When Overwhelm Hits: Finding Peace in a Busy Life
It sounds counterintuitive that when you're feeling overwhelmed, you should pause to add or subtract something. Yet, that's what I'm going to suggest. Here's why…
Small, intentional choices that are good for us can have an outsized impact.
For example. Spending five minutes sitting in the grass and listening to the leaves blow in the wind can do a lot for you (grounds you, gives you vitamin D, is an act of mindfulness, and there's strong evidence to support the power of having our feet touch the grass as well as being in nature in general).
That's quite an ROI (return on investment)! Yet, despite knowing this, I rarely do it and the grass and trees are mere feet outside of my house. (you, too, perhaps?)
The same goes for a lot of habits we know are good for us like:
Sleeping well
Journaling
Moving our bodies
Connecting with people who energize us
Fueling ourselves with good food
Meditating
Hydrating
Having fun
Mindful breathing
Why is it that we know better but don't do better? (sorry dr. Maya Angelou.)
I suspect there are many reasons: urgency culture, trauma response, misaligned values, cultural pressures and norms, demands that supersede our priorities, hijacked brains from all the stimuli around us. You know, a couple of small reasons…
Yes, it may take some cognitive energy and intention to change a habit and plant in one that better serves you. In the long term, you'll thank yourself for it. Most things that are really worth it take some effort.
Here's my challenge to you: pick one thing that could help center you and try doing it for five days this week. Then check in with yourself and see how you feel. Do you want to continue? Add something? Try something else?
Make a choice now to prioritize one thing that will help you to be more present and to feel even a bit more peaceful.