“Overwhelmed” Defines Our Modern Day Society
Odds are you have felt overwhelmed in the past few minutes or at some point today or at least this week. It seems to be the illness of the 21st century. There is too much to do and not enough time to do it. From work..to working overtime..to your kids..to your spouse..to your ailing parents..to cooking..to your pets..to church..to the grocery store..to the bank..to the post office..to the soccer games..to the piano/ dance/ karate lessons..to cleaning the house..to holiday parties..to the book club..to the gym..Forget about it. It’s no wonder you are feeling overwhelmed. I know what you’re thinking too. From the above list, if one or two things were to go, which ones would they be? Probably the book club and the gym. Why? Those things are for YOU! Why is it that we so quickly neglect ourselves as we spread ourselves thin being everyone to anybody else?
Making Time for Yourself Pays Big Dividends
Don’t let another day go by without learning and embracing the fact that taking care of yourself, putting YOU on the list, will not only provide you with a better life but will allow you to be less overwhelmed and have more to offer those you care about it.
This week I was sooo overwhelmed. I was crying and crying and crying. I wasn’t even sad. I was just overwhelmed. Home life, my business, things were piling and I was losing my ability to deal. Instead of stopping and regrouping and reenergizing and hitting the refresh button, I pushed harder, slept less, added more to my list. The more I did, the less I did effectively. Don’t we all do that? My advice to you is to prioritize your list and you need to be at the top. If you aren’t refreshed, then what good are you to others? If you aren’t built up, then how can you build up others? You can only give out what you’ve got inside of you. Input, output.
“It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself and make your happiness a priority. It’s NECESSARY.” Mandy Hale
Now I’m not saying to leave your kids locked in the closet, skip out on work and book the quickest flight to Vegas! I know the thought crossed your mind. Ha! I’m just saying to find something that makes you, the best you. It can be a dedicated 30 minutes every morning to reading or taking a bath or a walk or exercising. I hear ALL the time that people just can’t exercise. They have a laundry list of reasons why. I know all the reasons are valid, or most of them anyways, but what they fail to realize is that if you they DID exercise, that list would be a lot easier to get thru! They would also be less overwhelmed after releasing those endorphins and getting their blood flowing! It is so worth it! If you are overwhelmed, DO something about it! I guarantee these small things done consistently, have the power to make a big difference!
Emotionally Overwhelmed is the WORST!
Life can most definitely takes it toll, if you let it. Three years ago, my world was in a down-ward spiral, or so it seemed. I was drained, tired, overwhelmed and very alone. I didn’t want to admit these feelings to anyone as I would end up feeling even more inadequate. I kept them buried. My marriage was “on the rocks.” My husband enjoyed late night partying and making poor choices far more than I wanted him to. I had spent every ounce of energy I had left trying to get him to stop. Then it happened. I hit a wall. I was defeated. I was done. At that point, overwhelmed was an understatement. I took on a parttime hobby as a Beachbody coach (Divine Intervention? I think so!). All of a sudden in my lowest point, I was surrounded by positive people working on themselves! They were exercising, reading motivational books, setting goals, encouraging each other and paying it forward to others, as well! Instead of focusing on my husband’s issues and on my problems, I began focusing on being the best me I could possibly be no matter what my circumstances. Things began to change. The darkness began to lift. As time past, my husband followed. Just know that working on you, being the best you, taking time for yourself, can and will change your world in a GREAT way! People do need YOU! People do count on you! But, you will be far more effective as an energized you than as an overwhelmed, over worked, spread thin, bitter, angry, snapping you. Make the time. It will change your world!
Digging Deeper, Jessica Bowser Nelson
P.S. Here is my story of how I was completely overwhelmed and Beachbody played a part in me getting ME back!