Differently

Are You Dealing with Overwhelm?

• Carla Reeves | Creator of The Differently Coaching Experience

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Feeling like you're constantly drowning in a sea of to-dos and never-ending pressures?

 You're not alone.  In this short episode we unveil a simple practice that's often overlooked as a potent remedy for overwhelm.

Join us as we venture into a heartfelt discussion about the struggles of stress and the cycle of feeling perpetually behind. Discover how an intentional 30 minutes each week can shift your life's trajectory.

Enjoy!

Make Joy Loops with Samantha Brodt

Learn More:  https:/www.carlareeves.com/

Connect on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reevescarla/
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Explore Coaching with Carla:  https://bookme.name/carlareeves/lite/explore-coaching

Learn more about Carla:
Website: https:/www.carlareeves.com/
Connect on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reevescarla/
Connect on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@differentlythepodcast

Go to https://www.carlareeves.com/getunstuck.com to download Carla's on demand journaling workshop + exercise to help you stop spinning and start moving forward.

Explore Coaching with Carla: https://bookme.name/carlareeves/lite/explore-coaching

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Speaker 1:

I'm Carla Reeves, and this is Differently. Whether you feel stuck in survival, navigating a change or seeking more for your life, may this podcast be your weekly nudge to take a risk to build a life that is uniquely bold, authentic and in alignment with your deepest values. After a decade of coaching individuals, from corporate leaders to creative artists to multimillion dollar CEOs, I'm convinced we are far closer than we realize to what we deeply desire, and it's a willingness to do differently that can change everything. Hey, differently listener, welcome back. In this short episode, we're going to talk about what you can do when you feel overwhelmed and where to find the time to do it. Does any of this sound familiar?

Speaker 1:

I worked with an amazing woman a couple of years ago and she generously gave me permission to share this with you. In fact, she's been on the podcast before More on that in a minute when we started working together. This is what she described feeling overwhelmed and that grind. It was crushing. I never could get caught up and I was never doing enough and everything I did felt wrong. And then there was physical clenching in my jaw and stress in my body, tension in my marriage, tension with me and my daughter sort of pulling back away from my friend group because I just didn't have the capacity to do anything else. These feelings and symptoms capture the essence of how many people feel when they begin the differently coaching experience with me. They feel stress, overwhelmed, running on empty, spread thin, and it's beginning to impact some really important things, which just isn't okay anymore.

Speaker 1:

When you feel overwhelmed, what's your go-to? Do you pull away? Do you work harder, thinking if you can just get somewhere, there will be less to do and more time? Is it having a glass of wine or three at the end of the night? Or is it lashing out in ways you later regret? I get it. Life can feel full and it's easy to feel powerless. I'm on a mission to help you to not get sucked into the vortex of thinking that if you just work harder, do more, get better, get more things done, things will be better. I did that. This is how I lived for many years doing trying, pleasing, making sure everyone else was always happy and putting my own needs longings at the bottom of the list. It didn't serve anyone and it left me empty. It doesn't work and it's a lie. The truth is, you'll feel better when you take the reins of your life in a new and different way that disrupts this pattern. Until you break the pattern, the hamster wheel keeps going.

Speaker 1:

I know this might sound overwhelming and like a huge undertaking, but trust me, it's not as daunting as it seems. And today I want to share a real, true, lasting, highly impactful solution to overwhelm. And it lives in your back pocket and costs $0. It's an underutilized superpower that you have with you 24, seven. Yes, it involves a journal and putting your pen to paper or keyboard, but don't leave yet.

Speaker 1:

You don't have to like writing or feel like writing to have this work for you. It's the superpower of emptying and renewing your mind and before you hit, stop and run away because you don't have time. Hold please. We're talking about carving just 30 to 60 minutes max. That's it A week.

Speaker 1:

If this is truly important, you can and will find the time. Think back to a time when you've done this before because of something that mattered. When we truly want something, we find the time Okay. One way to do this is to stop focusing on a deficit of time and focus on the abundance of choices that you have where you can create that time. For example, if you stopped scrolling five or 10 minutes earlier, or you woke up five or 10 minutes earlier, or you stayed up 10 minutes later at night, or you included it in your morning routine or something that you're already doing, or while you're sitting and waiting for an appointment. There are an abundance of places to harness time if you want to. And, friend to friend, honest truth that I heard said so well by many teachers of yoga and meditation, that if you're too busy to take care of your well-being, you're too busy. I call it a superpower because it's literally the very thing I witness change people's lives each and every day, and that's why it's the first thing we do when I guide people through the Differently Coaching experience and exactly what my client that I shared earlier did to put the pieces back together of herself finding her voice again, finding her self-esteem, finding worthiness of love that helped her to take the reins of her life again so she could breathe and live.

Speaker 1:

The writing is a process that helps to renew your mind and, going back to what I said before, if this makes you want to cringe or run, keep listening. This is where I want you to suspend that, what you feel about writing or whether you like it, and try on whether it can be a vehicle to get you to where you want to go. Think about I have a friend who hates flying. That doesn't mean she doesn't fly. She does fly because it helps her achieve a goal, which is to visit people and places she loves. Same thing with writing. You don't have to love it, you don't have to like it. It takes you somewhere new. Here are a few quick reasons why writing is particularly helpful to me and what I've witnessed watching clients use in the tool of writing. So listen here to see if it can be a vehicle to move you closer to what you want.

Speaker 1:

Emptying your brain on a regular basis has proven to reduce stress. It's an outlet for expressing emotion and navigating uncomfortable feelings. Writing helps you find blind spots that may be tripping you up and have been tripping you up for a very long time. Writing reduces overwhelm and anxiety by helping you organize your thoughts into today, tomorrow and next week. I've seen writing improve communication. By writing out what's happening and what needs to be said, you will be able to articulate and communicate more succinctly, directly and from the heart with your most important people. And with practice, writing is going to help you have more control over your mind, which I could talk for an entire episode about the benefits of that mind, which I could talk for an entire episode about the benefits of that. So could this potentially be a vehicle for you to get to where you want to go?

Speaker 1:

Emptying, challenging, organizing, aligning your mind to the truth of who you are and what you're up to is a daily act of care towards yourself and it benefits everyone around you. Think of it like a mental shampoo. Why aren't we doing this more? It's biblical. This idea has been around, this idea of renewing your mind, for a very long time. In Romans 12, 2, it says do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing, you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable and perfect. In the book as a man Thinketh by James Allen, originally published in 1902, been around a while it says let us radically alter our thoughts and we will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will affect in the material conditions of our lives. In a world full of distractions, this is your superpower.

Speaker 1:

So how can you begin a practice of this? Carve out and spend five to 10 minutes a day to empty your mind, organize your thoughts and move forward intentionally. If that's all you do, you will see some benefit from just clearing your head. Here's the extra credit, though Organize your thoughts, go through that list of things you just dumped out. Sort it into a today, a tomorrow, a next week and a next month categories. A lot of times we have all these thoughts stirring in our head and it feels like it all just needs to be done today, and that can lead to so much feeling of overwhelm when actually it's not all today. So taking a list today, tomorrow, next week and next month and sorting those thoughts can really release a lot of pressure. Take a big, deep breath, focus on the here and now, set an intention for the rest of your day and proceed forward. Extra, extra credit is after five days of kind of doing this process of emptying your mind and sorting your thoughts. Look back over your writing and look for patterns, word choices. Ask yourself where is my thinking contributing to my overwhelm and what could I shift in my thinking? To lighten things up In closing true self-care isn't trips to the spa, getting a pedicure or lounging on the couch, although those things can be great.

Speaker 1:

True self-care is discipline. It's not going to feel amazing. It's not going to feel like you have time. It's not going to make you want to set down your biz or your to-do list. You do it for the sake of something much bigger. Before you go, it's closer than you might think.

Speaker 1:

My decade of experience tells me you really only need three things to move out of a feeling of overwhelm and survival mode a skilled and objective coach to help you identify those blind spots. A way to process and receive support to quiet that mental noise and get some clarity. That's where the interactive journaling comes in. And exposure to new ideas and perspectives to help you open your mind to new approaches to old problems. Wid implemented that light you up, give you freedom and help you move forward at last, intentionally. That's exactly what I offer in my exclusive program called the Differently Coaching Experience. When you have these things in place simultaneously, you will start to gain peace of mind and forward momentum quickly and have the tools to keep it alive for a lifetime.

Speaker 1:

I invite you to check out all the goodies in this transformative 12-week program by visiting the website CarlaReevescom. That's all I have today, friend. Remember what you're going to be up to for the next five to seven days, and I would love for you to reach out and share it with me. Carla, at CarlaReevescom, I'd love to support you in making the space to renew your mind. It's your superpower and it's going to wow you if you let it. Hey, thanks for tuning into this episode of Differently. I hope it stirred your thinking and I invite you to take one inspired action from something that stood out to you. If you want to hear more conversations like this, be sure to hit follow on your favorite podcast app, and if this episode could impact someone you know, please help us spread the word and pass it along. Remember new episodes drop weekly. See you next week.