I don’t want to speak for everyone, but most of us seem to have a tad bit of chaos in our lives. But do we really?
A little over a week ago, I was hit with complete overwhelm. It felt exactly how an old therapist described it to me. One little thing happened in the morning and then another and then another and then…well, you get the idea. All of the sudden, my mind was swirling with ALL of the things on my plate (and then some) and it hurt to try and breathe normally. I felt very strange and needed to lay down. I use breathing to help calm me and it wasn’t working. I think I was having an anxiety/panic attack.
It wasn’t until 2 days later that I was finally able to take a full and deep breathe. After having some good conversations, submerging into things that bring me joy, truly resting my body, and writing ALL the things in my head on paper…I felt like myself again. Do you ever feel so overwhelmed with what feels like one million things going on in your life and on your to do list, that you just need to stop and take account of how things are going and why you are spinning out of control? I had a realization later that evening – after doing a big brain dump (getting EVERYTHING out of my head and on paper), planning my meals for the week (it had been 2 weeks of flying by the seat of my pants) and making a to do list for the following week…it completely validated that THESE were my tools for dealing with multiple irons in the fire. When I get all of the madness out of my brain and get things planned out, it makes those hamsters on the wheel in my head stop running so dang fast.
This may not be the solution for everyone but this is what works for me. This is yet another lesson is finding the tools that work for YOU and do THAT repeatedly. For me, writing it all down makes what seems impossible possible. It also makes me realize that some of those things that seem SO big…aren’t really that big. Sometimes our mind can make things just seem insurmountable, when they truly aren’t. Do you ever get really worked up about something that hasn’t even happened…you know, future trip about it. That adds to your chaos too. Or how about adding things to your task list in your head to make you feel even more overwhelmed…when, in reality, it will only take you a short amount of time to accomplish.
How about together we all practice simply being present and allowing life to organically happen. Find the calm in your chaos and focus on solutions (whatever that looks like for YOU – this isn’t a one size fits all). Don’t forget to buy yourself or someone else flowers. It will not only bring you joy, but joy to those around you. As always, thank you for being on this journey with me – together we can make a difference. Cheers!
