A routine gives you breathing space
Overwhelm! Overload! Arrgh!
You’re an empath or highly sensitive person, so overwhelm and overload are your normal existence.
Sometimes it’s just awful, isn’t it?
Feels like every time you get something done, something else comes up!
And no matter how hard you try to get everything done, you’re still lying there in your bed worrying about what didn’t get done and how you’re going to add it to tomorrow’s already full load.
One Rule: Handle it only once
I have the one rule that I am especially mindful about: Handle it only once.
Whatever it may be:
Document? file it now. Sweater or jacket? hang it up. Need to make a phone call? do it now. Pay a bill? do it now.
… Because I used to be a procrastinator <rolling eyes>. Yep, it’s hard to believe, but it’s true!
Back then, I didn’t know stuff like “highly sensitive person,” or “empath.”
And intuition was something that sounded interesting, but I didn’t know anything about it.
Learning about these personality types and characteristics helped me define and lay-out my own life. (And I eventually realized that procrastination usually cost me money…)
Routines are life saving
Having a routine to follow saves time and effort. No matter what your line of work may be, following your routine makes you more efficient.
For example, remember when you were interrupted while getting ready for work? And then you were in the car driving away when you realized you hadn’t brushed your teeth? LOL. Routines matter.
Ideas for routines to reduce your overload
- Laundry: Wash a load or two in the evenings instead of saving it all for one overwhelming day.
- House cleaning: Wash the dishes every day. Clean the kitchen floor today. Vacuum the carpet tomorrow. Clean the bathtub while you’re showering.
- Dressing: Set out your clothes for tomorrow to save yourself some angst in the morning when your brain is fuzzy. Put together some outfits that you can wear without wondering if they go together. You’ll be glad you did when you’re in a rush!
- Menus: I know this might sound dorky, but putting together a menu, then jotting down your shopping list will make your life so much easier! And having it all done and ready for you makes cooking more enjoyable, which means you’re more likely to eat a good meal.
TIP: Spread the work out over several days.
If you want this routine to work, picking a day when you do each task will help keep you on track.
For example, change the bed sheets on Sunday morning. (So you don’t realize one day that it’s been three weeks since the last change…)
Clean the kitchen floor on Monday. Vacuum on Tuesday. Grocery shopping and other tasks on other days, etc.
It sounds easy, but people struggle with being overwhelmed and overloaded. It’s hard to add one more thing to the to-do list.
A routine gives you breathing space.
Are you desperate for some breathing space?
Creating a do-able routine is one of the things that I help you figure out in my hypnotherapy program.
I know it sounds too unimportant to work on in a hypnotherapy program; but like I say,
Having a routine opens space in your attention so you can focus on other essential stuff.
I’ll help you silence the sneaky snarky inner critic who stops you from finishing your to-do list. Hypnosis works! Contact me here.
Lotsa hugs,
Peg McMahan, HHP, CHt, LMT
