The Magic 4: 4 questions to beat overwhelm this holiday season

With the holidays quickly approaching, everyone and their mother seems to be overwhelmed, overscheduled and over-drawn energetically. 

It’s a classic scenario: We want to give to the people we love but we don’t have any energy to give to people we love…because we got so caught up in the game of beating our To-Do list.

And that To-Do list is usually based around managing other people’s perceptions and desires that we forgot to put ourselves on the list!

I liken feeling overwhelmed to overdrawing on your checking account.

Example: Let’s say you just made it through a grueling day. You totally forgot to eat lunch but you got a ton done and to sweeten the deal, you got paid (wohoo!)!

And with the best of intentions, you open up your computer and feeling all responsible you, decide to put a large chunk of your check towards your credit card debt. You’re psyched because the number is now getting so close to $0 you want to have a party! 

But then less than 24 hours later, you get an email from your bank saying your account is overdrawn.  You start to get a headache. And your tummy is growling.

What? You forgot that your health insurance bill was due and was automatically deducted from your now negative account.

You feel crappy and annoyed because you were just trying to do the right thing and pay off your debt. But you weren’t paying attention to your balance and you’re now in the red.

So to make yourself feel better, you proceed to eat a pint of ice cream and feel defeated before plowing through the next item on your list. 

Sound familiar? 

Overwhelm usually happens when 1 of 4 crucial things are not being met. R.F.W.P

Introducing. (yes I am a former teacher. Acronyms are how I made it through colleg

R-Rest
F-Food
W-Water
P-Play

We need all of those things throughout the course of a day and if you’re overwhelmed at any given point this Holiday season, ask yourself:

• Do I need rest right now?
• Do I need food right now?
• Do I need water right now?
• Do I need some fun and play right now?

90% of the time, if you take care of that thing you’ve been ignoring, it actually creates a ripple effect for the way the rest of your day rolls out. 

In the example above, do you remember the one that was left off the list first?

If you said, FOOD you are correct!

It’s not about being perfect. 

But from the list above, knowing yourself oh intuitive Goddess, which one do you KNOW you need more of daily?

If it’s FOOD, pack a snack and keep it in your desk.

Maybe it’s PLAY.

Schedule play into your To-Do list first.

Maybe it’s WATER. 

Stop making excuses and invest in a nice bottle to take to the office.

Maybe it’s REST.

Decide on an end time no matter what to stop working or do some deep breathing for 7 breaths in between tasks if you are strapped for time. 

As you pay attention to your Magic 4 ( RFWP) , your brain will be happy, your body will be thankful and your intuition will help you cut your To-Do list in HALF and rock it out with way more efficiency and less time.

Now it’s over to YOU!

Q: Which of the 4 will YOU work on this week? Rest? Food? Water? Play? Post a comment and share with us!

Want more? Click here to get a FREE gift: Top 5 Signs to Distinguish Between a Message from Spirit and Wishful Thinking 

Okay, I have some questions for you. If the answers are yes to any of these, raise your hand.

How would you like that special someone to notice you?

Wish you could command the attention of a room without feeling desperate?

Wouldn’t it be fun to stop pushing and actually get more of what you want with less effort?

Umm, yes please! 

It’s actually a lot easier than you think and today’s post is inspired by an unexpected guest blogger: a kitten named Princess Tula. (I’m so serious).

In observing her story, you’ll learn 3 powerful ways of being to command more attention than you know what to do with. In love. And in life. 

As you read the story, I invite you to see how Tula’s behaviors could mirror how you show up in the world. (or where you’re invited to try something new).

Ready? Let’s go!

—-

Background: Tula is my aunt’s boyfriend’s new kitten and last night I got to witness the grand introduction of the kitten to his guard dog, a very protective (and fiercely loyal) Foxy. It was going to be interesting. 

Scene: Kitchen

Starring Players: 8-week old kitten Princess Tula, dog Ms. Foxy, me, my aunt and her bf.

We are instructed to pick Tula up and hold her like a baby preparing for Foxy’s grand introduction. 

After about 15 minutes of trying to chase Tula, my aunt gives up and says, “I can’t catch her. She keeps running away from me.” (We drink a glass of wine and figure we’re off the hook).

Enter her big, burly German boyfriend. 

He picks up the frightened, escape-prone kitten in less than 1 minute using subtle mirroring and patience and the Princess is happy to be in his arms. (We stop drinking wine and are now curious what his secret is). 

Stop chasing. A little subtlety goes a long way.

Enter Foxy

From the moment Foxy burst on the scene and realized there was another animal in the room, she went C-R-A-Z-Y. Barking, pulling at her leash, and even getting water dumped on her head didn’t stop her from showing her displeasure in having a ‘sister.’  It was NOT okay.

Tula’s response? Lazy amused stare. Decides it would be fun to explore the top of the couch and proceeds to sprawl out and close her eyes. What’s the big deal?

Be selective of what (or who) you spend energy on. Less is more. 

Foxy: Gets more annoyed and manages to tangle herself around the computer chair. More barking. Maybe this will work! I’m so afraid that she’s going to take my place! That is NOT happening! 

She then manages to knock down two candles on the coffee table in her state, a few feet from the Princess.She eventually gets taken outside. No treat. 

Never make a move from a fear of losing something. You just get tangled up and it takes longer!

Tula’s response? Purr. My aunt pets her. Finally, finally a massage. And that dog is gone. That’s better. 

It was truly fascinating to watch. 

And in just a 20-minute experience, Tula gave us all a powerful lesson in loving yourself first and getting what you want, without force or struggle. 

Kudos, little Goddess.

Bonus Love Nugget from a Man:

And to close out the story, my aunt’s boyfriend said, “You know, it’s not that hard. But it took me awhile to finally get it. Women are like cats. If you chase them, or try and force them to do anything, you get nowhere fast. You have to be subtle about it. It’s like a dance. You have to use finesse, not force. You should really put this in your book you know.” (walks away). Well said, sir!

Q: Which of the 3 tips hit home with you? How does it apply to your life? Share with us in the comments!

Just to recap, they are:

• Stop chasing. A little subtlety goes a long way.
• Be selective of what (or who) you spend energy on. Less is more. 
• Never make a move from a fear of losing something. You just get tangled up and it takes longer!

Want more?

Click here to grab your FREE PDF: “5 Signs To Distinguish Between a Message from Spirit and Wishful Thinking”