How To Beat Exhaustion And Overwhelm: A Proven Solution

The holiday season is upon us.

Which, however you celebrate, may bring a myriad of emotions for you – anticipation, happiness, and wishes for celebrating, relaxing, and ringing in the new year with family (whether biological or found).

Or it could already be bringing feelings of overwhelm, anticipatory exhaustion, and fear of walking amongst family dynamics landmines.

And perhaps that’s on top of your already feeling overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted, ‘cause you know, it’s been another topsy-turvy year.

Have I got a proven solution for you.

I’ve been trying it for more than a month now and wowza, what a difference it makes. 

Have you ever wondered how some people seem to accomplish so much, and remain grounded no matter what life throws their way?

According to Hal Elrod, the secret lies in your morning routine.

In his bestselling book, The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life Before 8AM, Elrod outlines a simple yet powerful practice to start your day with intention and energy.

I can hear you now.  You’re not a morning person and this will never work.

I’ll let you in on a little secret.  I was not a morning person either. Like really truly. When the alarm went off I’d groggily hit the snooze button multiple times and finally drag my butt out of bed.

So if I can do this (again, for more than a month now) so can you.  I’ve got your back.

What is The Miracle Morning?

Elrod’s method focuses on the first hour of your day, incorporating six activities to set a positive tone. He calls these the “SAVERS”:

1. Silence: Start with meditation, deep breathing, or quiet reflection to center yourself.
2. Affirmations: Saying empowering statements to build confidence and clarity about your goals.
3. Visualization: Where you imagine achieving your dreams and embodying the person you want to become.
4. Exercise: Move your body to energize your mind and improve overall health.
5. Reading: Spend time with inspiring or educational books to stimulate your mind.  
6. Scribing: Journal your thoughts, gratitudes, and ideas to cultivate mindfulness and creativity.

Why Does It Work?

Elrod maintains that starting your day with intention sets the stage for success in every area of life. 

The SAVERS routine takes just an hour and can help you develop discipline, build self-awareness, and supercharge productivity. 

The practice can be tailored to fit any lifestyle, whether you’re a busy parent or a high-powered professional.

The process is flexible.

Some people complete the six steps in just a few minutes, while others prefer to do them at night. Some may even break the steps up throughout the day.

I do the most common method, which is 10 minutes per step for a total of an hour.

Tips to make it work for you, based on my learning

I’ll give you some tips on each of the steps, things that have really helped me stick to the program, but first here are some overall tips.  

The idea is to use our knowledge of good habit creation to remove any and all barriers.

Here we go.

• Have everything ready to go for the morning.  I put my workout clothes on the desk in my bedroom.  The book I’m reading and the journal, yoga matt, meditation stool and more are all ready to go in my living room where I do my practice.
• Use technology to help you.  I use my phone (and a handy stand) to time the segments. See other specific suggestions below.
• Use your specific motivation style to help you stick to the program. For example, one of my best motivators is achievement, so I track the number of times I’ve done the program (28 at the time of writing).
• Create a regular space for your practice and make it welcoming.  I have a candle, and a meditation bowl in mine. 
• Be practical. I open the door to the outside for my practice which can sometimes get chilly, even in Kenya, so I keep a hoodie handy.

While the idea of waking up earlier might initially feel daunting (for me, it felt downright impossible), Elrod’s message is clear: your mornings hold untapped potential. 

And if you’re going the other way and thinking how can only ten minutes of ______ (fill in the blank; meditation, exercise, reading, etc.) make a difference?!

Believe you me. Ten minutes is waaaaay better than zero and the more than a month I’ve done this practice, I’m consistently surprised by the impact it has.

By dedicating time to this practice before the day gets busy, you can become the best version of yourself.  Cheesy but true.

I’ve noticed I’ve become more focused on the goal I’m chasing (which involves you, more information on that later).  

I’m more aware of how I’m feeling, less stressed, more relaxed, and less overwhelmed.

Who doesn’t want that?

Ready to change your mornings and your life? Give The Miracle Morning a try—you might just find it’s the best hour of your day.

Now go on and learn, laugh, and lead

Learn

• Read The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8 AM).

Laugh

• A world without ‘miracles’ is dark indeed. Check out this wonder woman.

P.S.

This is a quick overview of the Miracle Morning. To find out more, including a very helpful chapter on how to actually get your butt out of bed in the morning, be sure to check out the book.

Lead

• Want to learn how to create healthy habits for you and your team?  Contact me for a workshop like this.