Before we begin, a quick introduction: I’m Steph, an American writer. I believe experiencing joy cultivates optimism, inspiring us to build a brighter world. I founded Sending Smiles to create a positive community. Thank you for taking the time to read. I’m happy you’re here!
Not every breakthrough needs to be dramatic; sometimes it happens in the quietest moments, like when I was brushing my teeth and caught a glimpse of my reflection. The exhaustion on my face and the bags under my eyes startled me, and I realized then that I had taken on too much and my body was signaling it was time to stop and ask for help. It wasn’t a grand revelation, but a quiet breakthrough that made me understand I couldn’t keep pushing myself like this. I reached out to my family for help with chores, my coworkers for support with tasks, and opened up to friends about the stress I’d been carrying. This eased the load, and by the end of August, I had more energy than when I’d started.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Sending Smiles to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.