Carol Schulte

Get Your Brave On!

Overwhelm

5 Easy Ways to Avoid Overwhelm (and stay sane!) This Holiday Season

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Photo by Victoria Heath on Unsplash

 

Happy Friday!

And greetings from on board AC flight 103 🛩 from YYZ to YVR!

Calgary to visit family last week, Vancouver to attend our annual CAPS convention this week – thank goodness this jetsetter loves flying as much as I do! Although I have to say it’s also taking a toll on my holiday preparations 😳.

I’m diligently trying to write my Christmas cards on the plane 💌 , making lists for two back-to-back parties I’m hosting next weekend, and getting a wee bit stressed about the fact I only have but a few small stocking stuffers so far in the gift 🎁 department. 

I do love this time of year, yet as exciting as it is, it can also get pretty busy and pretty stressy pretty quickly. 

And it’s all too easy to get caught up in feeling the need to decorate à la Martha Stewart, make home-baked goods better than Betty Crocker, or show up at every holiday party perfectly primped in a new frock 👗 like you’re like the biggest socialite on the block (with a bottomless bank account, to boot!)

I don’t know about you, however it makes me a tad anxious just thinking about it!

Isn’t this time of year supposed to be the most peaceful and joyest of all 🤷‍♀?!?

In order to avoid the overwhelm and maximise the merry, here are five tips that might help:

1. Detach From Expectation.

It’s tough not to have some vision in your head of what the holiday season is supposed to look like. You have your family traditions 🛷, your special rituals, your festive 🎄festivities. That being said, don’t be too attached. 

Be okay with going with the flow this year, and being open to however the season unfolds. 

2. Keep it Simple  

So you haven’t been able to get 200 home-made Christmas cards out there yet? It’s okay! Perhaps you send a digital card, a personalized video, or boycott cards altogether (you can blame the postal strike!)

Maybe you opt to buy pre-decorated cookies 🍪  instead of making them yourself. Or you choose to recycle a dress from last year. No one will hate you, promise! (they likely won’t even notice…) 

3. Just Say NO!

You do not have to be invited to all of the fancy 🍾 galas, festive mixers or holiday potlucks. And even if you are, you certainly don’t have to attend them all. Not only will you drive yourself crazy trying to be everywhere at the same time and all things to everyone, chances are you won’t even be present enough to enjoy yourself, anyway!

And with respect to anything additional that’s being asked of you, be honest and get real with yourself. Is it necessary? Is it a priority?

Be okay with saying NO (even if it’s to your family or closet friends!) and start saying YES to yourself and your needs. 

4. Get Clear on Your Priorities

Don’t succumb to the pressure 🤦‍♀ to entertain and decorate better than you see in the magazines or on TV, or to do either at all!

Make a list of your non-negotiables, and be realistic about what’s possible. Who do you really want to connect with this holiday season? What activities will you actually enjoy doing? Schedule who and what’s most important, and look at anything or anyone above and beyond as a bonus. 

5. Take Care of YOU!

Put yourself at the top of the food chain. Seriously though! 

Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Enough fresh air. Enough vitamins and greens. 

And then book in some ‘ME TIME.’ Get a massage. Go for a walk. Reserve a spot on your fave couch and curl up with a cup of tea ☕ or a nice book. Get your nails done 💅. Have a bubble bath 🛀.

Choose something that relaxes you, makes your heart smile, that is only for you. It’s NOT overrated. It’s important. And even moreso than ever at this time of year. Even better, schedule weekly ‘me time’ and treat it like a serious appointment.

 

🎶🎵 “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” 🎵 🎶  Or at least it could be! So let’s ensure it is, and it stays that way!

If you’re serious about avoiding overwhelm and saying no to competing with Martha Stewart or Betty Crocker, detach from expectation, keep it simple, just say no, get clear on your priorities, and take care of YOU. 

Let me know which of these ideas you’re going to take on!

I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments below.

Have a FAB week!

3 Ways to Avoid Overwhelm (and keep your sanity!) this Holiday Season

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Can you believe it’s DECEMBER already?!? Craziness. Hard to believe, I know. I hope you have your advent calendar up, your candle centerpiece ready, or whatever your holiday traditions are, I hope they are getting underway.

AND, if you haven’t even begun to think about the holiday season yet, THAT’S OKAY TOO!

At this time of year it’s all too easy to get caught up in feeling the need to decorate a la Martha Stewart, or make home-baked goods better than Betty Crocker, or to show up at every holiday party perfectly primped in new frocks like you’re like the biggest socialite on the block (with a bottomless bank account, to boot!)

I don’t know about you, however I am getting anxious just thinking about it!

Isn’t this time of year supposed to be the most peaceful and joyest of all?

In order to ensure you don’t get too caught up in the shoulds and the comparisons, here are 3 ways to avoid overwhelm (and keep your sanity) this holiday season.

 

1. Detach from Expectation.

It’s tough not to have some vision in your head of what the holiday season is supposed to look like. You have your family traditions, your special rituals, your festive festivities.

And, every year it’s not always going to be possible the way you see it in your head, or have experienced previously. And that’s okay.

This year, I’m going to be doing something a bit out of the ordinary over Christmas. I won’t be at home, I won’t be with my sisters, and I won’t be partaking in many of our regular family traditions I have come to know and love.

Yes, I will miss some of it. However, only if I’m attached to certain expectations of what it has been in the past, should be, or could be, will I experience upset.

And so instead, I’m choosing to simply ‘go with the flow.’ Who knows, it may be my best Christmas yet!

Detach from expectation. Don’t kill yourself trying to get all those Christmas cards out and those decorations up on time. Be with what is. And enjoy however this season is meant to unfold.

 

2. Be okay with Saying NO.

It’s a theme that has come up before and will no doubt come up again. You do not have to attend every festive mixer or holiday potluck or eggnog party there is. Not only will you drive yourself crazy trying to be everywhere with everyone every night of the week, chances are likely you’re not even going to enjoy yourself, anyway!

And with respect to anything additional that’s being asked of you, be honest and realistic with yourself. Is that really necessary right now? Is it a priority?

Look at what’s currently on your schedule or your responsibility list. Is there something you can let go of, delegate, or put off?

Be okay with saying NO. And start saying YES to yourself and your real needs.

 

3. Book in some tea time… or rather some ME time!

Book yourself a massage. Or reserve a spot on your fave couch and curl up with a cup of tea or a nice book. Go for a walk. Get your nails done.

Yes, I’m talking about ME time. It’s not overrated. It’s important. And even moreso than ever at this time of year.

And I don’t want you just talking about it. BOOK THAT S#!% in!!! Seriously, if it doesn’t get on your calendar, the chances of it actually happening are slim to none.

I’m pretty excited, a group of girlfriends and I are escaping for a night away at the spa next week… it’s going to be just what the Doctor ordered!

Choose something that relaxes you, makes your heart smile, and that is only for you. And book it in your calendar, like, NOW! Or even better, schedule weekly ‘me’ time and treat it like a serious appointment.

 

It’s an exciting time of year. Or at least that’s what it could be! So let’s ensure it is, and it stays that way.

Want to avoid holiday overwhelm? Detach from expectation. Be okay with saying NO. Book in some ME time. (Click to tweet it out!)

 

Have a FAB week!

Carol - high res

 

 

 

P.S. There’s a new monthly Living BIG challenge up! Wanna join? Check it out HERE.

Ever felt overwhelmed? HA! Overcome overwhelm with these 3 steps.

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My week in pics: My week in pics (clockwise from BL:) Selfies with friends at Women Building Wealth conference, Company of Women planning session, my place being transformed into a movie shoot, delivering a keynote for MDBWA (Midland & District Business Women’s Association (AMAZING group of women! President Shirley in pic below!), enjoying a proud Torontonian moment, flying out to and enjoying day one in Arizona, beautiful morning rowing, Company of Women breakfast, random photo shoot for Colette, more selfies with awesome speakers Deanne Kelleher and Elizabeth George.

Ever felt overwhelmed? HA! Overcome overwhelm with these 3 steps.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Yes, perhaps a silly question… as you are a go-getter, a say yes-er, a living BIG type of person. So feeling overwhelmed on occasion, I’m afraid, simply comes with the territory!

 

It is fun to be busy. Sometimes.

Lord knows I love flying by the seat of my pants. Much of the time.

I thrive on being go-go-go. To an extent.

 

Even though I do enjoy keeping a full schedule, I am starting to realize I don’t want to be this way ALL of the time. In fact, I am beginning to see I need to slow down, take a step back, and be okay with saying no.

Perhaps you can relate.

On Monday, I experienced a good ol’ case of the overwhelms. It was day one of my eat clean cleanse, and although I had picked up the majority of ingredients I needed for the first week on Sunday evening (trust me to leave it to the last minute!) there were still a few more obscure items left. I woke up with a sore throat, had a list of things-to-do down to my wazoo, and all of a sudden found myself having a bit of a meltdown right there in the middle of Organic Garage.

I always get a little chuckle inside when I have people tell me I’m always so on top of everything. That I must be super organized. That they are in awe of how I do all I do.

HA! If only they knew.

I’m human, after all. And I have my moments, too. Trust me!

At the end of the day, we’re all doing the best we can.

AND, when we’re committed to playing a bigger game, to stepping outside of our comfort zone, to taking action even though we may not feel ‘ready’ ~ moments of overwhelm are bound to happen.

 

That being said, it is not a hopeless case!

Here are 3 things to do when you feel a bout of overwhelm coming on.

 

  1. Do a BRAIN DUMP

 Often when I feel there is a lot going on, I like to get it out of my head and onto paper. Write down anything and everything that is taking up mental space. For me, just seeing everything in front of me brings about a bit more calm. And then go through the list, and do the 4Ds: What will you DO, DUMP, DELAY, or DELEGATE?

 

  1. Call in for Reinforcement!

Sometimes you need support. A helping hand or a friend to help you work through things. That’s where your positive peeps posse comes in handy! And that’s exactly what I did on Monday. And I feel very fortunate this particular person was there to help me through. He asked questions that made me look at what’s going on in a different way, and allowed me to see where my priorities lie. I felt SO much better after the call!

  

  1. Take a step back, take a breath, take a break.

A sense of overwhelm often comes when we are just in need of a little break. And when we don’t honour that, our mental or physical selves have a way of reminding us! Which often explains mini meltdowns or sickness. I know you know what I’m talking about here. Allow yourself a break, a sleep in, some time off. It’ll do you a world of good.

 

Feeling overwhelmed? Perhaps you’ve been there before? You’re not alone. We’ve all been there.

Feel a bout of overwhelm coming on? Do a braindump. Get support. Take a step back, a breath, a break. You got this! (Click to tweet it out!)

You’re ready for a bigger game. Overcome overwhelm by taking one small step at a time. 

Have a FAB week!

Carol - high res

 

 

P.S. Always wanted to learn the Thriller dance? Ready to step outside your comfort zone and allow yourself to have a little fun? Love being around other fabulous, like-minded women living BIG? Come join us on Oct. 29th as we ‘Surrender to the Thrill!’ and celebrate Halloween! ($30 Girlfriend rate!!) 

 

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