Overwhelm or ease? The choice is yours.

The Old Way: Living With Overwhelm

I wake up tired but get myself into focused mode using a theme tune to psych myself up or some other motivational technique.

I notice the pressure I’m feeling but accept it as normal - after all, I have a lot on my plate, if I wanted an easier life I’d have to give something up and I’m not prepared to do that.

I notice some anxiety about getting everything done but just override that by ploughing straight into getting things done as fast as I can.

When I get interrupted by other people’s needs and demands I find myself feeling resentful, unappreciated and surprisingly snappy. 

I believe wholeheartedly that if I just get this stuff finished everything will feel better. 

This cycle repeats with me believing things are improving coupled with occasional episodes of emotional meltdowns and crashing into exhaustion.

I’m not as present or loving or fun to be around as I mean to be and I’m struggling to take care of myself properly but overall I feel like I’m winning most of the time.

The Gentle Rebel Way: Living with More Ease

I wake up and notice how I feel. Then I catch the judgements about how I feel and any demands and pressures my mind is trying to sell me as being urgent and important - before I’ve even woken up properly! (How rude).

I  notice how tired or energised I feel and adjust how I intend to move through my day accordingly.

I notice any pressure I’m feeling and remind myself that none of these things are actual emergencies - I am loved, safe and have an amazing life.

I notice any anxiety about getting things done and focus on the most important things first, changing my beliefs about how long they will take to complete and how difficult they might seem. Asking myself to Gently Rebel with ‘What if it was easy, fun and took far less time than I expect?’

I switch off all notifications and make myself as unavailable as possible until the most important thing is completed. I allow myself to get into a state of flow as easily and quickly as possible.

I believe wholeheartedly that regardless of how satisfying it is to complete tasks, how I feel about myself and my life is actually unrelated to external events and is always an inside job.

I choose to look after myself better because I know this makes me nicer and more fun to be around and being present in my life and with those I love is very important to me. 

The overwhelm and the ease coexist. By shifting your perspective and learning to live more skilfully, you get to choose.

I choose to gently, by firmly rebel against The Nonsense that living with overwhelm is the price we have to pay to have a full life.

What will you choose?