We ALL Get Overwhelmed (yep - even those of us who support others for a living on this 'stuff'!)
This morning, I woke up with that familiar, uncomfortable feeling—an overwhelming knot in my chest. My brain was racing at a trillion miles an hour (which is a step up from the usual million!), and I felt out of control. It wasn’t a great start to the day.
Some of you might be thinking, “Wait a minute—don’t you help other people manage these kinds of feelings?” Yes, I do! And for some, this might seem off-putting. But that’s okay. I’m sharing this because authenticity and transparency matter to me, and I want to shed light on a couple of important truths:
We All Feel Overwhelmed Sometimes: No one is immune to stress, not even those of us who help others navigate it. Feeling overwhelmed is part of being human, and normalising this experience can help reduce the stigma around it.
We All Need Reminders to ‘Walk Our Talk’: Even when we know what to do to manage stress, we don’t always get it right. Extending kindness to ourselves—especially when things get tough—requires practice and intention.
What Did I Do to Turn It Around?
When I recognized that knot in my chest, I took a step back and asked myself what was really going on. Here’s what helped me regain control:
➡️ Took a Breath: It sounds simple, but pausing to take a deep breath can be incredibly grounding. It helped me start shifting out of the chaos in my mind.
➡️ Reevaluated My Day: I looked at my schedule and saw that I was trying to "have it all" without considering what "MY all" actually looks like. This realisation was a game-changer.
➡️ Re-jigged My Day: With my personal priorities in mind, I reshaped my schedule. I identified tasks I could push to another day and decided where to draw the line.
➡️ Said NO: Yep, I had overcommitted. I gave myself permission to say no to some things that weren’t urgent or essential, freeing up time and energy for what mattered most.
➡️ Added Time for a Run: Exercise is one of my go-to strategies for managing stress. Adding a run to my day wasn’t just about ticking off a fitness goal—it was an intentional act of self-kindness.
Self-Kindness Isn’t Always Easy
Let’s be real—extending kindness to ourselves can be harder than it sounds. When life gets hectic, it’s easy to let our own needs fall to the bottom of the list. But as Graham Allcott wisely said (and I’ll be sharing more from him next week), "Kindness starts with you."
If you’d like to work with someone who’s real and willing to admit they don’t always have it all together, I’d love to chat. Let’s navigate the highs and lows together.
In the meantime, remember that you’re not alone. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, be kind to yourself. Sometimes, that’s the most important thing you can do.
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