Ever feel like your life is going towards a downward spiral and you’re not sure how to stop the spiraling? The emergency break has been put in motion. The kicking and screaming have already occurred. The panic is in full throttle. The pacing and anticipation for any type of relief has already begun. The only thing that is left to do is figure out how to stop the chaos. How to get unstuck from life demands and negativity.
The first step is to acknowledge where you are at. Don’t sugar coat the reality of the situation. It pretty much sucks right now, huh? Next, how can you prioritize the mess. Meaning, what things can be put on pause in your life until the disaster is more at a minimum for you. Write out a list of all the things that you feel obligated to do on a daily or weekly basis, and then rate it to see how much of a priority it is in your life and how much of it is actually adding value to your life. If you feel obligated to meet up with a friend for coffee but it is costing you time away from your family, top priorities and self-care—then minimize those distractions until you feel better again! It’s not time to play superhero, do the bare minimum while taking care of yourself until things start to feel better again.
Once your list is narrowed down to top priorities in your life, narrow the list even more. Get down to the bare minimum. Meaning, going to work, paying bills, and taking care of yourself might be all you can do right now. Then, allow yourself the space and time to heal and feel again. You have been living on adrenaline, a.k.a. survival mode. It’s time to unwind and try to relax. You might be in physical pain from all the stress and worry to actually relax. But that is okay. Just give yourself the space to unwind, whatever that means to you.
If you can, try and put a timeframe on this bare minimum lifestyle, unwinding period. If you’ve been living in chaos and confusion for a really long time, maybe a whole month will be good for you to decompress, have alone time to actually feel your feelings, and start to live again. Maybe, you just need a week or two to wrap your head around what just happened. Whatever the time you need, give it to yourself. Just like having a routine is important, having a timeframe on this may be beneficial as well. Try not to get in the head space of wondering what others might think of you during this time period or guilt you may feel by not being available to others right now. Be okay with that.
Once your timeframe is nearing the end, how are you feeling? Did you allow yourself the space to understand your feelings? I hope you validated your feelings. Next, what can you start adding into your life to bring happiness and fulfillment back into your life. Yes, you deserve happiness and a life worth living. Maybe it’s adding in a hike with a friend or two each week, going to the farmer’s market every Sunday, listening to a really good podcast. Start giving yourself the things that you had to pause in order to get unstuck from the downward spiral of life demands.
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