Our coaching question of the week comes from a member of the Metabolic Renewal Facebook group, who we will call Shelly for the purposes of this post! Are you feeling like Shelly, struggling with mental clarity due to feeling overwhelmed by the many demands of your life?

“Hello, all! I’m struggling. I’m so overwhelmed with life. I can’t seem to get my head together enough to be consistent. I feel like I’m “trapped” and my mind is so scattered! I can’t seem to get an implementation plan together to be able to remember to do this, that or the other while juggling work, our farm and the demands of motherhood (3 girls). 

I feel like I’ve burnt the candle at both ends for so long that I can’t find the mental space to implement any goals. I just feel stuck – like I know I need to cross that bridge to get mental clarity but can’t find the mental clarity to cross that bridge. Does this make sense?

I feel like I need a “jump-start” baby step by baby step plan to implement one piece at a time to get my head together enough to add more layers and keep consistent. Any suggestions? 

Signed, an overwhelmed, tapped-out momma.”

Shelly, we are here to help with reframing the daily challenges of life while implementing small steps to with the goal of changing your health for the better! Although changing your mindset may take time, and life may always leave you feeling a bit scattered between your farm, the demands of motherhood, and your daily work schedule, we work with clients who lead super busy and stressful lives all the time! Often even super small, or even microscopic steps, can lead to noticeable and amazing changes over time!

First, let me say kudos to you for thinking of ways to improve your health while leading a super busy life. I’d also like to acknowledge that maternal burnout is a very real thing, characterized by living in a chronic state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. As a result of this exhaustion, energetic resources for activities of daily living can be a real challenge. Add to that the mental and physical energy required for workouts and healthy meal preparation, and it is no wonder you are feeling overwhelmed and tapped out. 

It’s great, Shelly, that you recognize the importance of small steps, or as you say “baby steps”, as being a way to build momentum as you work towards your goals. You are one step ahead already by having an understanding that tiny actions can lead to significant results. Tiny actions can absolutely help you to keep your SHMEC in check while also allowing you to see results in the way your body looks and feels.

According to Dr. Jade, the metabolism is one big stress barometer. It seems to me that your scattered mind can be causing more internal stress on your system. Working on the baby steps that help you to feel more centred mentally may also make the implementation of any of your goals feel slightly easier. I would question what your definition of a “jump start” is or would involve, but maybe thinking about “easy” lifestyle modifications would be the best place to start.

Why? Easy may be the very thing you need to feel like your goals are specific and realistic enough for you to tackle them daily, and once you’ve tackled things that seem easy, layering on more difficult goals may not feel quite as stressful.

Given that you are experiencing a lack of mental clarity, let me share 3 tips that may help you to dial in your focus, get the ball rolling with consistent baby steps, and improve your level of confidence by building in additional layers when you feel ready! 

1. Embrace the value of  rest, recovery, and reflection! My clients struggle with this so often, and I’m always reminding them of how important “rest-based” living is. Don’t underestimate how important these things are towards a fulfilling, happy, and successful life. Life without downtime and proper rest causes your battery to drain and soon you are running on empty. When you are running on empty you are more likely to struggle to meet any goals, so embrace the value of rest and recovery to help you recharge your battery and meet your goals with a higher percentage of achievement. Plus rest, recovery, and reflection is easy on your metabolic system and allows you to stay in lower stress mode.
2. Keep focusing on those small steps! Tiny actions can help break us free from the cycle of procrastination, which often leaves people feeling stuck. Most people would agree that getting started is the hardest part of taking action – even if getting started involves a small step. Five minutes spent on a simple task can lead to five extra minutes spent on more challenging things. Even if you only spend 5 minutes working on a simple goal or task, those five minutes can leave you feeling inspired and energized. Embrace the small blocks of time that you can use for yourself and help to move you closer to feeling better or performing at a higher level. 
3. Rather than viewing a slip-up or missing the mark “failure”, reframe and shift your perspective to thinking of this as an opportunity to learn. If you are a bit of a perfectionist, you may see 80 or 90% goal achievement as a poor success rate and feel discouraged without giving yourself a pat on the back for the days that went well. 80 or 90% is still pretty darn good! Remember that for you, “crossing the bridge” may take super small, yet super consistent steps, but those things can help you to get to the other side of overwhelm while enhancing your mental clarity. I’d encourage you to remember this if your “jumpstart” involves some goals that may need tweaking or modifications along the way.

I hope these helps are helpful, Shelly! Be sure to give yourself some grace and compassion as you work towards becoming a healthier version of yourself. And don’t forget that small steps can add up to some really fantastic changes with consistent practice. Let us know what you think about our tips!

Photo by Jake Hills on Unsplash