when things get messy, simplify
Our lives are already complicated. Add to that, economic downturns, job losses, health crises and other personal and professional challenges, and things can easily get out of hand and overpower us.
The best thing you can do for yourself when life gets incredibly messy and difficult to navigate is: Simplify, simplify, simplify. There’s absolutely no point in overwhelming yourself with the complexities of life during any time of uncertainty; you make life even more challenging for yourself and the people around you.
Just take it easy, take it simple, and stick to the basics. Make a list of a few important tasks that you need to accomplish today. Focus on everyday activities and keep your disciplines intact. Wake up on time, take regular showers, cook healthy yet filling meals, do your job (whatever that entails), meditate, journal, spend time with yourself and/or your family, finish household chores, read a book, listen to an inspirational podcast, take a walk, sleep for a good number of hours.
Don’t overcomplicate things. When uncertainty looms and when you’re in survival mode, unless you anchor yourself with basics and cultivate solid disciplines, you’ll always be at high risk and only a few moments away from getting swept by circumstances into the dark abyss. You definitely don’t want that!
Along with doing the things that need to be done, do the things that stir your soul and help you relax and recharge. Self-care is crucial during times of crisis. Take the pressure off of yourself and just do whatever you can without forcing or judging yourself. The goal is neither to stagnate nor to drown, but to keep going at a steady pace. When you constantly pressurize yourself to push your limits and do more than what’s necessary in already fragile situations, you only add fuel to the fire and make things worse for you.
Tame the over-achiever in you for some time until things get back to normal. You’ll definitely have plenty of opportunities to unleash the hard-worker in you and focus on extraordinary performance. But for now, choose the easy route: go slow and steady, and focus on simplicity and essentialism every single day.
PS: Things have gotten much better all around the world, however the end to the COVID-19 pandemic is still not in sight and many of us are still struggling with fear, anxiety, stress and uncertainty as we continue to go through this crisis. This is the reason I highly encourage you to read my book “Thriving in the New Normal: An Eight-Week Program to Safeguard Your Holistic Health and Help You Grow Through Adversity”.
I am confident this book will be a great resource for you in navigating these challenging and uncertain times. Grab your copy today at your favorite digital store.
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