Have you ever stood looking at a mess and felt so overwhelmed you don’t even know where to start?
We can even be sometimes caught in the overwhelm that the easiest thing is to avoid the entire situation and go sit down.
This is a common issue for many of us, especially now, when the world feels so overwhelming. We have so much in our minds and so when it comes to all the activities we need to do for home or work, it can all just feel too overwhelming.
So what is the number one thing you can do when it all feels overwhelming?
Take everything that is in your head and around you and make a list. In a messy kitchen this is what mine would look like:
- empty the dishwasher
- put dirty dishes in the dishwasher
- wash the pots
- wash the counters
- wipe the table
- sweep the floor
Organizing your thoughts in a list, takes a big job and breaks it into manageable tasks. Then number the list into what you can do first to last. Then you can do one thing at time and this will help you progress towards the goal of a clean kitchen.
I am a big checkmark fan. I like to see checkmarks when things get done. So writing down a list, I can feel that I accomplished something by checking it off.
When it comes to children this is harder for them to do on their own and they often need our help. Children will go into their rooms and see a disaster and will often just move things to the side and find a space to go to bed and ignore the situation.
Teaching your children this strategy helps them be able to do one thing at time.
- pick up all the dirty clothes and put them in a basket
- take all the dirty dishes to the kitchen
- make up your bed
- clean up the books and papers
- throw out any garbage.
Once this becomes a habit, you can use it anytime you have that feeling in your life that you are overwhelmed. Spend five minutes making a list, put it in order of how you want to accomplish it and then check it off as you go.
Want help with learning strategies to help your child, I am always here. Book an appointment at www.enablingadpatations.com.
