Overwhelmed

That’s me in a nutshell. Not sure where to start, I find myself sitting here doing nothing… and surprise! I’m hungry.

I’m not really hungry. I’ve just eaten a whole can of Progresso soup. I’m anxious, and procrastinating, and nothing stimulates my urges to eat more. If I can just get myself up and moving, I can probably get a lot done and not wind up surrounded by a pile of candy wrappers.

When I feel completely overwhelmed, there’s one place I know I can turn to: Flylady. Over the past five years or so she has been a godsend to me. She helped me learn to declutter and let go of things; to limit the clutter that I buy; and most importantly, teach me the importance of routines. While I’m certainly not the perfect housekeeper, things don’t get as bad as they used to because of many of the tips and advice she gives. And we all know how the concept of routines has been the foundation of my weight loss.

So I went to her website and quickly found the page dedicated to moving. There are lots of tips there, but the basic thing is one of her main tenets: BABY STEPS. Give yourself small goals – pack five boxes a day, for instance – and before you know it the job’s done. Again, another concept I’ve adopted for weight loss.

I always find a sense of relief when I am reminded that it doesn’t have to be “all or nothing” – I don’t have to pack the entire house or lose 90 pounds in one day. It’s each little step we take that adds up to the finished task. My perfectionist streak runs wild at times, and it’s nice to be told that I just need to do the best I can do that day. There’s no point in worrying about what I got done yesterday or what I need to get done tomorrow.

Living in the moment is such an important thing, and one I have trouble with. I do tend to dwell on the past, or else I’m fretting or daydreaming about the future. But focusing on today? Not an easy thing for me.

So I guess it’s time for me to wrap this up and get to work. Five boxes? I think I can handle that. And hopefully that will distract me from the gnawing going on in my stomach.