Tame Your Runaway Life

September 12, 2024

Life can feel overwhelming, especially after losing a loved one. If you’re feeling like everything is out of control, you’re not alone. Grief can turn even the simplest tasks into mountains. But there are small steps you can take to start regaining control and calm the chaos. Let’s focus on three simple strategies to help you tame your runaway life.

1. Understand How Grief Affects Your Brain

When you’re grieving, it’s normal to feel forgetful, scattered, or emotionally overwhelmed. Grief changes how your brain works, making it harder to focus and get things done. This can leave you feeling “crazy” or out of control—but these feelings are a normal part of the process.

What You Can Do:

Be Kind to Yourself: Recognize that your brain is processing a lot. It’s okay to feel off-balance.
Start Small: Break tasks into tiny steps. Instead of tackling everything at once, focus on one small thing at a time.

2. Simple Time Management Tips

Regaining a sense of control starts with managing your time in a way that feels doable, not overwhelming. Here are a couple of easy techniques:

Set Small Goals:

Pick one small, specific thing to focus on each day. For example, “Today, I’ll tidy one drawer,” or “I’ll make one phone call I’ve been avoiding.”

Organize with Ease:

Focus on what’s most important first. If the task isn’t urgent or meaningful, it can wait. Simplify your to-do list down to just a few key things each day.

3. The Sunday Mastermind: A Weekly Check-In

Take one hour each Sunday to look back on the past week and plan for the next. This isn’t about creating a strict schedule; it’s about giving yourself a simple roadmap to follow.

Steps:

Consider: Think about what went well and what felt tough last week.
Plan: Choose one or two goals for the coming week. Keep it simple and realistic.
Schedule: Block out a little time each day to work on your goals, whether it’s 10 minutes or an hour.

4. Build Tiny Habits with Habit Stacking

One easy way to create new habits is by linking them to things you already do. This method, called “habit stacking,” makes it easier to remember and stick with new routines.

How to Do It:

Choose an Anchor Habit: Pick something you do every day, like making coffee.
Add a Tiny New Habit: After making coffee, take a moment to breathe deeply. Alternatively, write down one thing you’re grateful for.

Example: After brushing your teeth, spend two minutes stretching. It’s a small addition to an existing routine, making it easy to stick with.

Final Thoughts

Taming your runaway life doesn’t have to be complicated. Start small, be kind to yourself, and remember that it’s okay to take one step at a time. Understand how grief affects you. Set small goals. Create simple routines. By doing this, you can start to regain a sense of control. You’re doing better than you think, and every little bit counts.

You can do this, and I’m here to help!

Julie