life is tough at times but I know we are tougher and can ride it out – although at the time it is difficult to believe in this. We will definitely be booking our holiday and now may even venture to Europe next year. Life needs to be lived. xx
Hi Sue – I loved the birthday cake and the wedding walk down memory lane. So sorry to hear that there has been heartbreak in the mix – life can certainly kick us in the head now and then. I hope there will joy in the not too distant future and I appreciated your vulnerability in sharing more than just the highlight reel – that’s what genuine connection is about isn’t it?
Hi Leanne, yes there was some heartbreak for the family, although as I said I don’t want to share that experience. Mike has been having blood pressure issues and of course having had a triple by-pass there is always that uncertainty. I hoped the post wasn’t too much of a downer but I had to be honest especially as ‘BE’ is my WOTY and I was be-ing in different ways this month. Have a lovely weekend.x
Hi Sue, I’m sorry you had a rollercoaster month. I’m glad to hear Mr M is fine and you’ve had support from your friends and a few family celebrations to cheer you up. I hope May is a kinder and much better month for you. Thank you for hosting the WOTY link party. I added my link.
Thank you Natalie for your kind words. April had a huge range of emotions but life is like that sometimes isn’t it? Enjoy your weekend and thanks for linking up with us.x
I think April has been a MONTH for many of us, Sue! I always admire your BE-ing and abiding in the moments that make up the days. I’m glad to read your hubby is fine, but it’s sure is scary when things are not. I appreciate you sharing your heart this month and I wish you peace as you navigate through more concerns. Your picachu cake was adorable and I’m sure was delish! Have a great week!
Hello Terri! Lovely of you to join in with our link up. I understand everyone has a roller coaster ride at times but wanted to share in case my thoughts helped someone going through a difficult time. Thank you for your kind words. Ethan loved his cake and I find so much joy in creating them. Enjoy your May xx
Lots of important reflections here about how to manage the chaos that life can be. Your focus on the moment challenge is similar to what I did earlier, and it certainly is helpful to find the good things to focus on each day. I’m sorry to hear you had a rough month but it sounds like you’ve managed it well and especially been kind and compassionate to yourself.
I can relate to not feeling it about exercising.. I had an experience before one of my PT sessions earlier this month that I was just not up to it. But the good thing with being committed to doing it is that you do it anyway and I also knew how good I would feel afterwards. I always feel refreshed and lifted up when I go from the gym.
Hi Susanne, I know I’m not the only one going through a difficult time and I think sometimes sharing what is happening might help others who are feeling the same way. I hear you about workouts but I agree, afterwards you feel great both physically and mentally. xx
Sue, you can’t imagine how much I needed this today. I too have struggled this month, for a variety of reasons that aren’t lifechanging, but are disappointing nevertheless. I especially needed your reminder to ‘BE kind to yourself,’ as I have allowed myself to sink into the abyss too often this month. I have written and revised my WOTY update several times and will hopefully hit the ‘publish’ button tomorrow. I appreciate your candor and courage. All the best to you. Stay strong.
Hi Suzanne, I’m sorry you have been struggling as well and hope that you are feeling better soon. We do need to be kind to ourselves and like you I find it easy to allow myself to ‘sink into the abyss’. Please take care and sending hugs to you. I hope May is a happier month for you. xx
This post is so sweet! Your grandson is truly a good boy, he loved and appreciated what you made. Sorry to hear about the family problems, but I just hope your family and you can overcome any issues that come into your way!
Thank you Ana for your lovely comments. Life happens to us all and we just need to work through it don’t we. Enjoy the rest of your week x
I’m glad your husband is okay but I’m sorry for the heartbreak. I hope it is something you can all recover from. Life is very complicated, and at times painful. Sorry to hear it.
Thank you Lydia, sometimes life is painful and complicated but we are all coming to terms with what happened and life goes on, doesn’t it? Enjoy your weekend. x