What do you do when you are overwhelmed, Mom? When you want to run away from your life?
I know my life is reaching a point of overwhelm when there are too many post-it notes. When I feel like all I’m doing is creating to-do lists. But not actually doing any of the tasks on the post-its or lists.
When this happens, I take a few minutes to get all the tasks and ideas out of my head. Then figure out what needs to happen right now, today, or this week.
When we have a sense of our commitments, it’s easier to say yes or no to something. If it’s a work project, we can talk about renegotiating deadlines. If it’s a volunteer commitment, we know if have the time to give. If it’s our kids asking to do one more activity, we can have a conversation as a family about whether it makes sense or will lead to more overwhelm.
How many things have you said yes to in your life because you:
- Didn’t know how to say no at the moment?
- Felt obligated to do it even though you really didn’t want to?
Remember that every time you say yes to something you are saying no to something else. And sometimes we have to say no to something that seems like a great opportunity because we know that there’s a better one out there. (Or, we know we need to leave breathing room in our schedules). Make sure that yes is worth it.
I want you to design a life that you don’t need to escape from. One that doesn’t have you dreading every Monday. Where you aren’t resentful of the activities you and your family are committed to outside of work and school.
It’s a life full of activities and tasks that deserve to be there.
If you’re feeling resentful and want to figure out a way to change this, let’s talk!