Feeling Overwhelmed? You can squeeze in joy!

I was looking at the calendar this morning and was like…. what?!  Are we really THAT close to the end of the school year?  This week feels a bit like the calm before the storm.

​I’ve been able to keep up with our commitments and feel productive in the important areas of my life. You know as well as I do though, that life has ups and downs. Sometimes you can sit there with your pretty planner and no matter how well you try to plan your schedule and how organized your sock drawer is, wham!  Something completely unexpected suddenly throws you off course and leaves you feeling overwhelmed and a hot mess.

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Looking ahead this month, I notice a bunch of daytime appointments and evening commitments.  I can sense that life will be speeding up!  So, while I’m in the position to reflect, I wanted to give some thought for when this rollercoaster called life goes from the steady upward climb (where you feel fairly calm and in control) into the “weeeeeeeee!”

​So what can we do to still squeeze in joy, even when we feel overwhelmed?

My short answer is: use your senses. 

What’s worked for me is to slow down for a minute and:

• smell a flower
• look up at the sky
• listen to the birds outside
• touch the bark of a tree or soft fabric.
• eat a cookie! (sugar does wonders if you have a sweet tooth like me!)

Being mindful of the little things can go a long way in finding joy, no matter how hectic our day is shaping up to be.  Take the time (which is really not much time) to truly appreciate and savour these small moments.

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While these ideas work well in the short-term, how can you fight overwhelm and build more joy into your life in the long-term?

​Spend some time reflecting on what’s causing you to feel overwhelmed. 

- Are these things you have some control over?
- Can you get rid of any demands on your schedule to accommodate the things you don’t have control over? 
​- What’s most important to you and what can you say no to?

​Would love to hear from you in the comments!  If you enjoyed reading this blog post, it'd give me so much joy if you'd share it.  Thank you!

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