My fantasy day...

Have you ever wished you could somehow get an extra day a week? I have this fantasy where I get an extra day a week, a day outside of space and time. No one else knows about this day except me and it’s mine to do with as I wish.

Coming back from Thailand, I’ve been reflecting on the nature of stress in life. It’s inevitable, as we grow and evolve in our lives, we are constantly pushing into our limits. Good at your job? Chances are you’ll get more tasks, bigger opportunities. Got a family? Your children will test you – this is how they learn. So many of my friends juggle family, work, more work, study, exercise, social lives and trying to stay healthy and sane as well.

It’s not surprising that we can sometimes feel overwhelmed. But rather than staring into space and imagining up a secret day, here are three ways to shift your energy when you feel overwhelmed by all the things you have to do. The number one reason for overwhelm is that we get busy doing all the things we need to to get by, but often we’re not doing the things that our hearts really desire.

Three Steps to Shift Overwhelm

Step One - Remember your achievements.

Think back over the last month or two and to what you have achieved. So often we focus on where we think we’ve failed. For example, maybe you joined a gym and meant to go 3 times a week, but mostly only managed twice a week. That means you managed to get there twice a week! Maybe you intended to meditate every morning but only managed a couple of times. You have still proved you can do it!

Take 60 seconds to reflect and let this fuel your confidence in your abilities.

Step Two – Write it all down.

Take 5 mins (use a timer) and write down EVERYTHING you need to do, from the tiniest thing to the biggest (ie. ‘get shampoo’, ‘start writing memoire’). This is a brain dump and just helps to get our head clear.

Step Three – Pick 3 things and do them.

Look at your list, and highlight 7 items that mean the most to you – the ones that will really take your life in the direction your heart desires, not the most urgent. Then look at these and pick out a top 3. Get out your diary or calendar and find a date and time for each of these three things in the next week.

Let me know how you go!

Lots of love

Ruth