Overwhelming or Overindulging: Two Sides of the Same Coin

I’ll be honest – my morning rituals have taken a hit lately. The grounding practices that usually set the tone for my day somehow slipped through the cracks.   

But I’m recommitting! Because I know how much better I lead, think, and show up when I start the day with intention.  

For me, that means 20 minutes of journaling, 30 minutes of reading, and 10 quiet minutes of communing with my coffee and listening to music. These are simple, but powerful practices.  

It’s so easy to ignore this scheduled “me time” due to feeling like you're behind. But acting from a mindset of scarcity snowballs. Feeling overwhelmed causes you to not think through your ideas as thoroughly. You get a little snippy with your staff because you “just don’t have the time to deal with that right now”. And you're just plain tired throughout the day.  

On the flip side, there is such a thing as overindulgence. Your me time has to be intentional. It’s just as easy for that coffee and music time to turn into, "Oh, but I’ll just have one more cup and one more song”. Without intention, your day becomes laissez-faire. You miss deadlines you previously committed to. You don't think through your ideas as thoroughly – instead of feeling overwhelmed, you’re feeling like you’re vaguely not in the right headspace. And everything just feels like a chore that you have to slog through molasses to complete.   

When I'm on my game and committed to making my planned morning routine happen, it transforms my day. I’m energized both physically and mentally. Excited and prepared to take on the rest of my schedule and the curveballs the day throws at me. My mood is better, and everything just feels easier.  

If you’ve fallen off your own routine, consider this your gentle nudge: it’s never too late to begin again! 

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