Rattled. That’s the best way I can describe it. I felt my heart beating in my chest as I raced from one task to another trying to keep up with the pressure to perform without missing a beat. There were a lot of people depending on me.

It’s a familiar and extremely uncomfortable place. Exhausted. I sat there questioning how I could calm down so I could focus, but I felt as if there was no time to do so. My heart was beating deep within my chest and could be felt all the way up to my head. Things needed to get done regardless of how I felt on the inside. Power through.

To be honest, I was mad at myself for allowing this stress to overwhelm me. It only made things worse. Dizzy. My head began to spin for a moment, and my vision became blurred. As I regained focus, I felt myself smirk.

It was in this dizziness, that my body got my attention and woke me up. I knew I had to get a grip, but how? Frustrated.

I have been practicing mindfulness, meditation, locking into a growth mindset, and yet, it seemed that those tools weren’t helping me. Truth be told, I hadn’t been practicing quite as much because I was struggling to keep up with my responsibilities. I was mentally, physically, emotionally, and perhaps even spiritually exhausted. I should have taken better care of myself knowing that I need that even more self-care during demanding times.

Mind racing. Blaming. I caught my thoughts beginning to spin again. Judging myself wasn’t helping anything.

Disconnected. Amidst the pressurized pace, I understood I was overstimulated and disconnected from my center. With an uncomfortable awareness, I knew I had work to do. I had to calm my nerves and reconnect with my inner stillness.

And, so I began focusing less on doing and more on resting, grounding, and trusting. This process included a combination of the following over the course of a few days:

• Get more than enough sleep
• Have quiet, alone time without disruption
• Rest my body (including trying to not overdo my workouts)
• Eat and drink healthy
• Avoid news or any media that would get into my head or evoke low vibrating emotions
• Take a technology break whenever possible
• Practice grounding through meditation or even just sitting outside
• Working with mindful affirmations

As I refocused on my wellbeing, I began to reconnect in that ideal space of assurance and centered once more. Buddha called this ideal place of balance “the middle way.” Not too high, not too low. Not too tight, not too soft. Not too worried, not too indifferent. You get the point.

Feeling rattled in an important moment? Close your eyes and inhale counting to four, exhale counting to four. Do this a couple of times. Next, follow your breath as it moves through your entire body as if your breath were a line moving straight up and down your body. With each breath, imagine the line balancing everything out, guiding you to a place of inner calm and security. Continue breathing following the line, feeling more balanced, more relaxed. Connecting to that place of steadiness within you. Next, visualize yourself getting the job done and things going well. Finally, slowly open your eyes and focus on coming back into the present moment, centered and trusting.

Keys to the game:

• Know thyself. What cues does your body give you when you need a break?
• Track your self-care. Keep a self-care log for two weeks. Try to do one thing each day to help you relax. Write down the activity and how you felt each day. Note anything else that you observe.
• Take breaks before you break. How and when can you take breaks throughout the day to check in with yourself?
• Tackle one thing at a time. It’s been said that multitasking is impossible. Limit distractions and focus.
• Remove the pressure. Sometimes, we all have too much on our plates. Make a list of what’s on yours. What can you get rid of? For the rest, rank them by priority and take action accordingly. What really needs to get done and what can wait?

Could you use support managing your schedule, responsibilities, and self-care? Join a one-on-one VIP coaching program with me so you can get back in control of your inner game.