Life is busy.
Crazy busy.
Not just for me, but for everyone! It seems to have become a badge of honor to be running around rampant and to not ever take a moment to sit still. For some, that may suit them. It’s fulfilling to them. For example, My mom is one of those types. She has her day planned from sun up to sun down and if she by chance gets a moment to relax, she’s asleep within seconds and then 10 minutes later, her little power nap has recharged her battery, so to speak.
Me, I’m not that way. Constantly running drains me. To be honest, it actually causes me anxiety most days. Don’t get me wrong, I am a doer. I like to get things crossed off my list. However, I see my to-do list and it always seems never-ending. Because of this, I have made the conscientious decision to not make New Year’s goals this year. I don’t need anything to add to my list. When I really thought about goals that would improve my life and make me a better person I decided the one thing that would serve myself and my loved ones best is to learn strategies and tools to cope best with the hamster wheel of life.
In an article by Danielle Dowling from Highlysensitiverefuge.com, she provides tips on how to mindfully control stress and anxiety. Her first tip was my favorite. It kind of reiterated my decision to not set New Year’s goals. It basically says, be ok with feeling overwhelmed. Recognize these emotions and pay attention to how they may present themselves. But no matter what, give yourself grace.
She also goes on to say, “you are not your emotions.” I absolutely love this! We can recognize our emotions but we don’t have to allow them to swallow us whole. Her example of this is, ”I am angry and I am FEELING angry. One version is tied to your identity and the other is simply a passing feeling.” The important thing, she emphasizes, is to know that these emotions won’t go on forever. As my mom has always said, “the sun will always rise tomorrow”. Danielle discusses that as we navigate through these techniques, we will learn to let go. We need to allow the universe to do its thing. She says, “try to be open to believing that all of life is supporting your ever-constant transformation — and maybe, just maybe, sitting with your pain will guide you toward priceless insight and greater happiness.”
As 2019 is now in full swing, I’m excited to try the tips I listed in this article. The key will be for me, to actually take the time to incorporate these practical tools in order to change the balance of my life.
