Women’s Conference Boost

A close friend recently observed that I’ve seemed a bit distant and disconnected lately. It’s true. The stress has been getting to me, and I’ve felt my brain shutting down a bit. I’ve been making more “widow brain” cognitive errors, had a harder time paying attention or remembering or following through on things, have been procrastinating in ways that really aren’t like me.

Oh, it hasn’t been a terrible crisis. But I’m noticing those signs of burnout, of mental fatigue, of emotionally being stretched thin. Don’t worry, I am actively doing things to combat that.

Now there’s no question that I am a BYU Education Week fanatic. Or that I love General Conference. Or attending other conferences (widow/widower ones, Time Out for Women, professional conferences, etc.). I love learning, and I like the emotional and intellectual and even social boosts they give me.

But despite living in Provo and having easy access, I have not often attended BYU’s Women’s Conference. I did go one year with my mom, but I didn’t feel a burning desire to go again. Part of that is the difficult time of year it is (May is always especially busy, with not only kid stuff but at work as we wrap up the school year). Part of that was feeling like I could only justify taking off work (for me and/or Kenny) for one big conference like that a year, and Education Week always won hands down (so many more class options, more days, etc.). Part of it was, well, I just didn’t. I would think maybe I’d want to go, but then it would sneak up on me and I hadn’t made plans to be able to so it was easy to think, “Maybe next year.” Year after year after year.

Knowing how much I love this sort of thing, though, and hoping that it might give me a much needed recharge (and on the encouragement of some friends), I registered to attend on Friday (yesterday). Being there really did fill my cup. A day of feeling the Spirit, connecting with friends (old and new), and letting myself be completely in the moment and take a break from the challenges and demands and deadlines of other areas of my life…yes, that was just the medicine this girl needed.

I feel more rested today, that smile more ready. I’m not dreading the tasks of the day (even if I am slightly procrastinating cleaning the house by writing this post, ha). I’m not feeling so overwhelmed by the very busy and demanding next few weeks we have. I also received some very personal and pertinent answers while I was there, and overall I feel uplifted and refocused. I’ve decided that regularly attending things like this is now a necessary part of my self-care.

(And yes, that is me sitting up against a garbage can in that first picture. I was in the Marriott Center and had the hardest time locating free outlets to recharge my laptop. Found that one just in time!)