On Tuesday morning, hours before the first day of Pitch Club Publishing School, we found out we'd have no childcare for at least a week. I went into instant anxiety + survival mode, trying to figure out how I was going to balance a very full schedule while also being a full time momma to an active 2 + 5 year old.
The answer? I wasn't.
While I wanted to sit down and cry, I've learned that we can't always choose when life is going to smack us upside the head, but we can choose how long we sit in self-pity.
Having no options forced me to get VERY clear on what was vital and what wasn't. What balls I was juggling were plastic and which were glass. Calls were moved to nap time, our no daytime TV rule was forgotten and we did what we needed to get through it.
The first day was STRESSFUL. The second day, doable. And on the third and fourth day, today, I found a peace and a BEing in the moment that can be elusive to me.
BE HERE NOW......I kept saying until I forgot to remind myself because I just WAS.
You are all the things.....without having to DO all the things.
You're the architect, designer (and yes, the less glamorous job of builder) of your life.
Those jobs don't have to happen at the same time.
So today, whatever you're doing, or being, be ok if it's just one thing.
And be ok if you're having to do more, and it's a little messy.
You are smart. You are important. You are special. You are loved (the affirmation I tell my kids each night).
And if you’re STILL feeling all the overwhelm, here are 3 tips to help you say sayonara to it fast!
3 Tips to Overcome Overwhelm in 10 minutes or less!
I’m not the only one with an ongoing struggle between doing all the things + creating healthy boundaries!
Whenever the to-do lists become pages long, when you feel pulled in 10 different directions and you feel a flood of stressful, overwhelming emotions creeping in, follow these 3 steps…
Take a Breath. Step away from the work or stressful situation, and breathe deeply. Meditate for a few minutes, or get outside and just breathe. Reconnect with your body and the breath that moves you.
Braindump everything. Get everything out of your head and onto a single piece of paper. Instead of having 50 different documents, notes, and sticky notes look at your to-do’s holistically. Notice the patterns that emerge. It’s not 1,000 things happening, it’s 10 different areas with a bunch of sub-tasks or steps.
Pick one. Choose ONE area from the list that is MOST important and the ONE action from the list that moves your work, and life forward. Create time, space, and momentum for that!
Action creates momentum + action creates clarity. Both of those are the antidote to overwhelm!
Overwhelm doesn’t have to rule your emotional state! You have the power!