Oh boy this week is one of those weeks for me and I’m not even trying to get ready for Thanksgiving (I’m in Canada and we celebrated last month). So I can only imagine how many of you are feeling right now. I sat down to write a completely different post and out popped this one instead. I obviously needed it to hear it myself and I’m hoping some of you’ll find these gentle reminders helpful as well during the busyness of your days. I do hope you find these 8 things to do right now if you are feeling frazzled helpful.
1. Pray about it
Ask God to direct your paths and help you prioritize all that you have going on. When life gets busy, don’t leave Him out of it as you try to manage everything on your own. Instead invite Him to be a part of your everyday, from the little things to the big things.
2. Breath deeply and repeat a mantra
Deep breath, in and out. Do it again. Ahh now doesn’t that feel good. I also find it helpful to say a little mantra to myself over and over again. Mine is this, slow and steady wins the race. It sounds silly I know but I guess it’s my way of reminding myself to just slow down. Whoa nellie as they say 🙂 It really can be anything that is just a gentle nudge when you start to get to far ahead of yourself. Don’t look up!
3. Get your groove on
Oh my, if you are feeling so overwhelmed that you might just explode do this right now. Crank a dance song of any kind, the faster the beat the better and just Go.For.It. Close your eyes and move. It is amazing how awesome this feels to release a little pent up emotion.
4. Sit in silence
Other times, you might just need a space to think. To shut off the noise and just be still. Find a quiet corner even if it’s a bathroom and give in to the moment. Even a brief moment will help recharge your batteries and help you see straight.
5. Laugh, laugh, laugh
Laughter really is the best medicine but it can be tough if we don’t have someone around to tell us a really good joke every day. So here’s what I do. I make someone else laugh and when they laugh, I laugh! It really is a win-win. How do I make someone else laugh you ask? Well, I’ll pretty much do whatever it takes and it’s almost always at my own expense lol. I’m a dork so I just turn it on full volume. I dance, weirdly. I sing, strangely. I talk like an alien, badly. Are you getting the picture here? In other words just be silly. Your silliness will be contagious and as you make someone else smile you will feel great!!
6. Do a brain dump
This one is so effective but when we are in the moment of overwhelm we can’t even seem to think straight enough to write down what we need to do done. Trust me, I know! But if we take just FIVE minutes and dump everything scattered up in our brains down, guess what happens? We feel calmer. We still have the same amount of things to do but now we don’t also have to try and remember it all. Do it right now and see what happens. For more information on this, please read this post of mine, Making Lists and Batching Tasks.
7. Count your blessings
May I direct you to this post of Ann’s. One blessing at a time. Life changing.
8. Do something nice for someone else
What? I know, I know you already have enough going on and now I want you to add one more thing but here me out. It can just be in your day to day happenings. It can be as simple as paying attention to our surroundings and letting love shine. For instance, let someone else go ahead of you in a line, start a conversation with someone in line, pay for someone’s coffee behind you in the drive through, let your kids eat dessert first, smile at someone as you run errands. Never underestimate the power of a smile. When we take the focus off ourselves (even if only for a moment), you’ll find yourself with a little extra bounce in your step as you realize how great it feels to bless someone else.
May this season we all be a little less frazzled, a little less scattered and overwhelmed, and a little more at peace with where we are and what we have.
What is your go to method for feeling less frazzled in your day?
Linda Stoll says
a hot bubble bath … a brand new magazine … journaling … a cup of freshly brewed tea … a warm afghan … a quiet conversation … a short walk … watching ‘Downton Abbey’ or ‘Chopped’ … and last, but never least, a long prayer to the One who loves me best of all.
Laura says
Oh those are all wonderful suggestions…I love slipping in to a brand new magazine. It feels like such an indulgence to me 🙂
Mandy (@DailyCupOfGrace) says
Wonderful ideas, Laura! Thanks for sharing…need to be reminded of this as the holiday craziness begins!
Laura says
You are so welcome Mandy! Hope you have a wonderful week 🙂
Gina says
Thank you for this! It’s good for me to read this reminder BEFORE I’m frazzled. This is how I try to quiet the noise: http://seamlessdays.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/how-a-momma-can-abide/
Laura says
That was beautiful Gina, thanks for sharing your link with us here.
Angie@Echoes of Laughter says
I love this post Laura! Such good advice and suggestions! I love going out to lunch with girlfriends….we get to talk and get things off our chest, laugh and tease..and instantly everything is all better! Angie xo
Becky L. says
There’s no stress here….hahahaha! My daughter finally found the little kids table to use on Thanksgiving. It was hiding in the garage. Now I don’t have to figure out where to get a few more chairs. I have a bit of cleaning in the morning to do. I have been working on clearing off my table I use for my laptop. I thought I’d get more books off bookshelf behind this table….oh dear….I said to myself Sunday evening. What WAS I THINKING!!!>????? Well there is a bit more space after taking off books and putting a couple baskets on there…….sigh! Will worry about that AFTER Thanksgiving! I did make fudge this evening. I am giving some of that away for early Christmas to people that won’t be here then. And send some away! Pray for sanity! I’ll be busy tomorrow making a couple pies and angel flake biscuits. Thanks for the post….great suggestions! Hugs!
Danijela says
These are the best tips, but my favorite is number 8 . There is nothing better than doing something for the people we love and give them reason to smile. My little helpers ;)- hot cup of coffee and a good read. It so simple, but it works. 🙂
Jen @ Cuddles and Chaos says
A good old-fashioned brain dump is seriously my tried and true way to destress. I’m not even sure why. Maybe I feel like at least all of my thoughts are written down so it will be harder to forget something important. Maybe because I can see everything laid out in front of me and break it down into more manageable steps. Or maybe because I can physically cross things off the list and make myself feel even better. Whatever it is, brain dumps are magic!
Susanne says
Great suggestions Laura! I’m in one of those frazzles weeks myself, so I’ll be making use of some of these. Wanna come make me laugh?
Darlene says
This is my very first time commenting on a post and I must say it is wonderful to have a fellow Canadian on board. Laura I’m hooked on your terrific blog and thank you for taking the time to share with us. I aspire to have organization in my life but man is it difficult. Hopefully with easy baby steps I can calm the chaos of my home. 🙂 Originally from Nova Scotia but now living in Ontario, my mantra and is “Relax and let the waves sooth your soul”.
Laura says
Thank you so much Darlene for your kind words and I’m honored to be your first comment. So nice!
Great mantra you’ve got there too 🙂
Laura
Marissa says
I really enjoyed this post – I find myself feeling frazzled a ton, even when it’s not the holiday season. These are great reminders.
I’ve added this post to my weekly favorites.
Marissa
http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2012/11/weekly-favorites-5.html
Laura says
Thanks Marissa!!
Elizabeth says
Have come back to this post, Laura to remind me how to cope! Just 2 weeks and a few days before Christmas and I can feel the stress. I needed this post to put things into perspective. I have decorated some, but I don’t have it done yet, as I am doing a little at a time. Hopefully by week-end I will be done. I just have 1-2 more gifts to buy and then I’m done with the shopping. Have done it all on-line, so that wasn’t bad…didn’t have to fight traffic and parking! Just have a tree and simple décor…didn’t buy new ornaments this year, just using my favorite things, as it should always be! I collect nutcrackers, so I did buy 2 this year (on sale!). I never buy them at full price!
We will be going out for a special Christmas dinner this year, so I won’t have to cook. That will be a Christmas present for me!. We will still do breakfast and Christmas Eve dinner here at home. We always have oyster stew and clam chowder with a London Broil. I don’t know exactly how the London Broil became a part of it .I started making it one yr. when my youngest son requested it( He was 13 at the time). We liked it so much we kept it on the menu. I decorate the table with Pineapples and a manger scene.
I want to bake cookies in the next week. Have all the ingredients and the storage for them, so I am good to go!
Thanks for letting me tell you my plans. I feel better already!
Donna says
Just wanted to say thank you! I needed this today.
Laura says
You’re welcome!
Sharleen Mehemed says
Laura,
Thanks for the wonderful list of suggestions to help when we are stressed!
Love every single one of them.
Now just to find the time to do at least one of them ;-]
Just starting my blog and I don’t know which end is up somedays.
Laura Wittmann says
You are so welcome Sharleen and all the best with your blog!