Need to Slooooow Dooooown?

Today I was watching an episode of Oprah (I watch them at random times from my DVR), and they were discussing a tragic event where a child died because her mother was overwhelmed, forgot she was asleep in her carseat, and left her in the car for 8 hours on a hot August day. While this particular type of horrific tragedy is thankfully rare, it brought up a topic that's virtually universal among today's moms: the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Mother after mother shared her story on the show--one mom left the stove on all day and fortunately realized it before anything serious happened, others weren't as lucky. One mother talked of wanting to cry by 10am most mornings, another spoke of secretly feeling that her children deserve a better mother. All, however, seemed to share the feeling that they aren't good enough at taking care of their families, and the experience of being utterly overwhelmed.

Oprah did the show to act as a sort of a wake-up call to people who are doing too much, to get them to 'slooooow dooooown', because often people run themselves into the ground before making necessary changes, or wait for a tragic accident to act as a wake-up call. Have you ever felt this way? Many, many people do. One way you can avoid getting this stressed (or realize when you are and get motivated to change things up) is to pay close attention to your body and your emotions--how you feel in different situations and in your life as a whole. For each part of your day, really pay attention and see if an activity 'feeds' you or 'drains' you--whether the energy is positive or negative. Then see what you can do about cutting out or changing the energy drains in your life.

Another way to stay in touch with yourself and notice when you need a change (before something serious happens to grab your attention), is to pay attention to your life. Many people believe that there are no accidents and that the coincidences and subtle events in our lives have much to tell us about who we are and where we're going--or should be going. Others believe that there's no 'master plan', but that paying attention to the subtleties of your life helps you notice opportunities, avoid pitfalls, and become more masterful at navigating your life. Either way, it pays to pay attention. This week, I recommend keeping a 'coincidence journal' to tune into your own life, and see what you learn! (Here's how to keep a coincidence journal.)

You can go talk about it in the Stress Management Forum, and see the resources below to make healthy changes and slow down now, not when you can't ignore the signs any longer!

Helpful Reads for the Overwhelmed

• Time Management Strategies to Try

• Stress Relief for Busy People

• Finding Balance: How Much Stress is Too Much?

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