Overwhelmed? Pace Yourself!

    Manic:  Just returned from a big road trip and instead of feeling rested, I’m back to feeling just plain overwhelmed!  Does this feeling sound familiar?  I bet 99% of you said yes!

Managed:  4 words – prioritize and pace myself!

Since we returned from our trip….

*Both of my cats have tummy issues, so it is time for a vet visit.

*We had an epic dust storm here in Phoenix last night that left my back yard filled with broken flower pot glass, strewn lawn furniture and mountains of dust (I’ll be tending to that next)!

*Discovered windows in our home that aren’t sealed properly, as we found piles of dust in several different rooms this AM from the big storm.

*Received a medical bill from a February urgent care visit that is mistakenly charging us for a $400 emergency room visit.  We shouldn’t have a balance, especially not for $400!

*My husband’s car was a terrific workhorse on our 10-day road trip, but we discovered a few malfunctions, so now that vehicle needs to go into the shop, too!

So, am I bad to want to ignore all of these things, to instead keep the promises I made myself while on the trip, which were:

1.  Continue to spend more quality time with my kids, as we did on our trip.

2.  Exercise.

3.  Take the time to get back to several declutter and home projects that have been on my list for the last two years.

I wish I could ignore this brand new to-do list that has magically popped up in the first 24 hours that we’ve been home…but, of course, I can’t do that. 

And is it bad that sometimes all I want to do is sit in my office and concentrate on my website, my freelance work and volunteer work (which also has me very busy)?

Well, when I start to feel this way, I remind myself of some great advice that I received from family and friends.

I remember my mother-in-law noticing that the hardest part of being a new mom for me would be not being able finish the things that I started.  I hadn’t thought about that frustration and it was so true!  So, as she and I discussed, I remember to pace myself.  After all, it will all get done.  And as I get one item finished, I feel satisfaction with that, instead of reflecting on how long the to-do list still looks on paper (and is)! 

My former Channel 3 boss, good friend and mentor, Ron once told me to simply prioritize.  That was good advice to give a busy television producer who is handling multiple jobs at one time.  And great advice for a busy mom who is handling multiple jobs for multiple family members at one time!

So, to my fellow overwhelmed gals and pals out there, remember to pace yourself and prioritize.  And that reminds me of another great piece of advice my good friend, Lisa told me….when your priorities are in order, everything falls into place.  And that is so true!

What do you do to calm that overwhelmed feeling that we all sometimes feel? 

Uh oh, I’m hearing my kids fight now!  Time to sign off, break up the fight and recruit them to help me tackle the list!  Have a great day, everyone!