A little more room to breathe
Over the years, I've noticed something interesting about overwhelm. I wonder whether you relate to this also?
When life feels busy, our first instinct is often to look for a solution.
A new planner.
A new routine.
A new course.
A new app.
A new system that promises to help us get everything under control!
And while there's nothing wrong with any of those things, I've come to realise that sometimes we're looking for a way to manage the overwhelm instead of questioning what created it in the first place.
Why do we do that?
Because finding something new feels productive. It gives us the feeling that we're actively solving the problem, and for a little while, we feel hopeful. We feel motivated. We feel in control.
It's almost as though we're searching for a solution to our overwhelm instead of looking within and acknowledging that perhaps we've overcommitted, are overthinking things, or are simply moving through a particularly full season of life.
So, sometimes, what we're really doing is avoiding a much harder question:
What no longer needs my attention right now?
That's the question I've been asking myself lately. Not because I want to do less, and not because I don't care about the things on my list. It's because every commitment, every unfinished project, every obligation, and every expectation takes up a little space in our minds.
Eventually, all those little things add up.
They leave:
Less room for creativity.
Less room for rest.
Less room for joy.
Less room for the things that matter most.
One simple exercise I've been using recently is to divide a piece of paper into three columns:
Must do
Nice to do
Can wait!
Then I write down everything that's currently taking up space in my mind and place each item into one of those columns.
The interesting thing is that many of the things causing the most stress and overwhelm don't actually belong in the 'Must do' column at all.
Yes, they are important. Yes, they matter - but they don't necessarily need my attention today.
Creating space doesn't always require a major life overhaul. Sometimes it starts with a single decision.
One commitment removed.
One project paused.
One expectation released.
One drawer cleared.
One afternoon protected.
Small changes can create remarkable breathing room, and often, that breathing room is exactly what we need to move forward with greater clarity and calm. So…
Take a breath.
Grab a piece of paper.
Give the exercise a try.
You might just discover that what you need isn't another solution.
It's a little more room to breathe…
Naomi xo
PS: - Want a tool to help you press pause more intentionally?
I created Slow Down to Start Living — a printable, 24-page guide with 10 simple mindset resets to help you step out of overwhelm and reconnect with what matters.
No pressure. Just space to breathe again.
