Tiny Tweaks, Happy Life: Less Overwhelm, More Grace for Women Seeking Peace and Balanceنموونە

Letting Go of Overwhelm

I was drowning, trying to care for Quincy’s needs, our newly adopted son, while also managing everything else life was throwing at me. I was treading water, gasping for air, and sinking fast. I eventually hit rock bottom after a difficult round of feeding and vomiting. After cleaning up Quincy and putting him in his crib for a nap, I closed his door and fell to my knees in the dark hallway. Tears trickled down my face. Exhausted and burned-out, I desperately wanted to escape from this season, but I was stuck, alone, with no way out.

Even if you haven’t walked this exact road, I’m guessing you’ve had a moment when life felt like too much—whether it was the weight of a burden too heavy to bear, the exhaustion of juggling it all, or simply feeling stuck and unsure of the next step. In that moment for me, I felt paralyzed by overwhelm. I didn’t want this burned-out, drowning, overwhelmed existence. It wasn’t serving me, and it wasn’t serving my family. As tears streamed down my face in the dark hallway, a question popped into my head. It came from Emily P. Freeman’s podcast that I listened to on our frequent trips to doctors’ appointments: “What is the next right thing?”1 Such a simple question, but instantly grounding when overwhelm had me in its grip.

Out of the dark, low moments of my season caring for my new son, I discovered the true power of a tweak. I realized I had an unspoken expectation that I could handle everything the same way I did in a previous season, despite having more responsibilities and less capacity. I was trying to do too much and managing tasks that I didn’t need to tackle alone. One of the first tweaks I made was admitting I needed help—from my husband, family, and friends. When a friend asked, “Can I bring you dinner?” I said yes when I felt like I should say no. When a neighbor noticed our grass was overgrown, they mowed it and I didn’t interfere while I watched from the window, rocking Quincy and feeding him a bottle. When my husband, Scott, offered to do the laundry, I didn’t view it as a slight to my abilities, as I might have before. I realized accepting help doesn’t mean you’ve failed; it means you’re not alone.

Maybe you’ve been in a similar place. Whether you’re navigating a tough season or feeling overwhelmed by juggling the beautiful but demanding aspects of life, you’re not alone. Life can be exhilarating and wonderful, but it can also stretch you to your limits and leave you feeling lost, overwhelmed, and lonely. Though the changes were tiny and nearly imperceptible at first, they guided me from wanting to escape a life I dreaded to embracing a life I loved. Circumstances didn’t change—I did. With each small tweak, I transformed my life and fell in love with it along the way. When life gets hard, our instinct might be to long for someone else’s seemingly perfect life and then want to overhaul everything so our life looks like theirs, but that’s not necessary. You don’t need a complete life transformation to find joy and fulfillment, and that would only leave you feeling more overwhelmed than you are right now. Small tweaks are all it takes to help you appreciate and love the life you’re already living.

Bible Verse Pairing

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." — Matthew 11:28

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”— Philippians 4:6

Reflection

Take a moment to surrender your worries to God. Write down one area where you can release control today.

1. Emily P. Freeman, The Next Right Thing, podcast, accessed August 8, 2024,

https://emilypfreeman.com/podcast/.