In my 20's I needed to move house and a lot of other things were going on, all at the same time.
I went to see my counsellor as I felt overwhelmed that I felt so stressed with everything I was faced with. My counsellor gave me this amazing insight. She said, "Remember Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, shelter is number 2 on that list. So if you're stressed about moving house, and not being sure about where you're going to be living, of course you are stressed".
This was game-changing, it was permission to feel stressed.
So if you're stressed, I want to say, there's probably a good reason.
I want to say this because I know you're driven, I know you have goals and a big full life.
I also know that you give so much and sometimes that leaves you feeling overwhelmed.
So I want to ask you, have you ever said to yourself:
"Why am I so stressed?”
Or have you ever been frustrated at yourself or felt bad for feeling stressed?
Maybe that voice has been external? Has someone else said to you:
"You need to calm down"
Or
“Why are you so stressed”
Or
“You're always so stressed”
I am here to give you permission to feel this stress. To be this stressed.
Because I know damn well there's probably a good reason for it.
And, I am sending you compassion, and I want you to send yourself some compassion too.
I know you try so hard, and I know you're exhausted at times. I know that you put way too much pressure on yourself and you don't need to feel bad for feeling stressed on top of it all.
So if you want to know how to stop putting pressure on yourself, you can do this little exercise.
Write down all the things that are making you stressed right now…
And at the end of that, take a look at that LONG list.
And send yourself compassion, look at everything you've got going on.
Acknowledge that your stress is real. It's nothing to feel bad about. So I want to give you permission, not to fight it.
And yes, I know that the end goal is to reduce the amount of stress you're under and that you're feeling, and I'm here to support you in that.
But I also know that permission is one of the biggest things you need in overcoming overwhelm, the permission to feel stressed sometimes.
There's probably a reason you're stressed. There will always be external stressors in our lives or something that triggers a stress response in you.
The key is to understand the source and give yourself grace and acceptance first to then be able to move through it.
Feeling stressed about being stressed is not the solution. It won't untie you from it.
So today, if you're in the midst of it, there's nothing to change or force, just notice and ask yourself What do I need today to support me in this stress?
Love Louise xx
And when you're in a place to implement some stress relief tools, get your FREE GUIDE - 5 instant stress relievers to stop feeling so exhausted. You can start shifting that dial to feeling more joy and freedom. Get your free guide here.
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