that place of feeling helpless, full of doubt, exhausted, stressed…
Make it stand out
Recently, I called out to the ladies on social media who are feeling like the weight of the world is on their shoulders & told them that I see you. I hear you. I feel you. Because I am you.
I have had some heavy personal stuff going on & feeling the weight of it on my back brought me back to that place of feeling helpless, full of doubt, exhausted, stressed, a wee bit emotional at times & overly emotional other times.
I lived life feeling like that way for years. There were days I'd only muster the strength to do the bare minimum. The minimum for my job. The minimum as a friend. The minimum around the house. The minimum as a mom. It made me feel so awful about myself. It made me feel small like - who am I to better myself or challenge myself to desire more. I felt like I deserved to feel this way. Living life years from feeling like this, I know I am not the only one who ever felt this way.
The difference between then & now is that I have more tools in my toolbox by being open to change & open to healing my wounds & growing from them. This doesn’t mean that I don’t have those feelings of despair with all that is going on but the duration and the severity is less now vs then.
Here are 3 things that have helped me and might help you when there's a full plate of muck
1. Remind yourself of the 3 C’s-
This isn’t anything I caused, This isn’t anything I can control and it’s not anything I can cure.
You do have the power to change how you are dealing with the life muck and how it affects you.
2. Make a list of all the things you can’t control to give yourself permission to stop worrying about them & turn your focus on the action that you can take. For example if you're feeling not so positive, scrolling social media & seeing all the fluff on your newsfeed can get you feeling down about yourself & irritable so take a social media break to bring you back to your reality. Go for the walk, or work outside in the sun, or have more quality conversations with those that surround you in person or on the phone.
3. Ask yourself - What will I think about this 5 years or 10 years from now? The answer is typically one of two things and I have seen this happen time & time again - Either it’ll make for a good laugh or a good story. Doing this helps you not get all caught up in the moment going down the rabbit hole of despair but snaps you out of it and gets you back to thinking in a more stoic way, aligned with what matter most to you in your life.
I know first hand how living through difficult times can take a heavy toll on your mood, health, and outlook. It can leave you feeling helpless & overwhelmed by stress & anxiety. You may be painfully grieving all that’s been lost within you, flooded by a slew of difficult, conflicting emotions, or uncertain about how to move on with your life. You may even feel that your life is totally out of control & you’re powerless to affect whatever may happen next. I’m here to support you through it. Whatever it is. I am here to tell you that you don’t have to endure years of feeling this way, like I did. You’ll need to learn the steps you need to get you feeling more comfortable in your life & in control of your life even with the muck that exists.
SO if anything, remember the 3 C’s-
This isn’t anything you caused, This isn’t anything you can control and it’s not anything you can cure. However, you do have the power to change how you’re dealing with it and how it affects you. I see you, I hear you, I feel you bc I am you. Keep Swimming. You're not alone. Until next time….