I don’t know about you, but somehow life just has a way of filling up and getting busy. And before we realize it, we’re running around trying to get caught up with the too many things on our to-do list, feeling stressed, overwhelmed and exhausted. Motivation drops, fatigue sets in, and we begin to feel disconnected from the people around us. Unfortunately, this has become pretty normal in our society.
This happened to me this week. I recently took on a new project that was a seven to eight hour commitment each week. I was excited about it and looking forward to what it would bring, both personally and for my family. However, after the first two weeks, I ended up feeling overwhelmed with my life. My morning walks became shorter and fewer, and my impatience grew bigger. Gone were the days of waking up excited about the joy and adventures the day would bring; replaced by the heaviness of needing to get going with all the things that had to get done.
How easy it is to keep adding in the new without letting go of the old! I took on that new exciting project without letting go of something else. Where did I think that time and energy would come from? I didn’t have an extra seven hours just sitting around with nothing to do, and I obviously can’t just create more time. So no surprise that I ended up overwhelmed.
So the past few days I’ve become more aware – aware of where my time, energy, and emotional bandwidth have all been going. I’ve starting asking myself what I want to prioritize and what I’m willing to let go of. I’ve simplified my life by setting some priorities and letting go of those things that just don’t matter as much. Not that those things are bad, they’re just not what I need right now.
For example, that half finished scarf sitting on my dresser (my COVID knitting project that I started May of 2020!) that’s continually calling my name (ah, the guilt!). Honestly, I haven’t touched it in over a year. Once I let go of it, I could feel the burden lifting. Then, there were those social groups (local book club, women’s hiking group, etc) that I’d at one time been interested in and I’d been following from the sidelines (ah, more guilt!). By letting go of them, it allowed me to better invest in the friendships that I already have and to build new relationships based on what has meaning to me right now.
It’s easy to fall into those feelings of overwhelm, stress, and disconnection. But I know that I have choices – the ability to choose what I can take on and what I can’t. I can prioritize and simplify my life to build in that oh-so-critical time for self care and connection in a way that leaves me feeling energized, joyful, and looking forward to my day.
What are some ways you can simplify your life? Maybe it’s cleaning out that closet. Or letting go of having a perfect Pinterest-ready home. Or maybe it’s just in letting go of the guilt of not being able to “do it all” (as if anyone can!). How can you simplify in a way that allows you to have time and space for your own mental, emotional, and physical self-care?
