What to Do When You're Feeling "Behind"

I have caught myself thinking "I'm so behind with everything" these past few days. My apartment needs a clean up, I need to wash my tights for work, and paper work letters are piling up on my desk. It may feel overwhelming to have an endless to do list (whether on your phone, on a piece of paper, or even just in your head) that makes you feel like you’re not doing enough and you’re being inefficient.

You are not your to do list

While I used to struggle with these thoughts of constantly being “behind” and having to do “more” all the time, I have learned over the years that I am not my to do list, and my worth isn't related to how much work I can get done in a day, whether my apartment is perfectly clean, or there are no bills on my desk.

Here are 4 things I'm learning to turn the feelings of being "behind" into being kind to myself through the process and reminding myself that I am just fine - without having to fill every empty time slot in my calendar with to dos (that I don't really want to do anyway!):

1 - I come first

My body, my emotional peace, and my mental sanity are more important than anything else. Making sure I sleep enough (I know, broken record, but always my key lesson through every struggle!), eat well, drink enough water, take care of my skin, move my body, and spend time outside have become non-negotiable. When I feel recharged and great in my body, only then can I effectively take care of all other things in my life.

Filling your own cup first is essential. It’s not selfish.

2 - I can only do one thing at a time (hint: multitasking doesn’t work!)

I used to believe that all women were able to multitask and do several things effectively at once (watch this video for more on this topic!). However, at some point, I had to realize that this actually doesn’t work at all and just makes me feel more scattered, and overwhelmed. So I started doing one thing after the other, and it’s honestly been a blessing.

Doing one thing at a time is an art (trust me!). It is essential to take one step at a time and not rush yourself.

3 - I am in charge of my schedule

I keep catching myself how I overschedule my calendar at times. And when I take a step back, I ask myself questions like:

Is this really important / relevant right now, or can I do it later?
What is my no. 1 priority this week?
If there was only one thing I could get done, what would it be?

It helps to put things into perspective and take wise decisions. Often, we are the ones who put the pressure on us to get it all done basically yesterday. If you feel behind, because you have overscheduled yourself, take a look at your calendar and change your schedule.

White space in your calendar tend to get filled automatically. Make sure to keep some empty to give you time to breathe.

4 - Follow the joy

Sometimes, we tend to become robot-like machines, and we forget or ignore that we actually have a heart that feels, or would at least love to be heard. When you fall into a working-hard-to-catch-up kind of mode, remember to ask yourself this:

What would excite me?

It puts things into perspective and helps you stay present in the moment. We live right now, and we are allowed to enjoy life now - not just when you are up to date with your 358 to dos!

Hoping these serve you and help you release some of the pressure you're putting on yourself! Which one of these 4 resonated the most with you? Let me know in the comments!

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