GIRL, SLOW YOUR ROLL

There is this misconception that if you are not busy every moment of the day, you will not be productive. We glamorize the workaholics and the girl bosses, and despite the push for self-care and mental health, being busy is still "the new black."

I get it. I can honestly say, there is a rush that I get from having a jammed packed schedule. I look forward to the meetings, the photoshoots, the emails, the planning, and all the work that comes with the lifestyle. It's all good and well...until it's not.

Being overwhelmed is one of the worst feelings. When I get overwhelmed, I get frustrated, I get irritable, I can easily give my husband an attitude, and then I just want to do nothing. What started as a plight towards 'success' can quickly turn into a downward spiral of disaster. When I am not careful, my hustle can effortlessly take me five steps backward.

Busyness is not the equivalent to productivity. Maintaining your productivity requires a balance of hard-work and downtime. Here are some of my favorite ways to pause and slow it down:

Photography // Ali Folster

Beware Of Hustle Culture

Hustle culture is this need, this urge that we have as a society to work harder and faster and to push ourselves to our maximum capacity to reach our goals. While working hard is essential, and I value consistency and persistence, we will send ourselves on a fast track to burnout if we're not careful. I hate to break it to you, but you can't even maximize your hustle when your mental health is less than optimal. Find ways to balance the hard-work and rest.

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

I am the queen of the I need to do more ministry. But why? Sometimes, we are always racing to do the next thing, but what about the moments in between? As a budding blogger and influencer, it is easy to create a laundry list of things to do to get to the next level. But what about the level you're on right now. Stay there for a moment. Cultivate and master that stage before you move on to the next thing.

Schedule Your Down Time

For those of us who operate on schedules, this one is for us. Be intentional about your time off. You don't need to wait for self-care Sunday to have downtime. I find that the better I am in planning out my day, the easier it is to schedule in pockets of me-time. Whether it's an hour to do some reading or watch a show or make a cocktail, scheduling in more of these moments helps me relax, collect my thoughts and spend time with myself. Also, setting my alarm in the mornings has helped give me adequate time before I start my day to spend time in prayer and worship. It completely sets the tone for the day.

Girl, slow your roll. It's ok to grind, but it's ok to rest too. Pace yourself, and always remember your why.

Xo,

Jessica