The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. -Psalm 29:11
Do you ever get the feeling that you might have put a little too much on your plate?
This, of course, happens literally when we are really hungry and find ourselves at a buffet or party and end up dishing up too much, especially when our eyes are bigger than our stomachs.
Feeling overwhelmed can also happen figuratively if you get excited about something and end up taking on too much at once. This may be followed by feeling a lack of motivation, discipline or confidence. Feeling overwhelmed by life is less about what’s going on and more often related to negative thinking.
Below are a few ideas to keep in mind when you feel overwhelmed:
Don’t sweat the small stuff – Day by day, week by week we all have busy lives, responsibilities, and unexpected disappointments. When we let the little annoyances, such as the unexpected bank fee or a last-minute cancellation get us down, we waste energy worrying about things that we cannot change.
I can stop worrying about: ______________________________________________
Connect with your emotional energy. If you, or someone in your family, has gone through a distressing health experience such as a cancer diagnosis or heart attack you know how emotionally exhausting those situations are. Other drains on our emotional energy include exciting stuff such as a job promotion, buying a new house or finding out you’re pregnant. Anything life-changing takes energy to process and absorb. During those emotionally charged weeks – good or otherwise – remember to be extra gentle with yourself.
I use emotional energy when: ___________________________________________
Recharge your batteries. In yoga last week, our wonderful instructor read a passage about the importance of recharging our batteries. We give, give, give all day at work and then go home and give more to our families. For myself, I recharge with yoga, walking (in the woods!), spending time with friends or cooking. Other people find energy by playing golf, doing artistic projects such as knitting or sitting back and enjoying their favorite TV show.
I recharge my batteries by: ______________________________________________
Get back to your happy thoughts. Whether you choose prayer, meditation, pranayama (breath practice), an upbeat radio station or your favorite book – the options are endless when choosing to get your mental state rebalanced.
I feel happiest when: ___________________________________________________
Food for thought:
The tragic attack in Orlando, FL shook the nation as with each horrible event of that nature. It’s all too easy to fall into a negativity black hole, but we can do better.
Let us unite in love, hope and peace by taking care of ourselves and creating the world we want to live in.
