Do you ever have a day where you feel like you would just love to stay in bed, throw your covers over your head and pretend you’re not there?
You know, those days where you feel so overwhelmed and pulled in so many different directions? The days when it feels like no matter what you do you will still fall short, not meet expectations or demands and wonder if you should even bother trying.
How can you resist that urge to run away from it all and take small but persistent steps toward the type of life you would like to lead and the goals you are striving towards?
BREATHE
This tip sounds so obvious, but so many of us stop breathing properly when we feel stressed or overwhelmed. Our breath becomes shallower and faster, depriving our body of much of the oxygen it needs to perform at its peak and depriving our mind of the time and space it needs to just be and slow down. Yes, you may have 10 outstanding items on your to-do list, but just racing from one to the next without taking time to breathe will live you feeling closer to burnt out than fulfilled.
ASK YOURSELF, “HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS IN THE LONG TERM?”
Prioritizing sounds good in theory and makes a lot of sense, but what happens when you have a lot of competing demands and requests for your time and energy and you just can’t do it all, since you, like all of us, are human, after all?
Close your eyes for a moment and focus on what matters most to do. Will this task or request, which seems so urgent right now, really matter in the long term? This could be related to a project you are working on, a big dream you have for yourself or an important relationship in your life. It could have to do with your physical or emotional well-being and giving yourself the respect you deserve.
If the answer is yes, then what can you do to devote some time and focused energy on it? Maybe it can be respectfully deferred? Maybe you can get some assistance?
If the answer is no, how can you respectfully pull yourself out of that situation, so that the relationship remains strong without compromising yourself and your well-being?
GIVE YOURSELF CREDITS FOR SMALL STEPS, SMALL VICTORIES
When you’re in the middle of so many competing demands, it can be very easy to focus on what hasn’t been done or where you’ve fallen short. Take a moment to look back over the past 3 years or 5 years. Look at how far you’ve come, and celebrate those victories. Maybe you aren’t where you imagined yourself being and maybe you haven’t completely reached that goal, but that still doesn’t undermine the value in what you’ve done.
Tonight, when you look back over your day, see where you made a positive choice, where you took steps forward. So maybe you didn’t get through, your whole to-do list or reach all your goals, but DID you do what you could? What can you celebrate? And HOW will you celebrate?
Be Sure to Attend our Conference on April 28th – Elizabeth will be there!
