Y’all I am so overwhelmed, I can barely sit still and concentrate enough to make words appear on this page.
But I’m doing it anyway because I’m betting I’m not the only one who’s ever felt like this. Sometimes the number of things on my to-do list or the number of things on my mind overwhelms me to the point of feeling like an actual weight is on my shoulders.
And life is going to be like that on occasion without it meaning something is wrong. In this year alone, I’ve had a baby, had cancer surgery and am now coordinating a cross-country move. I get to be overwhelmed.
No amount of being organized or simplifying can make those things so away, but I also don’t want to get so burdened that I end up in tears either. (And trust me, that has happened a few times.)
When life is crazy like it is now, I try to do three things that help me keep my ish together (for the most part).
Focus only on the next most important thing.
I have five long to-do lists going right now to organize this move. We will be in Salt Lake 3 1/2 weeks from when my husband accepted the job. Obviously, we have a ridiculous number of things to do in a very short amount of time. I’m not freaking out though, because I’m only focusing on the next most important task in front of me. I have a master to-do list that I ordered from what needs to be done first to what needs to be done last. So, I just go down the list and work on one thing at a time and ignore the others temporarily. Completely saves my sanity.
Ask myself if there’s anything I can do to resolve my worries today.
I heard this advice on a podcast by Emily P. Freeman and have remembered it ever since. This is how it works: If I find myself worrying about transferring my daughter’s IEP to a new state and getting her in a new preschool, I stop and ask myself whether I can do anything about that situation today. The answer is no, so I try to let that worry go and know that God is definitely big enough and trustworthy enough to handle that. Then that frees me up to concentrate on my next most important thing.
Take time to be kind to myself.
When I am about to blow my lid from all the pressure, I take 30 minutes to do something kind for myself. Some days I am in the mood for a motivational pep talk to remind me that I’ve got this so I head to Instagram or podcasts to hear from my favorite influencers. Some days I just need to get out some aggression so I do a quick workout or take a walk. Other times, I escape from my world by reading a fiction book or watching a show on Netflix. That half hour helps me reset and recharge to keep going.
Doing these things when you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed isn’t what’s important. The important thing is that you have a plan in place.
If you know you occasionally struggle with being overwhelmed, then be ready before you get to that place. Know what works for you. What helps you get through these seasons without cracking?
And know that you are not alone. It may feel like everyone else never struggles, but that’s because few people share their ugly stuff on social media or even in person.
But you can do this. You can get through difficult, overwhelming circumstances. I believe in you. Believe in yourself too. ❤️