Note: Watch my video presentation on this topic here.
I woke up one morning recently feeling completely overwhelmed. I was already feeling tired and then right before bed, Silas threw up. Which meant that I got very little sleep because I spent a lot of the night caring for him and dealing with throw up.
On top of that, I was in the middle of my book launch, so I had 10 to 25 extra projects on my plate each day, in addition to my regular responsibilities. My manager Joy was also in town, and we had a packed agenda to get through.
I walked downstairs to my kitchen after waking up, and I found a sink full of dirty dishes and the trash overflowing. In that moment, I felt like there was so much I needed to do and had so many people counting on me.
I felt SO overwhelmed in that moment, and I realized I had a choice to make. I could be discouraged and have a bad attitude all day long, or I could choose to turn my day around.
Here is what I did to turn my day around, and I want to encourage you to try these simple steps next time you're having one of those overwhelming mornings…
1. Ask yourself why.
When I stopped to ask myself why I was overwhelmed and listed off the reasons in my head, it seemed much less overwhelming. It put everything into perspective for me and helped me come back down to reality.
I realized that the three things that were making me feel out of control were my messy kitchen, the bedding that had throw-up on it and needed to be washed, and my unpacked suitcases upstairs in my bedroom.
2. Make a short list.
My husband helped me figure out a few things that I had to get done that morning to feel less overwhelmed. Once I had on paper the few things that I absolutely had to do in order to get my day on track, I felt so much better.
{Speaking of doing things that make you happy, we took our current read-aloud to First Watch last Friday and enjoyed a yummy lunch date with Daddy and a good book. Such a great way to top off the week… You can never go wrong with hot cocoa and lots of whipped cream!!}
3. Do something that makes you happy.
Sometimes we need a "shot of happy". That day, I lit a candle, turned on music that uplifted my spirits, and counted my blessings.
Counting my blessings helps me realize just how much I have to be thankful. Having that spirit of gratitude helped put my heart and mind in the right place for the rest of the day.
4. Jump in and do the next thing.
I knew that the tipping point was my kitchen. So after lighting the candle, turning on music, and counting my blessings, I attacked my kitchen with a vengeance.
Once I did that next thing with a good attitude, my entire perspective was changed for the day. I felt like I had accomplished so much, I felt more at peace, and I felt like I could breathe again.
I realize these are first world problems and pale in comparison to what some of you are going through, but I share this with you to encourage those of you who have overwhelming mornings like this.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Better yet, what do you do to give yourself that instant shot of happy? 
P.S. My chiropractor told me these two oils together are like natural Xanax. And at the end of a really physically exhausting and emotionally stressful few months, I'm all, "Bring on the natural Xanax!" I've been testing them out together for the past few days (putting them on the bottoms of my feet twice a day) and I can truly tell a difference!
Who would have thought I'd be such an oil fanatic?? And here's where you probably expect the sales pitch… Only I don't sell oils. I buy and love multiple brands!
