There’s a lot going on right now!
Many people I’ve spoken with report some degree of being overwhelmed, overworked, overcommitted and some are just over it.
If this rings true for you right now or you can already see it coming, I encourage you to remember something that has worked for you to calm down the chaos and achieve clarity more quickly. In my experience, all of us have some process that has worked well for us in the past, but we forget about this in the heat of the moment. Think about what has worked for you and most likely, it’ll work again.
If you would like to try something new, I recommend a version of the following process:
Pause:
Stop for a moment, an hour, a day or even a week – whatever is realistic for you in your current situation. Take some kind of calming break that you feel will work for you. Remove yourself from the space that overwhelms you (physically and mentally). Meditate, breathe, go for a walk, do something completely different that energises and inspires you – do whatever it takes to break your routines and patterns.Perspective:
Find a new way to look at your challenging situation. Journal, talk with a friend or mentor, do a mind map as a brain dump, scribble or create a system map of your challenge, climb a mountain… watch a sunrise. There’s always a new, fresh point of view hiding right in front of you. All you need to do is allow yourself to access it.Prioritise:
Select a couple of options that feel right, are aligned with your overall vision, purpose, goals, values and strengths. I know…this sounds like a lot and complicated. Start with whatever feels most important to you – this selection doesn’t have to be logical. Just pick one possibility.Progress:
Do something. A small step or a small experiment. Clarity oscillates around confusion – the two always come together as a package. Progress needs some action to find greater levels of clarity. Implement one of your newly chosen priorities. Do one thing and see how it works. Achieving a small win, might just be the momentum you needed to move out of the space of overwhelm.
Watching sunrises is one of my practices to get some perspective.
Sunrises remind me that there’s always a new opportunity – every day. Sunrises look different – every day. A sunrise feels like a long activity, but it actually only takes 2.5 minutes for the sun to fully rise above the horizon. However, the coldest temperatures and the best colours in the sky are mainly shortly before sunrise. Thus, depending how you look at it, it can be uncomfortable or beautiful or just something new and fresh.
A sunrise is a symbol for new beginnings. It happens in the East – the direction that represents spiritual birth and awakening in many wisdom traditions.
A sunrise is whatever you make of it – whatever meaning you give it. It is a moment to pause, reflect and decide on what type of day you would like to have. It’s up to you.
Enjoy and go well.
Naturally yours,
Ingrid