Overwhelmed? Try An Intuition Check

It is easy to be overwhelmed when you can’t decide out of a whole world of possibilities which things are actually true for you.

When I woke up this morning, my mind was swirling with all of the choices. So many, in fact, that I felt a bit off balance. It’s the beginning of the week of Christmas and there are packages to mail, cards to write, and I’ve got to get a bit crafty because a major car repair two weeks ago devoured anything that might have resembled gift money. And except for the holiday greetings we’ve begun to receive, there’s not a single decoration in sight.

Plus it’s a work day. I have my own business and there are emails waiting for a response, a newsletter that needs to be written, and a book that I vowed would be submitted to the publisher by the end of this year. I have checkbooks to balance and marketing to be done for the clutter clearing class that starts again in January.

The floor at my office, which converts magically back into a home when the children arrive at 3:00 pm, needs to be tended, as does the laundry and the half bath. If the dust was glitter, it would look like fairies live here. For the record, the difference in dust since we took out carpet and installed hardwood floors (a most generous gift from dear friends this time last year) makes me wonder if carpet isn’t the nastiest thing on this planet. Seriously, the dust level seems to have tripled since the carpet came out.

Anyway, all of this and more was swirling about in my head when I woke up this morning, “Pick me! Pick me!” My impulse was, I like to think rather understandably, to go back to bed and hide from it all. The reality is that there is no way all of this can be done today. It isn’t even an option. I’m sure that many of you felt the same way this morning. There is so much to do. Much of it is even important. But, this isn’t about being a diligent list writer. This is bigger than staying on task. Some of these things need to be chosen, and a good chunk of it needs to be left behind for another day, another person, and perhaps another lifetime.

Instead of wondering how I’ll get this all done, the question instead becomes, “At this moment, what is the best use of my time, energy, brain power, and other assorted resources?” This is my power position, with great emphasis on in this moment and best use. When I say “best use,” I’m looking specifically for the action that is going to cultivate the best results for me today.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Eternal G.

5:33PM PST on Jan 11, 2012

Aaaarrrgghh, enough to give me a heart attack by just reading.....

January 11
send a green star

Susan C.

9:45PM PST on Jan 8, 2012

I find I should always listen to myself when that little voice of intuition is speaking...

January 8
send a green star

Lori K.

11:25PM PST on Dec 26, 2011

I always have too much to do. I teach full time, foster abandoned animals, take care of a husband who is a cancer survivor and my autistic son, etc.

My house is not tidy, and I do not like clutter. My husband is a "collector", and my children don't notice the mess. I can either spend my free time fuming, and nagging, and complaining to my loved ones who have a lower standard of cleanliness than I do, or I can clean what I can and ignore the rest. I choose the latter.

December 26
send a green star

Jillian B.

3:26PM PST on Dec 25, 2011

yes, I've felt over whelmed more times than not this year. Slowing down and just breathing can do wonders. Hyperventilating and pacing has never helped me at all. Also playing a dorky Wii Game and listening to music can really be helpful if you can get away with it. :)

December 25
send a green star

Santanita G.

9:23PM PST on Dec 23, 2011

Slowing down can be a good thing

December 23
send a green star

Robert O.

7:53AM PST on Dec 21, 2011

Thanks Christy.

December 21
send a green star

Geetha S.

2:38AM PST on Dec 21, 2011

Good one. Thank you for posting.

Kirsten B.

1:26AM PST on Dec 21, 2011

My post was too long ...

When I got rid of everything which didn't belong on my mental list right now (like starting to declutter the basement and washing all the windows again .....) I realized that I'd just freed up over 20 hours!!!

I celebrated with a shorter than planned Nordic Walk (its still very icy in places) and a second cup of coffee.

Thank you Christy !!!!

1:23AM PST on Dec 21, 2011

Funny that I should read this just now - I started reading once I finished writing up a personal calendar to go along with my family monthly one for next year: one where archery, Nordic Walking, walking, yoga, piano, writing, progress and maintenance work, paperwork, fasting and all the other things which are important to me have their set place and time each week. I printed out January's and hung it up - I know I'll only have to print it out every 3 months or so because the activities are repeating.
I also updated the general calendar to include meetings with friends every 4-6 weeks so that I'm not caught unawares and just checked that everything I need is in there ready to be printed out.
Yesterday I worked on the to-do list, including de-cluttering and progress items at regular repeated intervals and checked off everything I have done so far.

And I was feeling totally overwhelmed yesterday - to the point that I took the car out in a snowstorm to drive to the city to look in vain for 2 presents, forgot to look for a 3rd one and, after a very minor (but still first and scary) accident on an icy bridge, abandoned the main reason I'd taken the car (to go stock up on Indian food at the Indian store) and inched my way home through the snow and ice.
Suddenly today, after thinking things through, I realized that I actually have almost all the time in the world over 2 and a half days to get through the stuff. I crossed everything off my mental list which didn't belong there (