Overwhelmed? Try this.

Ever catch yourself casually scrolling through social media or chatting with friends, and then suddenly you feel a ping of shame or jealousy in your stomach? Out of nowhere you feel like a failure or like a fraud. 

This happened to me earlier this week. I was minding my own business and then saw a random post on the socials and – BAM! – I felt like I wasn’t doing enough. 

Mind you, this was on the heels of tough week full of hard family conversations and a lot of phone calls and busyness surrounding my mom’s health.

A wave of overwhelm hit me, and my first reaction was to jump into action mode. I started doing all the things – checking email, writing myself reminders, buying the next thing, tidying up the house – unconsciously hoping it’d make me feel better. 

Sheesh! Just telling you about it makes me feel tired, but that’s what a lot of us do, huh? 

We grasp to action to feel less afraid. We try to kick the fear of the unknown or of not being enough down the road. 

Sound familiar?

But here’s the thing: Comparing ourselves to others and then frantically going into action to feel less overwhelmed is like trying to detox by taking another swig of poison. It keeps us busy and feeling overwhelmed, but it doesn’t bring us the peace we’re craving. 

What if, instead of diving into more action, we tried something different? What if we took a moment to just sit quietly with ourselves, with pure kindness? 

Imagine seeing yourself with affectionate awe for all that you’re holding, trying, learning, and doing right now. Then, write yourself a letter from the voice of tenderness. 

The busier you are, the more this practice will serve you. Stopping to be kind to ourselves can feel scary and hard because the voice of action tells us to not stop, and that’s okay. It’s a practice, but one that can lead to true confidence and calm as we navigate life’s ups and downs.

You’re doing amazing.

Warm hugs,

Sarah