Feeling Frazzled?
Feeling F R A Z Z L E D?
If it makes you feel any better, so do 98% of all women on the planet at the moment (not an official stat - but based on what we’re seeing definitely true!)
After 18 months of Covid and now Autumn in full hamster-wheel mode, people are really feeling it. And there is nothing fun about feeling frazzled - you might be feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, lacking energy, anxious, hard to remain present or patient. Definitely not your happiest or most joyful!
Life is too short to feel like this, so we’re hitting the SOS button for you and sharing some of our top tips on what you can do today to reduce the frazzle. We know you don’t need more things to add to the overwhelm, so these are bite-sized tips that really work. However - don’t try to do them all at once!
Pick a couple that appeal to you and have a go.
For the first 60 mins of your day go phone-free. Allow yourself to enter the first part of your day in a grounded, present way - without adding information, images and opinions to your mind immediately. This can make a huge difference - every single person that tries this notices a significant improvement in their mood, head space and energy throughout the day.
Create space by decluttering your diary. Look at your schedule for tomorrow / the rest of the week and move or cancel anything that doesn’t HAVE to happen this week. This is your permission to slow down - it really is OK if it doesn’t all happen this week. Who knew?!
Be realistic about timeframes! Allow time in your schedule for travelling, eating, buffers for unforeseen things that crop up...as they often do! Keep being ruthless and removing things from your schedule until it looks spacious.
Watch like a hawk for any time you hear yourself saying or thinking the word ‘should’ - “I really should get that done” or “I shouldn’t let that person down”.....should-ing is responsible for so much of your busy-ness, overwhelm and probably...frustration. Of course it ladders up to your belief systems and a whole lifetime of hearing how you ‘should behave’. But guess who's in charge now? YOU. Challenge yourself every time you notice the ‘should’ over the next few days and ask yourself if you really need to do that thing today (spoiler alert - probably not).
Never underestimate the power of the pause! ANY requests that come in for your time over the next week - PAUSE before you respond. Consider how much you really, truly, honestly want to do that thing, plus consult your schedule before agreeing to anything - does it work for you at that time? It’s so much easier to manage your time upfront than to suffer the stress that rushing around causes or the headache that rearranging plans can bring.
If you do one thing every morning to set yourself up for the day in the best way possible - take 10 deep belly breaths, inhaling and exhaling for 4 seconds each. Place your hand on your heart and ask yourself ‘how am I feeling today?’ see what comes and then ask ‘how can I best support myself to feel calm and grounded?’
Power down hour!!! This is a total game changer, trust us. Try completely shifting your evening routine. One hour before bed, let's say 9pm - remove all technology (gasp!) Your mind simply cannot be expected to switch off as soon as you decide you want to go to sleep. It needs to be winding down - instead read a book, take a bath, listen to music, light some candles, stretch your body, take a walk, talk to your partner - anything that soothes your nervous system and doesn’t add more content and information to your already super frazzled mind. Head to our homepage for a free 20 min guided Meditation or to our IGTV for lots of pre-recorded meditations and soothing yoga classes.
Can’t find a single extra minute for yourself? Utilise your existing routine!
When you’re in the shower, really enjoy it! Give your mind a rest from your ‘to do’ list by noticing the sensation of the water on your skin, the smell of your shower gel. Take 10 deep belly breaths, letting the tension go from your body on every exhale.
Next time you boil the kettle, instead of trying to get other jobs done or scrolling on your phone - close your eyes, put your hand on your heart and breathe deeply - check-in; how are you feeling and what do you need?
As you’re brushing your teeth, consider what intention you want to set for the day ahead - what energy do you want to bring? Maybe patience or to be present or lightness and fun?
When you’re walking the dog make sure you give your mind an opportunity to decompress by tuning into your senses - notice what you can see / hear / smell (as opposed to over-thinking that other thing!)
Commute to work or chores to be done at home? Make sure you have an inspiring podcast or audiobook at the ready so that you are making the most of the time for yourself.
Trying to get used to the hybrid of working at home and in the office? We believe passionately in avoiding the half-way house - your mind half on work, half on home does no favours for anyone. When you’re at work, be fully in, focused and committed. When it's your ‘home’ time, commit again to being fully IN - present, connected, prioritising rest and fun; allowing for more joy and recovery, ready to focus again the next day. Sounds obvious but it can be so hard to be disciplined with this - but it's so bloody important for your health and happiness.
Try this so that the ‘work creep’ doesn’t take over your home life:
Plan ahead - set a hard boundary for your finish time - there will always be more to do so put an end time in your diary and respect it
‘Work’ needs to be out of sight once you move into ‘home’ time - tidy everything away / close the door
Mark the end of your day to help you move into leisure / fun / down time - take a shower, change your clothes, go for a walk, put on music - change up the vibe!
Avoid work technology - remove access to work associated emails / messages once you are out of ‘work’ hours. This is incredibly important - it will wait until tomorrow.
Try this: pick one or two of these bite-sized habits and commit to trying them daily for the next 2 weeks. Take notice of how you feel - and let us know! When you’re ready you can add a couple more. The frazzle is no joke - support yourself with these tips to feeling re-centred and more balanced, so that life starts to feel good again.
To beat the frazzle for good and reclaim control of your life read more for how coaching with Katy can help…