Level 8 Jumanji: August

And just like that, I’ve made it to thirty! What an accomplishment, and I didn’t even post any belated posts! I am so proud of myself.

We’ve officially reached Jumanji level 8: the month of August. So for my 30th day of the blog challenge I decided to write out the things I want to change this month.

Especially after having a few days off last week, I realized the importance of making some minor (major) changes in my day to day life in the month of August. If I don’t make some changes, I can already tell you that I will get to the point where I hate my job and I don’t ever want to get to that place again. That being said, since it’s a new month, it is the time to make these changes with the intentions that they become habitual as the months progress. Especially since we’re about to enter the final quarter of the year.

First and foremost, I am going to actively take a step back with my work and reanalyze my priorities. I realized very quickly that I can’t continue to work the way I am doing at the moment. I am going to actively seek guidance with someone I absolutely trust to guide me in the right direction, and voice my concerns/frustrations. I realized this past week that if I don’t I am going to end up burnt out, or worse – hating my work which is unfair to those I work with and my job itself because I do truly love what I do.

Another change I want to implement is ensuring that I disconnect, both professionally and personally. This means that after work on Friday nights, the phone and emails will be muted until Monday morning. No more allowing myself to be “on call,” otherwise I’m setting myself up for failure and burnout. The longer I stay “connected,” the more frustration I will feel when people ask me questions about things that they should know (because it’s their job). I cannot let myself get as angry as I was last week; if I do I’ll never be productive again.

Mental Health is going to be another major focus in the month of August. I need to be nicer to myself, and I need to tell other people to be nice to me as well. I am finally coming around to see that it’s okay for me to feel overwhelmed with my mental and emotional states, especially during this pandemic. We all assumed that this would be over by now; we were “supposed to go back to the office” by now. As of this past week, it’s been confirmed that we won’t be going back until 2021 (if even). This, in itself, is a huge blow to my mental health because my anxiety and depression stems mostly from being stuck at home all the time!

I have finally come to terms with the fact that I have lost myself in my weight-loss journey. Somewhere along the way in the past month or so, I gave up on wanting to get healthier for myself. I needed to lose 20 pounds, but I gave up and now I need to lose 30-40 pounds. That’s what happens when you give up; you have to work three times as hard. So as of tomorrow, I am going to prioritize my mental, physical, and emotional health. I’ll also be kick starting my workout plan so I can get to the place I always inteded to be before my 31st birthday.