Overwhelmed

While this post is late this week, I wanted to keep to my original intent of posting every week.  So, I decided to write about why I am so late writing this post.  It is because I was overwhelmed this weekend.  You would think that retirement would bring carefree days with little or no stress.  However, that is not always the case.  I am in the process of going through the accumulation of over 27 years in our house with a strong commitment to clear out what we really don't need.  What makes this stressful is that I have deadlines to meet.  That is also a good thing, because I can't put it off like I always have in the past.  We are clearing things out, because our son and his family will be moving in with us late in April.  They will use this time to save for a house; we are all excited about spending time together. It's just getting everything done in time that adds stress.

I'm not sure why I was feeling so overwhelmed this weekend.  I think it was a combination of several things. We have all been working at going through things in the basement and have made a lot of progress.  We now need to tackle our storage area.  I think we are tired and needed a break.  I also know that I am tired of winter!  I want tulips and daffodils.  I want to be able to go out without worrying about the ice on the walk or  in parking lots.  While my head knows that we probably only have one more month of real winter, my heart is ready for spring!

I know when I feel so overwhelmed and stressed that I need to revitalize my inner self.  As an introvert, that means that I need to be by myself and feed the inner soul-usually by reading, listening to music, or watching a movie.  Since I wasn't very good company, I chose to lose myself in reading.  I got my Keurig-brewed cup of coffee, grabbed my Kindle and sat in the sunshine spilling through my living room window to read.  I decided to re-read Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series; they always pull me into the story.  After spending some time immersed in the world of Scotland, my reading therapy did  the trick!  Now I am ready to tackle the task at hand.

All of this has made me wonder what other people do when they are feeling overwhelmed or stressed.  I know some turn to exercise or hanging out with other people.  I'd really like to hear what works for you so post a comment if you have a chance.  How do you de-stress?

I hope that you are having a wonderful week filled with love, friends, and hugs.  And as always...

Have you found your joy today?