How often to do get to a point where you want to hide because all the “to dos” feel so overwhelming? Possibly a tightness fills your chest, anxiety and panic may arise. Possibly you can’t breathe, or feel that you are letting everyone down. Maybe you just don’t know where to start?
Well, that’s exactly how I’m feeling right now. The “to dos” are filling me with overwhelm. So this post is as much of a gift to me, as I hope it is to you.
Firstly I wanted to let you know what I’m up to. Take a sigh for me, send me grace, good will and love.
- Going Blue 4 U (GB4U) is my #1 focus right now. Working persistently, diligently, with passion and purpose to share the message of mental illness awareness and working hard to raise $21,087 by August 15, 2012. Also in the background creating the foundation and administrative side of GB4U: Trademark has been filed, non-profit foundation status in the works, advocacy, promotion, applying for grants and building an amazing Advisory Board.
- The first edition print of A Quiet Strong Voice is now SOLD OUT, thank you so much. I am working diligently to have the 2nd edition print edits finalized, and once this occurs it will be on Amazon in soft cover and eBook.
- Promoting the Parenting and Mental Illness Collaborative Blog Series, so there will be wonderful heart felt stories and practical tools for dealing with mental illness and parenting.
- Working on the online course material for the UP Peer Mentor Program, this has been a love of mine, that is finally coming to fruition and hopefully the first online course will be available in November.
And through all of this lovingly preparing for the arrival of my sister, two year old niece and sixteen year old nephew arriving from Australia this weekend and staying for a month. Our family is so excited. PLUS, playing catch up on thousands of emails and messages from being away on vacation for four weeks. In the midst of this torn between what I love to do and spending time with those I love: my twelve year old and nine year old daughters coming down to my office every ten minutes asking if we can do something together.
Insert – Anxiety attack, frustration, guilt, overwhelm.
So the first step I am going to take after writing this is to breathe (well actually, I’m already doing that – just not consciously.)
Then I am going to create a plan. I function incredibly when I follow the time management and organizational skills I used to teach many years ago. There’s a hint for everyone that always asks how I get so much done – I used to teach it.
One of the most important things I need to do is to be present. The looking ahead fills me with fear and anticipation. What if I don’t reach the fundraising goal for GB4U, now what? What if the 2nd edition of A Quiet Strong Voice comes back yet again with more interior formatting challenges? What if I don’t receive enough article submissions for the Parenting and Mental Illness Blog Series? What if I can’t launch UP by November 1st in time for people who tend to move into the seasonal depression of the holidays?
All these what ifs are taking me away from now. They are removing my attention from the present, and what’s important in this moment.
So I am going back to my the blog post I shared with you 3 Tips to Overcome Being Overwhelmed and listening to my own advice.
