Do You Feel Overwhelmed with Life?  I Do…

Some days (probably too many days) I do let that feeling of overwhelmed in life get the best of me.

Life is going on all around me, and most days I feel like I do not have enough hours to accomplish what I need to get done off my list.

It feels like I just get through one thing, and then here comes the next…

Quite recently my dear mother had a few rounds in the hospital.  The first time she just wasn’t feeling good (she had a lung infection), and a second time she had to have a large growth removed from her leg.

Mom is home now and doing very well.

I don’t know about you, but when your own mama is not well, that becomes the biggest priority in life, and all other things get pushed to the side or even ignored.

Things get done in a haphazard fashion (like just winging it with the kids and hoping for the best) or left completely unattended (like ignoring my blog for the last two months!).  As I try to keep all the plates spinning in the air.

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t change that for anything in the world, and having the freedom to be available in time like these is one of the main reasons I do what I do.  It’s just a matter of adjusting priorities and what is important.

So, What IS Important?

When mom gets sick, or when I have some other emergency come up in life, it really makes me question what is most important to me.  Everything else becomes a haze of stuff that no longer seems important.

I start to question if the things that I am doing are necessary or if they are robbing me from spending time on other areas that are of utmost importance.

In the end, my goals remain the same, but I’ve spent a lot of time over the last several years question the path that will lead me to where I want to be.

What I need to keep remembering is that it’s the JOURNEY that is important. It’s finding happiness, joy and laughter in all of the little moments, with my mom, with my kids, even with myself.

Being able to spend the time with my mom when she needs me, or be able to enjoy the giggles of the kids in the backyard is always a top priority.  So sometimes the other stuff is just going to have to wait.

I have been working a lot harder to set better boundaries for myself, and for those around me.  Learning to use the word “NO” more effectively.  I recently watch a clip on Instagram from @womenofimpact where she was interviewing Vanessa Van Edwards.

What Vanessa said really stuck with me.  She said “We don’t have to give a reason to give a boundary.”.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Heather Masson (@athomewithheather) on May 18, 2019 at 8:16am PDT

Don’t you love that?

It is so true and something that has really stuck with me since I heard it.

I am terrible about not wanting to disappoint anyone, and not want to cause tension; MOST of the time I will say yes to something just to avoid the awkward no.  Or, if I do say no, I feel like I need to have this really good excuse why I can’t.

I’d never heard anything from Vanessa Van Edwards but I do plan on getting her book. “Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People”

Superwomen? (No, I am NOT)

I have this expectation of myself probably more than anyone around me does, and I am my worst critic.

Sometimes the negative self talk just won’t shut off in my head.  I really have to work at that — telling my self talk to shut up! It’s the worst when I don’t take the time to plan my day first thing in the morning, or to do any self-care.

6 Simple Things that I Do to Prevent Feeling Overwhelmed in Life

1. 1. I spend the first hour of my day with a quiet cup of coffee.  This is my time (before I even open my phone or my computer) to wake up, breath and then spend some time planning out what I need to accomplish that day, and what outcomes I want to achieve.  I do this using my High Performance Planner.
   2. Eat healthy and stay in a state of Ketosis.  When my body is feeling strong and healthy I can better handle what life throws my way.
   3. I really do my best to get a minimum of 6.5 hours of sleep each night.  This can be difficult especially when my brain doesn’t like to shut off, or when the kids are having a rough night – but  6.5 hours seems to be the magic number for me and what I try to achieve.
   4. Taking time for myself is a must.  I try to take at least one weekend each month where I don’t have any responsibilities and I’m not running in a million different directions.
   5. Actively seek out things that will make me laugh, bring me joy, or just lift my spirit.
   6. Read or watch a video that will challenge my learning or elevate my state of being.

IF I do these simple things for my own self care, I don’t feel overwhelmed as much and I can better handle the stress of the day.  I am by no means perfect at them.

When mom was in the hospital, I didn’t take care of myself and things went to hell in a hand-basket really fast!

• I stopped taking my quiet time in the morning, and rather spent that hour scrolling Facebook feeling even more drained.
• I started eating sugary treats with my mom in the hospital and then binging on potato chips late at night.
• I was staying up late at night and not getting a good rest.
• I was not utilizing my alone time.
• I wasn’t actively seeking joy, or being grateful in the little things (like my grandsons giggles, or a hot cup of coffee).

Once I am off schedule, my entire house is off schedule and all my children  join me in being grumpy and irritable lol.  (Which makes me even more grumpy and more irritated).

The good news is, I will ALWAYS get back up and keep moving forward.  Even though this blog post may seem like more of a ramble and random thoughts to you, it is what I needed to do for me to get my motivation back.

It’s feeling good about the little things, having a sense of accomplishment, or being able to lay my head on the pillow thinking – well done, Heather!

I’m so grateful that we’ve made it through another storm.  It seems each year I get older, what is important to me becomes even more of a priority.  Although it is good for me to have a plan and a direction – sometimes I’m just going to have to take it as it comes and let the pieces fall where they need to fall.

Talk soon,

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