Ouch, you know that feeling? You worry about things you'd rather let go. A renovation that's stalling, a drain that's overflowing, laundry overflowing in the basket, the to-do lists that race through your head, or deadlines that constantly linger in the back of your mind. I don't feel good when I can't really let it all go. My body goes into "survival" mode, everything tenses up (hello pain), headaches, and poor sleep are just a few of the annoying things. What helps? Letting go! In this blog post, you'll find my tips (which I needed to hear myself ;-)).
moreInclination versus reason
When I'm busy and I have so many demands on myself, I tend to just buckle down and try to solve, eliminate, or complete as many things as possible as quickly as possible. I'm already struggling because I'm "worried," so I decide to push myself even harder to reduce my workload. Well... that doesn't always work out so well.
I'm not going to tell you to cross things off your list or to take it easy, because life doesn't always work that way (hello, basement full of sewage). But I do find it helpful to be aware of my tendency and to moderate it a bit. It's a combination of prioritizing, shifting things around, postponing things, and actually focusing and getting a lot done.
So you'll definitely see me working hard for a few hours every now and then, but after that, there needs to be some rest again, and I embrace my 'slow living' ideal.
How do I want to live?
It's a cliché, but it helps! Imagining and returning to my idea of how I actually want to live. Slow, peaceful, with time for walks, baking, reading, and gardening. Feeling fulfilled by the work I do, but at the same time enjoying life in a relaxed way. Feel it? Exactly, this helps me too!
Tightrope walking
The Insta-perfect image of people gardening, baking, painting, and being completely "calm" is certainly very tempting, but unrealistic. In reality, it's a tightrope walk, finding and maintaining a balance. Between doing things, being ambitious, wanting to achieve something, and slow living. And it's all about how you navigate that tightrope: screaming with stress, waving your arms; or calm, gentle with yourself, with a touch of humor. The latter fits my lifestyle, so I embrace the hustle and bustle, laugh at the silliness, and later I'll go outside for a relaxing walk.
Moments
Especially when I'm a bit busier, I love to create "moments." Moments where I make my favorite tea, pick up my book, or stroll through the garden to admire everything that grows and blooms. Moments where my nervous system can calm down, without having to rigorously plan a spa day. It doesn't have to be complicated; self-care is often easier than you think! Think again about your ideal life, that picture we painted! Can you spend 15 minutes doing something that fits within that life?
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