Identifying Overwhelm
Summer is here! Take a moment to identify, address, and prepare for the onslaught of summer madness.
Summer tends to be the craziest time of year for me. Birthdays, events, deadlines, family stuff, holidays - all the things. And for the parents out there, SCHOOL IS OUT.
Because summer can be a stressful and chaotic time for folks. Yes, we love family gatherings and celebrating, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy, especially if you are juggling work and writing deadlines on top of it.
QUESTION:
What does overwhelm look like for you? Have you ever paid attention to your body’s cues, altering you when you’re on the brink of overwhelm?
If you haven’t, pay attention to see if there are early signs, allowing you to nip your overwhelm in the bud before it gets you.
For me, it looks like a mixture of:
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I’m unable to focus and feel unmotivated
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My lower neck aches, like it’s holding all of that tension in that one area
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I get irritable and impatient
If you know how stress and overwhelm manifest for you, it’s much easier to combat.
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Identify your symptoms and signs.
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Make a list of what you can do to break the pattern.
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Not everything is a priority, or rather, it’s not the same level of priority – what are your top THREE priorities right now? What can you take off your plate (temporarily)? If it’s writing time, that’s okay. You need to be healthy to be happy, and if you’re going to enjoy the writing, it can’t feel like a chore or one more thing you have to do.
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Listen to your instincts. They will help you divide and conquer during the summer madness – but you HAVE TO LISTEN and you have to take action. It’s far too easy to ignore the signs.
Until next time, happy summer!
Linds
