Stop spinning. Do this instead.

Happy Tuesday Friend,

My husband will be the first to tell you that I’m a pretty sound sleeper. In fact, we often joke that my greatest superpower is my ability to fall asleep almost instantly—the minute my head hits the pillow. And once I’m out, I’m OUT.

But every once in a while I’ll either have trouble getting to sleep, or I’ll wake up in a panic. And that’s usually when I know I’m stressed out about something, and something has to give.

I had one of those moments not too long ago. I woke up feeling like I couldn’t breathe, and like my whole life was spinning out of control.

There were several big issues weighing on me, and all the sudden it felt like the walls were closing in, and like there was so much to do that I couldn’t possibly get it all done.

And so, feeling anxious, I spent an incredibly unproductive morning pacing around the house, fretting about all the things I should be doing that weren’t getting done.

My husband watched me pace and fret, half-amused and half-concerned, until finally he couldn’t take it anymore.

“What the heck is wrong with you?! Can’t you take some of your own advice? You know what you are supposed to do! Do a brain dump and make a plan—isn’t that what you always say?”

And the thing is, he was totally right.

Because when life starts to feel overwhelming—as it inevitably does sometimes—it’s important to take time to reassess, or you’ll end up frustrated and anxious and even angry (all emotions that I experienced firsthand.)

And so, if you, like me, have felt like things are spinning out of control and you are needing to regroup, here’s a quick checklist to help us all get back on track:

IDENTIFY THE TORNADOES. Take 15-20 minutes to make a list of all the activities, commitments, & to-do items that are on your plate right now—all those “tornadoes” (as my husband calls them) that are spinning around in your head and causing stress. Set the timer for this activity, and don’t just make the list in your head—actually take the time to write down every single thing that is taking up space in your brain right now.

 GET BRUTALLY HONEST. Once you have everything written down, be honest with yourself—what is on that list that you can get rid of right now, either by delegating it to someone else or giving it up completely? This may mean needing to make a few hard phone calls or to write a few apologetic emails, but the reality is that if you are over-committed, you would probably end up letting those people down anyway, and it is better to be honest and upfront before disaster strikes.

PRIORITIZE YOUR TIME. Now, with the items that are left on your list, rank each activity in order of importance. Remember—not everything can be equally important! Each item MUST have a number—there can be no ties. Once you’ve determined the order, re-write your list in order of priority.

DO THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FIRST. The reality is that you may not get to everything, but if you start with the thing that matters most and actually get it done, you will be much better off than if you try to tackle everything all at once and end up spinning in circles.

PRACTICE SELF CARE. When we are feeling busy and stressed, it is hard to make time for ourselves, but that’s usually when we need it most. Take a long walk or a bath, meet a friend for coffee or a glass of wine, curl up with a good book or a favorite show on Netflix, practice yoga or meditation or whatever else will help you feel calm and rested. A little self-care goes a long way, and will leave you much better equipped to tackle all those things on your to-do list.

GIVE GRACE. This goes for yourself and for anyone who may have added to your stress this week. You can’t do it all. Neither can anyone else. Mistakes happen. Life is not a sprint, it is a marathon, and your persistence will pay off. Keep moving forward, even if it means doing just a little at a time, and don’t let yourself fixate on the things that have gone wrong. Tomorrow is another day.

Teddy Roosevelt once wisely said, “do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Along those same lines, Winston Churchill once said, “if you’re going through hell, keep going.”

In other words, sometimes the key to getting back on track is to just pick up the pieces, regroup the best way we can, and keep moving forward.

My challenge for you this week, if you feel like you’ve been spinning in circles, or you are anxious and stressed by all the things that need to be done, is to take a few minutes using the checklist above to regroup and get back on track.

Identify your tornadoes, get brutally honest about what absolutely MUST get done (and what can wait), then prioritize your time and do the most important things first. Schedule in some self-care, and, above all, give yourself some grace! No one can do it all.

Then be sure to send me a note letting me know how it goes—I’d love to cheer you on!

Live with purpose, friend, and have a wonderful week!

xoxo, Ruth

This week’s podcast episode…

What’s cooking in my kitchen…

I’ve been sharing a lot of really good recipes lately on social! Just in case you missed the ones from this past week, here are the PDF download links:

The latest from my Instagram…

One of my goals this year is to be more consistent on social media, so I’ve committed to sharing at least one post a day on Instagram. If you’re there, I’d love to connect with you—find me at @RuthSoukup

What’s Happening Around RSO…