Hello and happy Sunday dearest Reader!
Welcome back to our weekly Sunday Series. I am so happy you're here and honestly really thankful that you're taking a little slice of your day to spend time on my blog.
So life is getting a little overwhelming: the blog is getting more hits than ever, my channel is growing a ton, and my Instagram DM inbox has basically been nuked by questions, thoughts, and encouragement.
Now I'm not complaining-- it's honestly THRILLING to meet so many feminine women and to read their stories. The thing I'm not thrilled with? The mounting anxiety and stress that has also come with this growth. With each new level of growth, I find myself feeling more and more overwhelmed.
I didn't begin this blog with the intention of turning it into a career or business. I don't want it to consume my life, even though I dearly love writing and talking about these issues. This week has been all-consuming, and I'm beginning to feel burnt out.
But you all know that I like to turn my real-life heart experiences into blog and video fodder, so today I bring you the five different ways I've been attempting to mitigate the sense of "overwhelm." Enjoy!
1. I Spent Time in Prayer
Prayer is the way I recenter my life. It is the way that I connect with God, and tap into the power of the Holy Spirit. I truly believe that prayer is powerful, and I have seen answered prayers all throughout my life.
However, I will also say that an added benefit of prayer is simply voicing your thoughts, feelings, and frustrations. It's good to journal, talk, and think about what's bothering you, and prayer really does this for me. So even if you are an unbeliever, I would encourage you to write, talk, and think out loud about what's bothering you, and if you feel lead, utter a little prayer.
2. I Asked for My Husband's Advice and Thoughts
It's always good to have a wise and trusted person in your life to talk to. I especially think it's good to speak to someone who truly loves you and has your best interests at heart. For me, that person is my husband.
Sometimes all we need is someone to listen to us, but I really think it can be beneficial to also ask for advice, wisdom, and feedback on our problems when we're feeling overwhelmed. I was able to talk things over with him, and he really helped put things into perspective for me. He also challenged me about my priorities, and reminded me that I have to live life IN PERSON, and not solely online. PHEW. Now, I have to admit that that was pretty convicting for a little Internet-Bug like myself!
3. I Decided to Set Boundaries
This past week I realized that I've been on my phone WAY too much. Every day, I'm working on my blog posts, video editing, video filming, Instagram Stories, emails, comment monitoring, and Tweets. Add on top of that 50-100 new DM's every day, and things are suddenly WAY out of control.
So yesterday, I decided to save my energy and mental space for my videos and blog. I set up boundaries with my inbox and the daily amount of time I spend working on blog things. I realized that I can't sacrifice all my energy and time to DM's because then I will have nothing left for my videos, writing, homemaking, and husband.
As we learn the boundaries of our energy, it's important to set boundaries with our activities. Learn to say "no," even if you're saying it to yourself.
4. I'm Working on "Capturing My Thoughts"
Whenever I become overwhelmed with life, I find myself ruminating in negative self-talk. My mind points a finger at me and tries to tell me I'm a failure, or that people don't like me, or that I'm not good enough, or whatever.
To counteract this struggle, I've been trying to capture my thoughts and work on positive self-talk. The truth is that if I'm overwhelmed in life, telling myself that I'm a failure isn't going to help me cope. It's important for me to remind myself that I can do all things through Christ, and that I can get through hard times.
Our moods are greatly impacted by our perceptions of ourselves, so make sure that when you feel overwhelmed, you don't pile on extra stress through negative self-talk.
5. I Spend Time Doing Fun Things
When life gets overwhelming, it's easy to get tangled up in our hearts, feelings, and heads. Sometimes the joyful moments of life can pass us by while we remain stuck in our problems. This is a HUGE problem in my life, and something I haven't mastered. I'm learning that it's important for me to take time to get back "down to earth" when I'm feeling overwhelmed.
Sometimes it can feel like our whole lives are revolving around one single thing. This is why taking time to engage with different parts of life can really help us put things into perspective. Taking time to bake, sew, read, or cuddle my dog helps me remember that there is more to life than the current moment I'm stressed out about.
In total...
I hope you guys remember that EVERYONE feels overwhelmed, and a lot of people also struggle with "negative self-talk." I haven't mastered the area of being "overwhelmed" but it doesn't mean that I'm not trying.
I hope that if you feel overwhelmed this week, you will remember that you're not alone: I'm right there with you.
xoxo,
Cait