2 Strategies for Stress & Overwhelm (because I get it!!)
If you are a self-development junkie, we're the same.
But there's this dark side to constant personal development that I think is incredibly underrated and it's this: taking on too much in the name of growth can actually slow you down by adding too much responsibility and stress.
I have been there……
In 2024, I have been in a season of really REALLY wanting to do the most. I am feeling so inspired by all my new (and old!) 1:1 clients and getting to see them thrive just makes me so freaking excited to serve you more, grow my capacity more, and increase my impact on the world.
I want to be the best online nutrition coach. A good daughter. The best friend. A loving fiancée. Your favorite IG account. Your favorite emails to open. A wise CEO. A high earner. A quick learner. An expanding mind.
And on top of that, we’re still settling into our new home. I'm the point person for our wedding planning. I’m leading the second round of my group nutrition coaching program And I'm entering month 2 of being a full-time business owner.
And you know what? Sometimes it's just A LOT.
And I really hope it doesn't seem like I'm whining. That's not this at all. I am SO grateful. I love every single interaction I have with my clients and future clients. It’s what gives me LIFE.
But in case you're looking at my instagram thinking I have it all together… I simply do not.
Can you relate to that pressure to be all the things? Like how are you really doing?
Cause I got to be honest… I don't think it's just me. I think a lot of us are taking on more than we can actually handle.
Because the reality is this: we cannot do it all.
And women are just expected to juggle so much, it's just been something I can't get off my mind lately.
And it's not even only about the time, actually. For me, it's also about the emotional investment needed to be present for all these things. It's the physical limitations of my brain to remember so many little tasks and activities.
So I wanted to share 2 things.
And I can't promise it will help you, but I do hope that reading this email makes you feel more alone if you get it.
First thing that helped me:
I heard someone say recently “most of your tasks aren't really an emergency” and I was like damn, that is so true. Our anxiety likes to tell us: “EVERYTHING IS AN EMERGENCY” but you know what? Our thoughts aren't always true.
So instead of asking myself, how much can I get done today? I've been working hard to say to myself, what is essential to get done today? And then be really, REALLY, honest with myself, cause your brain will try to convince you that everything is essential and it's simply just not!! (feel free to reply and let me know if you need help with this one!!)
The second thing that helped me:
Revisiting an old podcast from the Huberman Lab about stress. One of the things that Elissa Epel, the guest, shares is that stress is only present when our demands are bigger than our available resources. It was just such a lightbulb moment for me. We're not really in crisis. As Elissa shares, it can help to even stop and say to yourself “it's okay to breathe and pause, I am safe right now” (I so recommend the whole episode!)
This demands and resources framework contextualized my stress by helping me see that it was a simple mismatch. Nothing wrong with me or nothing broken about me… just simply that I had too many demands and not enough resources. So I can lessen my demands (delegating, say NO to more, delaying non-essential things, etc) or I can increase resources (asking for help, etc.)… and yes, I totally know, this is HARD. But it's possible. We don't have to do the most. And we can be happy and successful doing less.
