A 15 minute exercise for less stress this holiday season

It’s December Friends!

And it just got real for all us mamas who just realized it is less than ONE WEEK ‘til Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are not alone.

This time of year is a crazy one.  No bones about it.  We are already at the historic height of distraction in our culture and adding to the endless list of seasonal to-do’s can make any busy woman want to run back under the covers.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed this time of year, below is a quick and dirty exercise that may just bring a bit of clarity, calm and power back into your life.

But first, let’s talk OVERWHELM.

What is overwhelm?

Overwhelm is feeling “at the effect” of a circumstance.

And overwhelm is Do-ing without any deep connection to it.  When we disconnect with what drives our creative power (like mad shopping in a mall you’d rather never step foot in again), we must re-anchor in order to come to daily life with purpose and peace.

“Re-anchor to what?!” you may ask.

For starters, anchoring to the Right Now.  Right this moment.  At the height of stress or chaos or just plain busy-ness, sometimes the best gift we can give ourselves is to not let our minds wander too far into the future.  The story that often evolves is one that is fraught with shortcomings, threat and fear:  “I’m never going to find time to finish my shopping.  That dreaded report still hasn’t gotten done.  What if I can’t get that (insert incredibly hoped for gift) for (insert child/family member who REALLY ONLY WANTS said gift).”

The truth is, you have the power to take control and handle everything in the manner you desire.  You are the master behind your thoughts, feelings and actions.

If you’re feeling at the effect of your reckless thoughts, feelings and/or actions, try this:

1. Grab a timer and set it for 15 minutes. This will give you a specific amount of time (not too little, not too much) to get down all that is surfacing for you.  A ton of gifts to still get?  Write them all down.  Don’t have something to wear to your office party?  Write it down.  Get all that is bothering you out within 15 minutes and then stop.
2. Notice any Themes: You may find that certain categories of things begin to emerge from your list.  Once your time is up, organize the different to-do’s into separate categories (Home, Business, Kids, etc.).  This will allow you to have a very clear list when you begin to prioritize.
3. Prioritize your list. We have a finite amount of us, of our energy, of the hours in our day.  Decide what is the most pressing and what can possibly be let go of or edited.  This is also when the answers to all these stressors start to bubble up.  Pay attention to this intuition!
4. Set aside time to work on what’s important and schedule each task into your calendar. The word here is REALISTIC.  I stand with you all in biting off more than I can chew from time to time.  This is when strategy and perspective come to play.

What do you want to get done in order to feel accomplished AND peaceful? 

How can you plan the time you have while also enjoying the process? 

Sometimes this is a perspective shift.  And sometimes it’s simply paring down what’s important.

What category needs more attention THIS week?  What can wait or what can you let go of?

You are a powerful woman in charge of your powerful life.  You are also an influencer of those you lead:  your family, your work team, your partner, your pets.

DECIDE how you want this week to go, give yourself 15 minutes to GET CLEAR about it and TAKE ACTION with purpose and peace.