Desserts is “Stressed” Spelled Backwards
Rebecca Owens, an entrepreneur with a love of ice cream, shares how to manage stress by comparing it to its opposite — dessert!
As a former collegiate swimmer, successful salesperson, entrepreneur, mother of 5, wife turned ex-wife, daughter, sister, friend, business partner, life partner…I always expected myself to be the best. However that can frequently result in feeling stressed. What’s the opposite of stressed? Desserts. As an ice cream lover, here are my tips for working through that stress by considering the much more favorable image of a giant bowl of ice cream with a cherry on top.
- Balance. Being an entrepreneur, a mother, or any other title you claim can be as rewarding as that big bowl of ice cream, but it can also be as stressful as trying to lose the 20 pounds associated with consuming too much. Similarly, serving in that role can be thrilling, and you may seek more and devote yourself even further, which can, unfortunately, result in consequences. Personally, I felt as if I never “had enough”, never “did enough”, and quite simply “wasn’t enough”. So I filled my plate — or bowl, in this case — full of everything and anything just to prove to myself, and others, that I could be everything to everyone at all times. If that isn’t a recipe for desserts spelled backwards, well then it is a mud pie with a pig wallowing in it. Those are not realistic expectations of ones’ self. Like anything, moderation is key. Recognizing the balance of knowing when there’s too much ice cream in your bowl is equally important as knowing when you’re taking on too much, even if it means pushing past those doubts in your mind.
- Melting Point. There is a melting point in all of us, and I hit that point a few years ago. One hot summer weekend it was as though my bowl of ice cream was left out in the sun, sprinkled with dirt, infused with tears and then thrown against the wall. I watched my bowl of life slide to the floor, drip by drip, as “stressed” overtook my body and mind. Within a single weekend, I experienced divorce, moving from my hard earned home, intense work politics, the death of my sister, the death of the most important relationships to me, the death of friendships and loss of a lot of money. This was my own emotional pandemic that spanned every single cell of my body and left me emotionally drained. And, to top it off, I was the one who had to clean up the sticky mess. It is okay — and normal — to have bad days and to hit your melting point. It’s how you clean it up that matters.
- Cherry on top. There is always a cherry on top, what many of us might call a “silver lining”. Hitting that melting point is an opportunity to reflect and rebuild. “Scoop” by “scoop”, and play by play, identify the negative thoughts, and replace them with positive, tasteful, truths. For example, “I’m stupid so I better prepare more for today’s meeting,” became “I have been studying this topic for 15 years and my knowledge is greater than what is required for the conversation.” As you’re scooping, remember that there is an edge to the bowl, and once that mound piles up so high, it will inevitably topple over. Remember that lesson about balance? It applies when adding to the bowl, as well. Don’t add more than you can eat translates to don’t take on more than you can manage. Set boundaries of what you are and are not willing to accept. Eliminate things that are excessive, ask for help when needed so that the bowl of ice cream is neither too full nor too empty.
Life is a forever “build” of the bowl of ice cream. And the cherry on top? That is the peace that comes when you can allow yourself to accept the imperfect, ask for what you need to keep your bowl full and enjoy the process of building your sundae, fun day!
Rebecca Owens is a healthcare executive who has worked to advance precision medicine over the past 20 years, helping to close gaps between disparate data sources along the way. Rebecca is the President and Co-Founder of Taproot Health, a Data-as-a-Service enterprise with a unique approach to merging biomarker testing and clinical outcome data within a physician-centric business model. Rebecca’s strengths are business strategy, fundraising, marketing and operational efficiencies. Prior to joining Taproot Health, Rebecca held significant leadership, sales and marketing roles in several cancer diagnostic companies.
