OVERWHELMED
"I am overwhelmed"
"I don't know where to begin"
"I have too much and there is
too much for me to do"
Have you said any of these statements? Do you know how it feels to be overwhelmed and unable to move forward? Do you feel stuck or paralyzed?
Overwhelm is a common feeling when you are dealing with too much clutter, either physically or emotionally, too much to do or too many people pulling at you. There are ways to conquer those feelings and make movements forward. You can get "unstuck". Here are some practical ways to do just that.
1. Evaluate what is overwhelming you and your contribution.
Have you said yes to too many activities?
Do you continue to buy too much stuff and add to the clutter?
Have you refused to make hard decisions about letting go, physically or emotionally?
2. Are there Negative Nellies depleting you of energy?
Are you letting their negativity determine your attitude or are you determining your attitude in spite of them?
Our attitude is one of the few things in this life we can control....sometimes it is painfully hard, but it's true.
3. What is screaming the loudest for your attention? Do those things first!
What has time constraints or deadlines?
What should you be focused on, but you keep ignoring?
What will be detrimental to your home, your family or health if you don't get it done?
4. Break it down.
Time and time again I have said.....break it down into small bite size pieces.
Physical clutter? Focus on one area or one category at a time.
Emotional clutter? Identify what is stymying you and work on letting go.
Time clutter? Take a hard look at your calendar. Where can you cut back?
5. Delegate
Are you trying to do it all by yourself?
Find others that can help you accomplish what you need to do. Hire professionals. Get a group of friends to help each other out. Enlist the help of family members, including your children!
Don't feel like you have to do it all.
6. Listen to your self talk.
Are you constantly telling yourself you are so overwhelmed?
Are you constantly saying I'll never get all this done?
If your self talk is negative, then you will probably continue to feel overwhelmed and negative. If your self talk is more positive, you will be amazed at how much more energy you have and how much more you get done.
Listen to what you are saying out loud and listen to the chatter in your head. Negative self talk can cause you to feel overwhelmed without much of anything else going on in your life.
Let me know your thoughts about what is overwhelming you.....I promise, there is hope! It takes intentional awareness and hard work, but you can persevere and get to a more peaceful place in your home and your life.
