Overwhelm is Optional

I told my husband this morning that our to-do list is winning.  No matter how much we do, it just gets longer. 

Which means I'm losing to an inanimate object—that I created. 

Can you relate?

But then, I remembered something that helped me and maybe it will help you too.

Whenever we feel overwhelmed it is because of our thoughts—our thoughts that we have too much to handle, that we can't possibly do it all, and that consequently, we are all going to die.  (Our brains throw that last part in there every time.)

But the truth is that, even though I always feel overwhelmed during December, to date, no horrible, catastrophic thing has ever happened because I didn't get something done.  I haven't died yet.

I've just had a lot of painful, anxious, irritated Decembers.

Which means, maybe my brain is wrong about all of it.

Maybe whatever I choose to handle will be enough.  Maybe I don't have to do it all—at all.  Maybe I'm not going to die and my loved ones are not going to be disappointed or maybe they will be and that's totally okay.  Maybe all the have to's are optional.  Maybe there is no actual disaster looming out there and my brain just made it all up.

And if that's true, maybe I could just stop thinking the thoughts that are creating all the pain and overwhelm in the first place. 

Remember, they're just thoughts.  They're not facts.

And Christmas is coming either way.

I can either feel overwhelmed and harassed between here and there or I can choose something completely different.

And so can you.

xo,

April

P.S. On the podcast this week I talked about a really helpful way to look at your progress.  If you're feeling overwhelmed by the progress you "didn't make" this year, it will give you an entirely new perspective!