These simple shifts are a reminder that you don’t have to change your entire life to begin to enjoy it. It’s almost always the simple shifts and tiny steps that bring us closer to the life we actually want to live.
You may be feeling overwhelmed, or worn out, sad or disappointed. No matter what you are struggling with, you deserve a little joy, a dash of peace and. Actually, even if you are feeling pretty good, a little more joy can’t hurt.
7 Simple Shifts to Trade Overwhelm for Joy
If these simple shifts don’t feel small or simple enough, check in and ask yourself what you need most to reduce overwhelm, and feel more at ease. What’s the tiniest step you could take to feel better. Use the suggestions below or create your own simple shifts.
1. Try a daily time-out.
Productivity culture invites us to squeeze everything in at any cost. Instead, make a simple shift by scheduling a daily time-out. Remove any non-essential appointments or commitments from your calendar so you have a little extra room for you. It might be five minutes if that’s all you have or a full hour to take a nap, read a book, go for walk, talk to a friend, be alone or however you want to spend your time-out. Little daily breaks will help you move through the day knowing that you don’t have to wait until it’s over to rest and relax. Choose a time-out over burnout.
2. Don’t fill all the space on your calendar.
When someone cancels an appointment with you, don’t add something else. Consider this time a gift from the universe or the planning gods. You have a free hour and you can do whatever you want with it. If you like that feeling of a full hour with nothing planned, start blocking out time on your calendar for nothing to do. Then do what you want.
3. Disconnect to better connect.
Make a simple shift away from your phone, away from the news and out of your inbox. Disconnect from as much noise as possible so you can better connect with yourself and the people around you. It’s hard to be present when you are plugged into a conversation happening in the comments section of a social media account about something you aren’t really sure if you care about at all. Before you open email or social media ask yourself, “Do I care?” and “Is this urgent?” When the answer is, “no,” come back and show up for your life.
4. Trade cocktails for mocktails.
When I stopped drinking more than six years ago, I wondered if the vacations or holidays would be as fun as they were with a little bubbly. As it turns out, I enjoy myself even drinking sparkling water. I never have a holiday hangover, stay out too late or feel rundown from those festive drinks. I especially love that I don’t have to make any drinking related decisions when everything already feels like a little too much. No questions about what to drink, how much to drink or who’s driving. It’s just off the table. Even if you don’t want to give up drinking forever, consider what it might be like to go without it for the rest of the month or year. You’ll won’t just save money but you will likely avoid a few headaches, sleepless nights and a little drama too.
5. Shop your home before you shop the world.
The sales are not going to stop. Retailers will do whatever it takes to remove the friction between you adding to cart and clicking the buy button. Make a simple shift from extra shopping to no shopping. Start a mini-shopping ban by shopping your home before you shop the world. It can be so tempting to overspend and shop when you are feeling down. Instead, shop your home first. Could you re-gift a book or beautiful flower vase full of fresh flowers? Maybe you find a new outfit in the back of your closet to wear instead of buying something new. Be gentle with yourself and take a little shopping trip around your house, or decide that for today, enough is enough.
6. Enjoy a simple pleasure.
Give yourself some joy every single day with a simple pleasure. Make a simple shift from rewarding yourself with a simple pleasure to putting joy first. Your simple pleasure might be coffee in bed, a nice walk, chatting with a friend, listening to your favorite music or creating a simple ritual. Don’t save your simple pleasure as a reward for completing your to-do list. You do not have to earn it. You are allowed a simple pleasure when you are having a good day or a bad one. These simple pleasures are usually small, inexpensive and easy to get started. Taking care of yourself and doing little things that make you smile will certainly fill your day with more peace and ease.
7. Shift from complaining to complimenting.
When you notice yourself complaining about something or someone (even yourself), shift to a compliment. This is especially helpful when you are complaining about something that you can’t change (which is what we mostly complain about). You could try this by writing down your complaints and compliments, think them to yourself or say them out loud.
Play around with these 7 simple shifts. Incorporate the ones that bring you joy into your every day routine. Use them as a reminder that trading overwhelm for joy often happens, not with a big stressful change but instead a simple shift.
