We all have one. No matter how strong or invincible you may think you are, you have one too.
Like Superman with a chunk of Kryptonite hanging around his neck, we all have at least one weakness that will bring us down.
I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours………
My Kryptonite is not enough sleep.
Oh sure, there’s lots of things that can get me down…work load, loud kids, unexpected expenses. Those things can weigh me down.
But not getting enough sleep can turn a busy day into a stressful day. It can turn a small bump in the road into an surmountable hill.
When I don’t get enough sleep, I get easily frustrated, am much more irritable, can loose my temper quicker….well, you get the picture. I can remember when the triplets were little, on the days I didn’t get enough sleep, the everyday routines were much harder to tackle. I didn’t think I would be able to survive those baby days. I’m telling you that being exhausted would cause me to question my abilities as a woman and mother and whether was God was anywhere close by. My precious children would seem like little monsters out to get me.
Then, a good nap or night’s sleep later, I would think….”Oh, I can handle it. This is going to be ok. I love my life”.
I know my experience isn’t very different from any other mother with young children. Lack of sleep goes with the territory. But this was my kryptonite….the one thing that could shade all the other areas of my life.
So what do I do to keep the chain of Kruptonite from dragging me down?
First, I began to recognize that lack of sleep would trigger these awful behaviors in me. Once I recognized the link, it would help me in the moment of stress. “Ok, Amy, you are tired. Step back and take a deep breath.”
Then, I could (try to) plan better. Taking naps were not a guilty pleasure, but rather a strategic plan to get me through the day. Sleeping late on Saturdays is now a gift to be good to myself rather than laziness.
Finally, having Kryptonite invade my waking hours on a daily and/or weekly basis, I’ve come to accept the fact, I’m going to not get enough sleep. I’m a mom, I work a full time job, I enjoy watching movies on the weekends. I, sometimes, choose to accept the consequence of Kryptonite in order to get some quiet at night after the kids go to bed or to have some much needed girl-time with friends. But, I’m aware of what it can do to me. Even though I may be aware of the Kryptoninte around my neck, that does not give me permission to be grumpy or snarky. I can better guard my attitude, my words, and my emotions. I can recognize that it’s my issue and not a bad life or tedious children or forsaken by God!
My Kryptonite is lack of sleep. But what is yours?
Low blood sugar? chronic pain or illness? depression? Yours may be a condition that you may not ever get rid of. But recognizing how it can affect you can help you prevent, manage, and deal with it as best as possible.
I’m going to bed now and get rid of my Kryptonite for a while!
~Amy