Overwhelmed? This is the Only Strategy that Helped
Me with the flu after days of overwhelm knocked my immune system out.
I’m not going to lie…January has unexpectedly unraveled me and it wasn’t pretty.
It’s what I like to refer to as the ‘shadow unraveling.’
It’s not the kind of untangling that often comes welcomed with open arms, a sort of walk into the untethered with gratitude and ‘readiness’ (much like during an uplifting yoga class or a deep release massage). This kind of unraveling exposes within us parts of our ego that we’re not particularly proud of (you know, the messy human parts that we don’t like to show the world).
It’s a mirror into a new growth edge and the places where we’re not showing up honestly and with integrity for ourselves. It has infinite power to free us and it also has infinite power to destroy us.
It all just depends on if we're willing to slow down enough to digest the lesson and take the steps needed for assimilation.
Shadow unraveling often shows up as overwhelm and during times of transition. In today’s fast paced world of ‘allthethings’ must get done and ‘I can handle the pressure myself’ kind of mentality, many of us live in this state far too often and for far too long.
For me, January marked a time of big change for my lifestyle. In November me and my partner decided to sell most of what we owned, adopt a rescue dog, and prepare to travel the USA in 2018, working and living on the road. In December we bought a 1999 31ft. Airstream Land Yacht RV and on January 1st we moved into his parents home for a month while we got things prepared for sailing off. January began the remodeling phase and it also happened to be the month that I opened applications for The Changemakers Circle, a 10 month mentorship for seekers who dare to create, lead, and share your gifts with more depth, ease, and authenticity - to build a life that lights you up and illuminates the world.
Our tiny home on wheels remodeled! Blood, sweat, and tears not included in photo.
In December, as things shifted and life got more and more full, I decided to let my morning practice of meditation, reading, writing, and reviewing my plans for the day ahead to take a break. I thought, “it’s only for a little while during all this transition.” At first, the break was welcomed and helpful. It was nice to sleep in and take pause from ‘routine’ for a week or two. Coincidently, during this time I also stopped hosting monthly S.A.C.R.E.D circles™in my community (which is pure medicine for me and all those involved) because I was no longer in town, and I also took a break from my mastermind group and receiving coaching.
Basically, I let some of my major support systems take a side seat during a time in my life when I needed them most (during transition). And what ensued was a steady build up of progressively more and more overwhelm (both internally and externally). Because I didn’t have my usual healthy outlets for processing the rising emotions, the overwhelm ‘hit the lid’ so to speak, leading to a bad attitude, poor focus, and an increase of sharing from my inner critic (what I refer to as IBSC - Itty Bitty Shitty Committee - more on this in my next blog).
Each day I would get up and try to do as much as I could with a huge list that never seem to go away. I took on a ‘just get whatever I can get done’ attitude and found myself waking up each day feeling like I rather stay sleeping. I tried to plan the day ahead in a flurry and way too late in the game for me to feel grounded and present to what actually needed to get done that day.
By mid January I found myself with the flu, which with my background in mind/body studies, I have no doubt it stemmed from a severely low immune system due to the overwhelm I was creating in my life daily. I have not been sick - not even a cold - for a decade, so this was a big wake up call for me.
After two longs weeks the flu passed, my energy was restored, and I had done some serious reflecting on who I was being during this time of transition, how I was not showing up for myself in the ways I know work best for me, and most importantly, I re-engaged with some of the support systems I had let go of.
Something I often remind my clients is that life isn’t about getting it ‘right’ or doing it perfectly. It’s about how you deal with yourself and with others when you aren’t ‘getting it right’ and you’re doing it imperfectly (which is all the time).
It’s about your willingness to repair the mess (both internally and externally) when you get messy (which will happen). It’s about being compassionate and honest with yourself - which is truly a daily practice, and it’s about creating things in your life that matter, that you want to do, that aren’t ‘shoulds,’ because they are sacred to you.
This is one thing I let myself forget momentarily…that sacred things matter. And what I've discovered is sacred for me, is community and starting my day off intentionally.
My morning morning practice is not so much a 'routine'…it’s a ritual.
It’s sacred to me. The space I carve out for ‘me time’ in the morning has the power to set my day into motion in a way that feels present, focused, and joyful. That space is not so much about what I do with it, simply that I show up for it.
For me, it’s about telling myself, ‘you’re worth it.’ It’s about starting the day off slow and with intention. It’s about setting a tone of being so I can bring that energy into my day of doing. It’s what allows for me to show up more fully in my life, to create with more ease, lead more authentically, and live with more depth and love.
And the support I find in being a part of like-minded community has been nothing short of a miracle for me in my life.
I can honestly say that everything I care about was only able to be created because of community - from the relationships I have healed to the experiences I hold dear to my heart - I could not have done it alone.
And here’s the thing, there is no simple ‘fix all’ strategy for dealing with overwhelm - from what I can tell, it’s just a part of the game at times. However, we have endless resources available to us to deal with it in ways that feel more aligned with who we really are and how we really want to show up for ourself, our loved ones, and the world at large.
When we truly get this, we can relax into life with more presence and ease, opening ourself to discover our own path and to create the rituals in our life that allow for us to show up with more intention (and sanity).
I love to learn from you as well. So I’m curious, when you feel overwhelm taking over, what support systems allow you to re-align with yourself and deepest intentions of showing up fully, with more depth, more ease, and more authentically, in the world? Comment below.
If 2018 is your year to create, lead, and share your gifts with more depth, ease, and authenticity - to build a life that lights you up and illuminates the world, then I invite you to explore how The Changemakers Circle can support you on that journey.
The Changemakers Circle:
Create a life that lights you up and illuminates the world.
Last year was the 1st year I ran this mentorship program - it brought deep growth, connection, and meaning into my life and all those involved. This year the flow will look a bit different and also be more financially accessible as I’m bringing in two versions of the offering, The Changemakers Circle and The Changemakers Circle: Elevated.
During the course of 10 months, our intimate community of no more than 12 change-making seekers will journey through the soulful and the strategic, the sacred and the silly, the pragmatic and the playful, while deepening in connection, courage, confidence, and consciousness. This is an intentional space for being seen and heard in a way that will support your life and dreams in a way that will light you up and illuminate the world.
Both include:
- monthly life and leadership group coaching with me
- nine life visioning mentoring calls with me
- nine inspiring guest mentors
- monthly S.A.C.R.E.D circles + training
- a life changing challenge that will ignite your voice in the world and give you powerful conscious leadership tools that will enhance your skills in both life and business
...and so. much. more.
*Elevated includes all the above, plus 1-on-1 coaching with me and a retreat in October to Bali (The Changemakers Adventure).
Learn more and apply here.
Live intentionally and discover your own way,
