Let’s Drop Down the Overwhelm Level!
By October, we are well into fall and headed straight to the festive season. As busy Moms, this can be a really overwhelming time of year and it can be part of your belief system that you need to do it all. To keep everyone happy. To make it all perfect. To dial up the magic. And…
I want you to take a minute. Pause. Because chances are you are focused on what everything will look like. I want you to take a second to think about what it will FEEL like to make all of this happen. The tiny minutiae of the sparkling lights, the perfectly made pies, the perfectly coordinated outfits for the fall mini shoots. How will you handle the expectations of your extended family members with these holiday gatherings? What is all of this going to feel like for you?
If you are the over-functioning partner in your relationship, you need to delegate. You need to understand that it is not all on you. You don’t have to be, do, engineer or accomplish it all. Your family wants you. They want you in the pictures, they want you at the table, they want you to feel enjoyment too. What they don’t want is an exhausted, resentful, burnt out Mom or partner.
Dial down the overwhelm level. I have a three D rule:
- Distill down to what you really want the festive season to FEEL like, not what you think it should look like.
- Discuss well ahead of time with everyone you get together with what you are willing to do, what works for you and what doesn’t.
- Delegate. You can involve your kids, your partner, friends and family in the prep, execution and clean-up of all festive activities. You are not here to swallow your discomfort and do it all to keep others happy while you are seething and resentful inside.
Overwhelm robs us of being in the moment and truly experiencing some of the best memories we will make. Dial down the overwhelm and be a part of what you want this season to FEEL like. You matter too, Moms.
Carol Peat is a woman's health advocate, Mum of three, wife to one, Nana of two and dog Mum to Piper, a golden retriever. She is passionate about you feeling your best, brave in your body.
