Summertime and the livin’ ain’t that easy

Summer is the best time to sit back, have a barbeque, go for a hike, lay in a hammock, chill out, right? 

Are you doing that?  Confession. I’m not. I’m busy and overwhelmed a lot. 

I looked up the definition of overwhelm to see if it’s as bad as I thought:  Here’s what I found:  “to exist in such great amounts that someone or something cannot deal with them. ”Yep, it’s what I thought. Plus they could have added this part:

 “And you don’t know what to do about it.”

Thoughts of burning down the house (to get rid of clutter) or running away or bursting into tears because there’s so much to do and you don’t even know where to start doesn’t really help, does it? And to top it off, everyone’s taking a vacay. What if you don’t even have the time to figure out how to get away? Geez. Sheer craziness, right?

Here’s what I think might be happening:

1. We might be on overload with truly too much to do on our plates.
2. And/or we could be longing for a big change. Something different. Something that’s more peaceful and relaxed.

Here is the biggest secret I’ve found to getting out of overwhelm: 

 START

Yep, just start somewhere. Anywhere.

It might be that the first thing is for you sit down and list everything that needs to be done so that it’s not in your head but on paper.

Start with one thing. Just one small thing can help you move forward into freedom and out of stuckness.

I am now officially an entrepreneur of an online business where I’m a one woman band…I do everything for my business and it’s a lot. I’ve learned that when I feel stuck in overwhelm and I don’t know what to do, I sit down (and take a deep breath so I stop freaking out) and I make a list of everything that needs to be done.

Batch it. I put everything in categories (emails to be written, blog posts to compose, social media posts, website tweaks) AND then there’s the other list as well: house, work, bills, clutter, garden, finances. Whatever it is, I separate everything into groups.

Make a plan. I choose the category which is the most pressing and sometimes the most annoying. Now it can be broken down into what needs to be done and by when.

Set a timer for 20 minutes. I work without interruption (no emails, texts, or phone calls) and then it’s time to take a 10-minute break.

This is the time when I snag my husband (who is sitting at his desk). We stand on one leg for a minute. And then the next leg for a minute. I know…kooky but hey, sitting is the new smoking and this really helps with balance and stopping insane lengths of time in front of a screen. Sometimes on my 10 minute break I go outside to my garden and pull weeds. You’d be surprised how many weeds you can get to in just 10 minutes. And I get fresh air.

When you can complete at least one thing, even the tiniest thing, then you have momentum. Success in just beginning. Celebrate with a cup of coffee, chocolate, go for a walk...whatever that makes you feel good. 

Get rid of social media, even if for just a day. Do a social media detox. One day won’t hurt. And notice if it makes a difference for you (ie, more time for you).

Remember that (I’m telling myself this, too). Life is too short.

Choose what's important and put your plan in place.

AND THEN the next step is..(of course)

Do something for yourself that you love.

Something that makes you happy but you never have time to do. Put it in your calendar right now and make it happen. Don’t waste another second feeling overwhelmed. It’s so not worth it.

Next steps:

• Make that plan to accomplish just 1 thing in your life for the next 48 hours.
• Post below this blog in the comment section about what you will do or reply to this email.  Let me know what your plan is to get out of overwhelm and back into the driver’s seat of your life. I'll hold that intention with you. 

Here’s to you and the best summer of your life,

Jo

P.S. Signups are starting for Ageless Wisdom and Passion online retreat. Go here to check it out.

P.S.S. And if you didn't get a copy of the "Nice Girl's Guide to Saying No", you can download it here. 

P.S.S.S.S. (is that even a thing?) Cool off by listening to my old favorite (which inspired the post title):

Summertime sung by Annie Lenox