What to do when you feel overwhelmed | 5 simple ways to beat burnout

With the end of the year approaching, things seem to feel a little bit more chaotic than usual. As much as I love the smell of Christmas candles, the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree and picking out an outfit for New Years Eve, Planning out holiday travel, holiday decorating, who is bringing what, what to get who and making time in your schedule for work, random things to get done and self care, too. I honestly get exhausted just thinking about it.

So, I thought I would share some of the ways that I stay calm and blissful during the hectic season while also keeping on track with my wellness, healthy habits, mindset and self-care. Because being overwhelmed is so not the vibe.

I’m big on the art of being more and doing less. I’ve learned my lessons on being overworked and underpaid, burnt out and betrayed, stressed and settling for less. None of that was ever serving me, so I made a promise to myself that I will never go against my inherent feminine energy or my divine self again.

I have an entire course on Secrets of the Divine Feminine that will teach you everything I have transformed within myself that led me to unlearning all the behaviors that were my betraying myself.

3 things to do this season to keep you from burn ouT + overwhelm

1. Get yourself a timer and use the Pomodoro technique.

   The idea is that you give yourself a task to do and set a timer for 25 minutes. After the timer goes off, give yourself a 5 minute break. I got the cutest little pink strawberry timer to help me with this and it just makes it more girlie and fun. It romanticizes the entire experience for me.

   So, if I am going to de-clutter a drawer or go through my mail, a task I don’t especially love doing, I’ll set a timer for 25 minutes and it helps the task seem less daunting to me. This way I can stay focused for the entire 25 minutes because I know I have a break coming.

   Honestly, this whole system is life changing. I do this while working out too. On days I don’t really feel like working out, setting a timer for 25 minutes helps me stay consistent.

   You can also use this while doing something mindless, like scrolling on Pinterest or social media. Set a timer so you can stay on track with all of the projects you have going on and at the same time allow yourself to enjoy a little bit of fun.

2. Get yourself a notebook and make some lists.

   I’m not even a Virgo but there is something about lists that just soothes my soul. The way I feel after I cross something off. There’s just nothing like it.

   I’ve loved having a bullet journal for this very reason, lists help me keep my mind at ease. Knowing that I have everything written down categorically makes me feel at ease.

   I make lists for everything and I mean absolutely everything….

   Books I want to read | Things to do this week | Appointments I need to make | Things I need for the kitchen | Recipes I want to try | Restaurants to check out | Christmas gifts | Things Roman needs | Podcast ideas | Ideas for blog posts ….

   You get the idea. So, grab a notebook and at the top of the page, make a list category and do a mind dump and write out everything you need in that category. Then, go to the next page and create a new category. I’m not kidding when I tell you that this activity is a Sunday ritual I swear by and if I don’t do my lists every few days, if not everyday, I can’t function properly.

3. Create a solid set of rituals + stick to them.

   I have no idea where I would be if I didn’t have my set rituals throughout the day that keep me on track. And honestly, I can tell the difference in my overall mindset and body health when I am not consistent with my rituals.

   The morning routine. You really want a solid morning ritual/routine that works for you to be able to keep it up consistently. There’s no point in forcing yourself to wake up at 5 am if you aren’t going to stick with it. So, you have to be honest with yourself.

   But I highly recommend creating something that feels doable and makes you feel good. When I am consistent with my rituals/routines, oh my god I just feel so so good. I feel a sense of control over things which helps me to feel calm when everything else is out of whack.

   One example is my morning routine. It’s a ritual. I wake up, brush my teeth, make my bed and then go to make my coffee/water so I can spend some time in my journal. I do this every single morning. It grounds me and makes me feel really calm.

   Another is my evening routine. I make myself a hot water with magnesium, take a bubble bath, get in my pjs, light my essential oil diffuser and get ready for sleep.

   Whatever you want to do that feels good to you, just make sure you incorporate things that nourish you and leave you feeling cared for and supported.

To dive deeper into this topic, be sure to listen to this episode on Blissfully Ambitious podcast.

10 things that brought me bliss this week...

Can I just say…..I miss writing blog posts. Like, a lot.

I’ve been blogging for well over 14 years. And I think for about 8-10 of those years, I woke up every single morning and wrote a blog post or two. Ever since I started my podcast, I just don’t blog as much as I did. I pour my heart into my podcast and sometimes it feels like I don’t have much left for blogging. But my heart has always had a very strong love for the written word.

However, there is one thing podcasting can’t do and that is create a visual representation of the things that truly inspire me. So I decided to bring back one of my favorite blog columns, 10 things that rocked my world this week…but with a more elevated twist. So, here you have it, 10 things that brought me bliss!

1. My favorite little hidden massage spa, Blossom Massage, revamped their entryway. I love the combo of pink and green, the plants and the hanging chairs just make such a sweet little touch. Everyone that I have seen there is great but I especially love Karina! If you are in the Houston area, I highly recommend.

2. I’ve gotten back in the swing of deep daily journaling again even before I get out of bed and I just have to tell you…what you learn about yourself when you allow yourself to just dump out everything in your mind is incredible. I’ve experienced a lot of personal growth in the past few weeks and it honestly just feels really good. My latest podcast episode 225. 3 tips for staying grounded in your feminine energy for the holidays, will really help you understand where I am coming from.

3. I just love this photo from one of the girls in my community, the House of Bliss, Manifest Bliss Membership. This is a shot of some of the workbooks she has worked on. We just did an End of the Year Reflection 2022 workshop that was incredible. All of the workshops are available for replay inside, join here and take this workshop so you can join us in what we are creating for 2023.

4. I upgraded my coffee experience and joined the Nespresso bandwagon. Literally, it has put a whole new spin on my mornings. I went with the Nespresso Vertuo Next coffee + espresso machine and I am obsessed. I wanted the white one to go with my SMEG tea kettle and they both looks so glamorous against my mirrored backsplash.

Out of all of the coffees/espressos I have tried, I love the Melozio the best. It’s like a medium strength, it makes a full cup and I feel like my energy has been the best with that one. Also, they are 7.77 oz. You know I always love an angel number.

5. I don’t know what it is but I just am craving everything around me that I see in green. All the different shades of green have been so beautiful these days. I stopped into HomeGoods to see if I could find some ornaments for my tree and ended up coming home with a basket full of green things to put around the house and honestly, I couldn’t be happier.

6. I especially love the shade of green in these pillows. It is just a vibe. It kind of brings my entire art wall and pillow combo together. Now, I’ve seriously been considering that it may be time for a new sofa. As much as I love this sofa, I am so over the color gray. I just want all white everything right now. So, I am on the hunt for the perfect sofa.

I found this white boucle chair I am in love with and I think I may want something like this to match the sofa.

7. And here is the tree. I just love her so much. Last year, I kept her up through March and decorated for several different seasons. She is the perfect size for a smaller home and because she is only 6 foot, pencil pre-lit tree, it adds just the right amount of glow when the nights get dark much sooner than I like.

I went with a rattan drum base instead of a tree skirt because I think it looks more chic and minimal. I also got this adorable blinking star that Roman just loves.

8. Over the weekend we went to a new sushi spot called, Aiko. The entire place was decked out in the most beautiful shades of green and to me, the ambiance is everything. The sushi was also incredibly delicious, I can’t stop thinking about the spicy tuna handroll ( I ordered three! ) Definitely on my list for best sushi spots in Houston.

9. I just love when I get photos from you girls and how you are using your Daily Bliss Journal. Literally, journaling will change your life when you get into the habit and this journal is designed to help you do just that. Even if you don’t know what to journal, this one will help guide you.

10. This excerpt from a book I am reading really just left me speechless this week. A perfect way to soothe a worrying mind…..”i’m okay and since most of my fears are never realized, I’m not wasting another moment worrying about this.”

Hope this helps you to move through and navigate and otherwise usually stressful holiday season so you can be grounded and keep your inner peace.

Love you,

Ashlina