I had a lot to say about this one…

Things are hard out there. Our minds are pulled in so many directions each moment of each day, and we are required to process not only the potential decisions, but also our own personal feelings about whatever is going on. I’m talking big and little picture, because it is all related. From how to keep your how tidy and fridge stocked, to the pressing communications waiting for you at work, to the relationships that we hold dear, to the news that is a constant barrage of challenging and overwhelming information that we have to ‘put’ somewhere.

So. What to do about it? Step back. Not step away, but back and away from the need to fix and control everything that is coming your way.

Here’s an anecdote: I made a mistake this week for a client I’m working with - small-picture big mistake, big-picture small mistake, but I was overwhelmed with my anxiety of messing this thing up, and it still needed to be fixed. At first I was up in there, drowning in the mistake and not seeing a clear solution. And then I stepped back - I physically left my office. Then I did a yoga pose, and repeated the mantra “I am allowed to make mistakes” out loud. This immediately calmed me down enough to take a couple deep breaths and make a plan. The plan seemed like it would be a long work around, but because it was a solution that was in my knowledge wheel-house, it was actually a short cut, not only for that moment, but for the project overall. It saved me time in the long-run. I was so deep in my head that I couldn’t see it clearly until I stepped back and away and gave myself a mantra to quiet my mind. To clear out the doubt and chatter and to use my best resources to problem solve and move forward. This kind of thing happens to us all day long, something doesn’t work, and we fix it, but sometimes, it is just too much and we get overwhelmed. So I suggest taking a step back and relaxing your body, your thoughts and your actual mind with deep breaths, movement, a mantra or all of the above.

As always, we must be present, we can’t just ignore, but we can give ourselves space and understanding of what we are up against so that we can give it our best: clear, connected and aware.

Thanks for reading! Cass