Three Ways to Stay Grounded When You Feel Anxious
As much as we’d hate to admit it, summer is winding down. And if you have school-aged kids, it’s about to get real. . . school is about to start. Life is about to start moving faster than we can keep up. Pretty soon, your calendar will be filled up with things like school registration (and the paperwork that comes with it), Meet the teacher and Back to School nights, homework battles, early morning wake-ups, extra-curricular activities . . . and on and on. I feel exhausted and overwhelmed just thinking about it, don’t you? But hear me out: We don’t have to stay in the place of overwhelm. So, whether you are in school chaos or not, it’s so important to stay grounded. Here are three strategies anyone can use to stay grounded when that calendar feels up in the air:
1. Breathe
Truly. Breathe. Oxygen is essential in our system. When we take in oxygen through deep abdominal breathing, endorphins are released into our brain, causing our nervous system to relax. Think about your brain just taking a huge sigh of relief. But not only does breathing fill our lungs with all kinds of good benefits, it also helps us to stay in the present focusing our attention on the here and now. Breathing, meditating, and praying all keep our minds off of the ever present “what if’s”. When we are stressed, our breathing pattern typically changes, missing the deep solid breaths that promote relaxation.
2. Prioritize
When we know what matters most to us, it’s easy to stay focused on where we need to invest our time. Often, we feel pulled in so many directions (usually all good options). It’s important to ask ourselves: What do I want? Why do I want it? What am I willing to do to get it? What needs to be sacrificed in order for me to reach my goal(s)? Choose your priorities wisely and make sure they matter to you.
3. Say “No”- Eliminate the Unnecessary
You may have heard me say this before, but I’m going to say it again: It’s okay to disappoint people. Really. It is! Your job is to be kind and clear. The wise financial planner, Dave Ramsey says, “Clarity is kind.” It’s okay to say no. Let me repeat myself: It’s okay to say no. “No” is a sentence and it needsto be used. Use this beautiful word to stop organizing your life around other people’s wishes and desires for your life. I know this can be difficult, but it is essentialfor your freedom. As a recovering people pleaser, myself, I’ve found that boundaries begin with us. No one else can set them for us.
You were made for more. You were made to live free, and not feel bogged down by the pressure cooker of our society, schedules, and grind. But choosing to believe that is a choice. Do you value your time? Do you value your sanity? You can live free or stay stuck in the overwhelm. The choice is yours and only yours but I’m hoping to see you on the other side!
You’re amazing! Start living like it!
