Sometimes we lose ourselves caught up in the day to day demands of mothering, commitments and life. I call it the merry-go-round of life. Sometimes it’s pleasant and magical and sometimes it all gets blurry and repetitive and I just want to get off it.
One of the reasons I think mums find it challenging to de-stress and gain clarity is because we simply don’t stop. It’s showtime for us from morning to night, and for many of us, even throughout the night. So it makes sense that for us to really tune in to what’s going on in our lives we must stop. Stop to listen, to feel and to breathe so we can take care of our wellbeing.
So… when you’re feeling overwhelmed and desperate to dismount the merry go round, here’s what works for me.
Get back to basics
Pull back from commitments, switch the phone and computer off and go hands free for a bit. The world will still be there once you’re ready to come back. You might have a hundred and one emails to come back to, but trust me, it’s easier to tackle them once you’re feeling refreshed than feeling stressed.
Dial in and check out those feelings
I meditate and do reiki to tune in and balance myself and I gain clarity through writing. You might find that going for a walk, a run, or a massage works for you. Find something that allows you to tune into what’s going on in your life making you feel overwhelmed, stressed, upset (etc) and work on releasing it. If you’re thinking you don’t have time, taking even ten mindful minutes to meditate can be enormously helpful. Build up a daily practice and eventually you’ll find yourself turning to it as soon as you start to feel out of balance.
Spend time doing something you love
Bring some joy back into your life by doing something you love. Doing stuff you love nourishes your soul. Schedule in a me day and give yourself some time to do something you love. You’ll feel refreshed and revitalised for it.
When you think about it, we know what we need to do to get out of overwhelm. It’s just that more often than not we don’t stop to let ourselves get out of it.
What are your thoughts? I’d love to know what works for you. Do you practice any of the above?
