You know those days when things just feel like a bit too much? Well, I’m having one of those days and I expect you have lots of them too. Not sleeping well is the biggest giveaway that I’ve got a lot on my mind, and last night’s sleep was terrible. And if you know me at all, you’ll know that I do not do well the day after a bad night’s sleep! Fingers crossed tonight is better.
My head is too full!
As busy mums, we are the masters of juggling and the queens of spinning plates. A lot of responsibility sits on our shoulders and sometimes it can all feel a bit overwhelming. Primary responsibility for your children is a massive thing in itself, but add in work commitments (however big or small) and any other curveballs life may throw at you, and overwhelm can start to creep in.
Our house move is certainly playing on my mind. We’ve done all we can for now, so we are just waiting for progress updates from solicitors as we crawl painstakingly slowly towards exchange of contracts. I am so so incredibly excited to move – it is literally my dream house – but it doesn’t stop the whole prospect of moving from feeling quite daunting.
Work on my blog is busy too which is great as I absolutely love working on it, but running your own business and being your own boss has its own pressures. I often don’t get as much done during my day as I originally planned as I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I know that ‘done’ is better than ‘perfect’ but I always strive to do my best with every single post and piece of content I put out there – paid or not.
With the house move coming up over the summer, I’m also looking for some part-time work, so that I can make a regular contribution to the increased mortgage.
There are many benefits to being a freelancer, but the downside is that you can’t guarantee a regular income every month. I’m keen to be able to bring in a regular amount, and although it will be a very small contribution in comparison to my hubby’s, it will mean a lot to me to be able to feel more financially independent. (I’ll be sharing more posts on my part-time job search soon.) But making the commitment to go out to work is a big change for me when I’ve been my own boss for a quite a while now.
I’ve got some personal stuff going on in the background too, which is adding to my overwhelm. I’m a pretty balanced person emotionally, and I very rarely ask anyone for emotional support but occasionally, even the most stable people may be in need of a little extra kindness and understanding from those around them.
Overwhelm doesn’t have to be one big thing. It’s often the accumulation of lots of little worries that can then weigh heavy on your mind.
Support networks
I know a lot of us can feel overwhelmed like this at times. Obviously having your own support network of family and friends is vital, but sometimes even those closest to you can be too busy and caught up in their own day-to-day stuff to notice that you may be going through some things.
If you feel like you need to talk to someone, there are options in this digital world we live in, such as signing up to an online therapy provider like Talkspace. It’s a very modern take on therapy that fits in well with our digital lives. It’s kind of like therapy on demand, as and when you feel you need it. I haven’t tried online therapy, but I would certainly be open to using it.
I think therapy in any form is an amazing tool and we should probably all be using it more. We should be looking after our mental health in the same we look after our physical health, and actually the two go hand-in-hand. I find exercise and working out – mostly swimming, yoga and Pilates – certainly helps me when my head gets too full. Time to get to the gym I think!
Here’s to a good night’s sleep for all of us. Tomorrow is a brand new day…
Share your thoughts
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? I’d love to hear your suggestions – please feel free to share in the comments.
Natalie xx
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Talkspace. All words and opinions are my own.