“Gosh… my schedule is so crazy right now!”
This statement is said to me regularly via text, email or over the phone – usually as an explanation for why my client can’t come in for therapy right now. Why the client does not have time for their own needs.
“I’m so stressed, because I have … and … and … and on and on.”
Who is driving this crazy busy schedule of yours?
“There is not one thing in your busy schedule that you didn’t put there”, says Rachel Hollis, Girl Wash Your Face.
Who is the gatekeeper who is taking over your calendar, zapping your energy and breaking your best laid plans?
It’s time for a heart to heart conversation with the person in the mirror.
When people or things feel overwhelming around you it makes you feel chaotic on the inside. So chaotic that it makes your head hurt, or your heart ache, or makes you act in a way that doesn’t align with who you know you are. You are stressed enough that you lose sleep, patience, and clarity. Yes, that stressed.
How to recognize when you are letting the crazy in …
- you can’t sleep
- you are driving friend’s crazy talking about the crazy
- you are eating or drinking too much (or not enough)
How to recognize if you are making the crazy …
- you are obsessing over things that are none of your business
- you are driving friends crazy because you are acting crazy
- you can’t possibly imagine that you are the crazy maker
Let’s face it. Sometimes we are the crazy.
Whatever the case may be, it’s time to recognize the signs of our Personal Craziness. Below are Ten Helpful Tips to Reduce the Chaos in Your Life.
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- Breathe
Connect to your breath not just as a remedy, but as preventative medicine by developing a daily practice that invites you to breathe. Over time, the stillness you create on the inside acts like a force field against outside craziness all day long. - Walk
Some kinds of crazy require a really long walk, but often a short stroll to shake it off will do. - Laugh
If you really start thinking about how crazy the crazy is, laughter is inevitable. - Soothe
Take a bath. Cuddle a puppy. Call a friend. Do what it takes to soothe your soul. - Under-react
Don’t engage. Just notice. Write about it. Let it go. Your heart will thank you. - Fast
Turn off the news. Don’t answer the phone. Remove the Facebook app. Make a little space for yourself to rest and renew. - Forgive
Maybe you let the crazy in, or discovered you are the crazy this time. Either way, forgive yourself. Start over. - Be
Perhaps you don’t have to do anything right now. Being you, being still, that’s enough for today. - Leave
“You don’t have to show up to every argument you’re invited to.” – Mandy Hale, You Are Enough. - Love
If you are feeling anxious, or worried, or upset about the craziness around you, engage in an activity you love or serve others with love. When you turn your focus to helping, you’ll forget all about the crazy.Choose to under-react. Choose to take a few (hundred) deep breaths. Choose a long walk. Don’t let the crazy in.Just because everything is crazy around you doesn’t mean everything has to be crazy within you.
We have important work to do in the world, beautiful days to enjoy, like-hearted people to connect with, 7-8 hours of sleep to savor. We owe it to ourselves and reduce the amount of crazy we let into our lives. Be well.
- Breathe
