Can you believe we are 8 days into January?? Crazy to think about how time flies really.
We managed to survive the holidays...this was a rough one with the loss of my Grandmother Louise and my Mother-In-Law Stephanie in 2018, our table was empty and our hearts missing our loved ones. Change happens and sometimes it just sucks.
On a happier note, we (Reckon and I) just got back from the BIG 4 day conformation show in Palm Springs (it is really Indio...but everyone calls it the Palm Springs show). You may have seen my post about our Select 5 Pnt Major (Woop! Woop!), and how proud of my boy I am.
What I didn't share was how nerve racking showing against a ring full of professional handlers is. I share this, because we all do hard things, be it for fun (the reason I choose to show my dog), for work, or somewhere in between.
It is what we do with those nerves and stress that defines our success. When we do hard things, it makes us better.
Be it being the little fish in a big pond of handlers, running an agility course with your dog and praying you don't forget your course, or standing in front of a group of people giving a presentation for work. All these can make a person stress about the outcome.
When working with dogs, this worry can travel right down the leash, creating other issues such as a dog that becomes reactive, nervous, stresses up or stresses down...the list goes on.
So how do you work on that and avoid it from happening?
I have found that when I keep to my routine, I do much better and in turn, my dogs do much better. For this reason, I thought I would share some key points with you.
Keep in mind that everyone's routine will look different, my goal here is to get you thinking about how YOU can best support yourself and your dog in a stressful situation. Remember this can be applied to all parts of your life (yes...for work too!).
SET AN ALARM - I use one when I wake up, I set one for when I need to start grooming my dog, I set one for when I need to get dressed, and I set one for the time I need to head to the ring.
Ok, this may be excessive, BUT I did miss my ring time once...I vowed to not have that happen again.
I have also found that by having a reminder set I do not have to stress about checking the time to ensure that I am on time. This has taken a HUGE load off of my plate.
I know how long each item takes to do, and I set a reminder accordingly. For example, I give myself 30 minutes to groom, and 15 minutes to get dressed, put on my makeup etc. I even figure out how long it will take me to get to my ring, so that I leave on time.
USE YOUR OILS - seems like a no brainer, but when we are under stress, some of the basic things we do go out the window. I have found that when I am dog showing (traveling) or have a big presentation / project that I am working on, I tend to get away from my routine.
Using my oils is a HUGE part of my day, be it using topically, diffusing, taking my Life Long Vitality ect.
Applying my oils benefits both me and my dogs and when I get away from my routine, both my dogs and I suffer from my decisions. I don't know about you, but this just magnifies and becomes even harder when I travel.
KEEP GOOD COMPANY - this one may make you say "what?" and that is ok.
My point to this is pay attention to who you hang around, be it at dog shows, day to day life, at work ect. It may not sound like much, but if you spend your time around those who are negative, this will drag you down.
If others around you suck the fun out of what you are doing, then what is the point to doing it? I show my dog because I HAVE FUN. The day it is no longer reinforcing, I will find something else that is to go and do with my dog. PERIOD.
As with most things in life, dog showing is crazy political (which is sad really). I choose to stay away from the drama, the he said - she said nonsense. I am always nice, and chat with everyone that I see (it is just in my nature), but I never repeat the negativity that I hear around me, I let it go in one ear and out the other.
I choose to spend the bulk of my time around those people I enjoy and will help lift me up, not tear me or others down.
Stop and think about that for a moment....do you have people in your life that suck the fun out of what you do? If so, I challenge you to make a change. You will be better off for it, that I guarantee!
Just remember that having a positive daily routine is good for you, good for your brain, and good for those around you.
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