We all have days where we feel overwhelmed. The pandemic has also brought new responsibilities and added to our mental load. It’s during these times when we’re feeling overloaded, we need to step back and ask ourselves these four things.
Can I ask for help?
Whether it’s a project at work or doing the laundry at home, sometimes there’s too much on the to-do list. There are people out there that can help us out if we just ask them. The key is letting go of control. Maybe they didn’t write the copy exactly the way you would have written it. Maybe the dishes weren’t loaded exactly the way you would have done it. It’s OK… it’s done.
Can I reduce my list?
We often think we can take on more than what’s humanly possible. If you have a list of 20 things to complete each day and only complete five, you can easily feel like a failure. Reduce your list to a more realistic number and you’ll feel like a champ when it’s done. Anything additional that you complete, earns you bonus points!
Can I give myself a break?
Literally, we all need to rest. When we constantly push ourselves, we just end up feeling burned out. Plus, the lack of sleep adds to overwhelm by stealing our energy and reducing our creative flow. Our body not only needs to have sufficient sleep each night, but it also needs to have breaks throughout the day.
Set a timer on your phone or pause whenever you complete a task. Move, breathe, and give your body the break it needs and desires.
Can I give myself grace?
There are times we are able to excuse the shortcomings of others more than we are willing to do it for ourselves. We want to do it all and yet some days we fall short. Too often, we focus on what we’ve done wrong instead of celebrating what we’ve done right. Maybe the only thing you successfully completed this morning was putting on two matching socks. It’s OK… we all have those days.
I’d like to give you a challenge. Instead of asking yourself “Can I do these things?”… ask yourself “Will I do these things?”. It’s not until you start taking the action to change things, that things in your life will actually start to change.
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