Soul Searching with Yve

Over the past week, I’ve been grappling with the challenge of enhancing my focus and reducing the time I spend feeling overwhelmed and down. This struggle has been a recurring theme, particularly in recent years. However, I’ve also come to recognize the importance of improving my sleep, but that’s a story for another time. My journey, fueled by a plethora of podcasts and audiobooks, has led me to identify the factors that hinder my progress. Armed with this knowledge, I’m taking tangible steps to overcome them, feeling empowered and motivated.

The pivotal moment in my journey was a shift in my mindset. This transformation has not only alleviated my feelings of overwhelm but also bolstered my productivity and overall well-being. I now approach each day with a renewed sense of purpose and a more optimistic outlook, ready to tackle whatever challenges come my way. This change has not just filled me with hope and inspiration, but it has also shown me the immense power of a positive mindset.

I realized that I was entertaining negative thought patterns like waking up and feeling stiff joints, then automatically thinking of how terrible the day would be and how bad I would suffer all day. These thoughts often led to a sense of dread and made it harder for me to start my day positively. Most of the time, I’m good to go for a few hours after getting up and moving around, doing stretches, and a few somatic exercises. The negative thought process makes these healthy habits much more challenging to push myself each morning even though I know they help losen up my body and positively impact my daily activities. Recognizing these patterns was the first step in breaking free from them.

When I wake up in the morning, I think of all the positive things I can do, no matter how physically challenging the day will be. I am grateful for another day, watching my kids grow and change, hearing the birds sing, and feeling the breeze in my hair and the sun on my face. Then I move into the stretches and morning hygiene before getting my hot morning drink, like water with lemon, lemon ginger tea, green tea, and Mud Wtr. At first, these changes to my thoughts seemed ridiculous, and it was hard to make myself lie there and think positively; what would this really do? As cheesy as I thought it was, it has helped tremendously.

I recently added a short meditation to the morning routine using the Balance app. This app offers a variety of guided meditations and breathing exercises, which are particularly helpful in setting a positive tone for my day. I can meditate while I drink my beverage or right after, which helps me wake my body and mind before starting the day with the kids. The app also allows me to track my progress and set reminders for my meditation sessions, which helps me stay consistent with my practice.

The meditations on the Balance app help with many feelings and emotions throughout the day. If I feel I’m headed towards chaos, I give myself a five—or ten-minute time out and use the app to meditate and do a breathing exercise to reset my mind and get back on a positive foot for the rest of the day. This practice involves focusing on my breath and observing my thoughts and feelings without judgment. It helps me calm down and regain control over my emotions. Sometimes, my toddler joins in and learns to regulate his emotions using breathing and meditation. We start by taking deep breaths together and then move on to simple guided meditations. Since we have practiced together, he has had fewer daily tantrums.

My more relaxed mindset has been a massive game-changer for the entire family as we all struggle with overwhelming feelings. There has been yelling and tantrums from us all over the years. I have had to unlearn and teach myself new coping skills and how to react to events around us. For instance, I’ve learned to take deep breaths and count to ten when overwhelmed. I’ve also started practicing self-compassion and reminding myself that it’s okay to make mistakes. Not everything is as catastrophic as our minds would have us think! My new motto has been, ‘Take everything one step at a time. Don’t look ahead; get through this moment right now.” It’s changed everything for me. My day isn’t as overwhelming anymore. This newfound sense of relief and control has been a beacon of hope for me, and I hope it can be for you, too.

I’ve been using the Pomodoro option on the Balance app to stay focused on the task at hand. The Pomodoro technique breaks down the time needed to complete tasks into short sections, like 25 minutes with five-minute breaks. Using Pomodoro has helped me realize how much time has gone by and focus more on the task I’m already on because the timer will signal a break before the next step or another task.

Most importantly, If things don’t get done, that’s okay. I did my best, and tomorrow is always a fresh start. I’ve learned that most of the pressure I’m under is what I’ve put on myself. Things don’t have to be done perfectly every time, either. If I only do a quick tidying up, that’s fine. If I’ve only managed one load of laundry, that’s fine, too. Remember, it’s essential to be kind to ourselves, listen to our body, and work towards healing these issues that hold us back and make us feel less. We can be our own worst enemy sometimes.

If you’re interested in what I’ve been listening to lately, here’s a list of the audiobooks I’ve recently finished that are worth checking out:

• How to Manage your home without losing your mind: dealing with your house’s dirty little secrets
• Change Your Paradigm, Change Your Life
• Retrain Your Brain: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in 7 weeks
• Outlander: book one
• The Girlfriend

I am not working with audible or Balance. They’re just really great apps!

Do you struggle with focus and feeling overwhelmed? Do you have any tips to share?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments!