Feeling Stretched? This Is Your New Reality.

Feeling Stretched?  Feeling like you have no time for anything?  Feeling frazzled and can’t even look beyond now? 

This is your new normal.  This is your new reality.  

How does that make you feel  when I say that?   Let me say it again.  This is your new normal.  This is your new reality.  

When I was in the thick of my caregiving overwhelm, I felt unprepared, stretched, frazzled and exhausted.  I was angry.  I would sit and cry.  I felt hopeless and even thought that there was something wrong with me.  I didn’t want to admit my new reality.  For some reason I thought this was a temporary thing. 

I was missing deadlines at work.  Couldn’t focus.   I make mistakes on my finances and my Mom’s finances.  I would lose my phone and my keys.   Any extra time I had, I would sit lifeless and just scroll social media or sleep.  

I was thinking,  am I getting dementia.  I lost control.   

The Reality is……..

Your life is now different.  Your schedule has changed.  Your responsibilities have changes.  

Raise your hand if you need to rethink your routine, schedule and mindset?  

My breakthrough was when I realized that I couldn’t just let this new normal control me.  I had to take the reins and control it.  

Life is valuable.  Your time is valuable.  Your health is valuable.  Your passions are valuable.  Your loved one is important to you.  Your friends and social life are important 

I told myself, I had it in me to figure it out.  I had to think like the manager of my life.  Think about the coach telling that player, I need you to play QB.   We need you.  Your mind might say - I never played that position before.  I don’t know the plays.   Well, what would you do?

Same goes for you.  Take control of your caregiver role and everything else in your life.  

If I came to your home right now and looked at your schedule, what would I see?  

• Are you prepared?  Or are you living reactive?   
• A fixed mindset lives reactive, no plan and stops believing and hoping.  They are just handling the problems and complaining.

What can you do to improve your situation?  

• Reading, researching, learning, podcasts, digital courses
• Growth Mindset - what am I growing into?  How can I make the most of this new reality?  What must I learn from myself, from others?  How will I learn it?

Take the action

• Put time on your calendar - when will you do the steps
• Take time to assess your situation and then readjust and pivot until it works for you.  
• Accept that you will fail and learn from it
• Accept that your way will not always be ways everyone will see as it 
• Realize you can’t do it all - ask for help or release the things that are not priority

Life is valuable and you only have so much time on this earth.  So filling your cup with a positive mindset, a growth mindset, the gift of time, joy and less frazzle and overwhelm.   It won’t be easy but I know you can find it.