Dealing with holiday (& just LIFE) overwhelm & burnout

Hey there my friend! It’s December 12th and you’re pretty much halfway through the last month of the year. How are you doing? Are you feeling the calm and peace of the season... or perhaps your life is feeling a bit (or a whole lot) overwhelming and chaotic right about now.  

Well, if you are anything like me or my neighbor who I literally just ran into who told me she is feeling totally overwhelmed because she always takes on too much at this time of year (all good, happy things doing kind and compassionate goodness for others, but forgetting to take time for herself)...
THEN KEEP READING!!

I’m actually writing today’s post as I prepare for a much-needed week long vacation to Cabo with my sweetheart. This is our first real trip in several months and I’ve been definitely feeling the strains of overwhelm and burnout from my life as a solo entrepreneur. I wear a whole lot of hats in my life and do an awful lot of juggling on a day-to-day basis. Which normally I do a pretty darn good job at! I am a very organized, detail-oriented person and usually I can keep my priorities straight.   BUT every now and then I start to feel the pull to want to completely check out and just do nothing for a while. That’s when I know it’s definitely time for a well-deserved break.

Now the old me who was a serious perfectionist and over-planning overachiever would have proudly powered through the piles and piles of extra stressful things I’ve taken on in my life - wearing it like a badge of honor. When really, on the inside, I was feeling completely exhausted and ready to crash. I would become resentful of the people around me for not stepping up to help out, but I didn't know how to ask for help without coming across as being "not enough".

So today I wanted to share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned over the years that help me keep my life more in balance and cope with the times, like now, when I’m feeling overwhelmed and burnt out!  

First off you need to notice the signs of burning out. 

• Are you feeling excessively irritable or cranky? 
• Are you feeling unmotivated to complete the tasks on your list? 
• Do you find yourself living for the weekend and dreading Monday?  
• Are you waking up in the night feeling panicked that you just can’t get it all done?
• Do you wish you could just bury yourself under a cozy blanket on the couch to binge watch cheesy Christmas movies and not come up for days?

If you answered YES to any of the above...don't fret!  You are totally normal and oh so human.  You see when you are under stress - even if it's stress from GOOD POSITIVE THINGS - your body reacts as if you are under attack. It's your nervous system and your limbic system at work to protect you.  In life there is Real Stress which is something urgent that needs our attention immediately or is a problem to solve.  Then there is IMAGINED STRESS which is all in YOUR MIND.  It's that thought of "What if....happens? or doesn't?" and your mind goes on a wild and crazy ride down the dark hole of despair.  Sound familiar?  Most of our stress is the imagined variety!!

I was recently listening to a podcast with Susie Moore, author of "Let it Be Easy" and she shared the following questions to ask yourself when you first notice the signs of stress and overwhelm:

• How serious is this really?
• What is essential here?
• How can I let this be easy?

​I just love those!  How often have you turned that metaphoric mole-hill into a Mt. Everest in your mind?

Mark Twain said it best - “I’ve been through some terrible things in my life some of which actually happened.”

Here are some of my tips and techniques I use to get through these oh so human and unavoidable times of life:

• First, I is look at my calendar very carefully and decide what DOES need to get done today, or in the next couple of days, or for the whole next week.  The non-negotiables. 
• I ask myself if there is anything I can completely cancel, push back, or simplify?
• Next I ask myself who could I ask for help with some of these things that are overwhelming me. It might be a friend, my sweetie, or my son who is now living at home with us.  For you it might be a co-worker, your spouse, or a neighbor.
• Once I’ve cleared some space in my calendar, then I decide what kind of self-care I am needing.  
  • Is it that time just on the couch vegging out to give my brain a rest? 
  • Is it some physical activity to get my body moving (which I know will immediately make me feel better!!)?
  • Maybe it’s just a quickie little getaway to see some different sites and not think about work for a little bit of time.
  • Or when did you have your last REAL vacation? 

​My goal for this next week ahead is to not open my laptop at all!  To leave my cell phone in the hotel room and truly soak up every precious minute of my time in paradise with my love.  I know that I will come home feeling refreshed and reenergized to get back to not only enjoying the holiday season, but to taking on all of the tasks for my solo business with renewed enthusiasm!!  
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Needing help with creating balance, coping with overwhelm, setting healthy boundaries, and learning to tame the stress gremlins? Let's get on a call and explore how working with a coach can help!