Let’s talk about feeling overwhelmed and how to, you know, NOT.
Lately it feels like every day lasts actually FOREVER, and at the same time, at the end of the day I feel like I did… maybe nothing?
At least, nothing I can point to and say: THIS IS WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED YAY ME.
There are (sometimes) bored kids to help and meals to plan and work to be done and it’s all a whirlwind of things on top of each other.
And when those days stack up on top of each other, we can start to feel weird. Just WEIRD.
Like: is it just me? Did I just fail to get it together? Is that why the days feel so weird and long and was I supposed to learn to bake sourdough today???
Nope! No you were not! (Unless that will help you feel grounded and present and how you want to feel, in which case: go for it.)
So, okay. How do we not feel overwhelmed by all the things and all the weirdness of our days right now?
How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed
Remember that we’re not in control, but we are in charge of ourselves.
And when it comes to all the areas we are in charge of, we can choose to do things that help us feel how we want to feel more often.Define the day for yourself.
You decide what’s enough for today. You can’t change the circumstances of the day, or control the urgent things that need to be dealt with. But you CAN decide what matters most to you, and what you’re going to focus on next.
Choose the three things that matter most to you today, and decide that focusing on these three things will be ENOUGH for today. If you don’t get to all the other things, that’s okay. Those weren’t as important, there’s always tomorrow, and today was still enough.
(And if you’re thinking: THREE THINGS?? Three sounds impossible! Well in that case, start with ONE thing instead. One thing that will be enough for today. No problem.)Take ONE STEP toward what you want tomorrow to look like.
It’s easy to fall into thinking that if today wasn’t super productive, well, surely TOMORROW we will do all the things, just to average everything out.
Tomorrow, we think, we will run a marathon, write a book, send thoughtful messages to everyone we know, make dinner from scratch, AND achieve inbox zero!!!
But that is not a plan, that is a disaster.
Instead, pick the ONE thing that is most important to you, and take one step toward that goal.
If you want to go for a run, set out your workout clothes and running shoes. If you want to write, close all the tabs on your computer and clear off your desk. If you want to make a fancy dinner, prep the ingredients now. Just don’t try to do them ALL at once.
Set yourself up to have a good day, not a perfect day.
You can do this.
Things are weird. They’re going to be weird. You’re not wrong. AND you get to decide what’s enough for today right in the middle of the weirdness. xo!
