School Leaders, honestly, I didn’t want to go to work. Undeniably, my morning was dreadful, including being grumpy pants with everyone in my home. I was running late and felt anxious about the day’s requirements. Sadly, the prevailing feeling was, “Stop the train, I want to get off.” I needed to overcome overwhelm.

Previously, I had learned during my life breakdown, which I write about extensively in my book, to keep putting one foot in front of the other. My mantra in those days was,

“Get up, dress up, and show up.”

So, moving forward wasn’t foreign. But, on this particular morning, I definitely wasn’t happy about it.

Have you ever felt that resistant, drowning, anxious feeling at the start of the day?

Please tell me I’m not the only one.

I’ve had countless moments of overwhelm in the last 15 years of EdLeadership.

Amidst my overwhelm, I learned this transformative practice …

Lean Into Community.

Surprisingly quickly, my negativity bias, overwhelm, and anxiety is disarmed when I lean into our team. For example, this is how it unfolded that morning…

• colleagues’ morning greetings,
• our 10min team huddle,
• the Kindergarteners skipping through the front door,
• the chitchat at the refrigerator in the staff room,
• and then the school-wide morning announcements.

More often than not, by the time I offered my daily morning encouragement of “Learn Forward” over the P.A. system, I couldn’t remember my overwhelm in the first place.

These simple rituals of connecting up with each other each day form the basis of our attachments.

We can also get curious, ask questions, ask for help, and just simply share challenges authentically.

Truly, our community strengthens us for the work ahead.

Together, we overcome overwhelm and move forward remembering…

We’ll go together.

What are the practices helping you move through ‘overwhelm?’

In addition, here are some more practices in my repertoire:

• sleep hygiene
• journaling
• gratitude practice
• exercise and yoga
• good nutrition
• ‘talking it through’ with a confidante
  • coach, mentor, therapist, partner
• daily and weekly planning rituals
• leaning into my mastermind community

One practice that I’m cultivating is a breath and meditation practice. I have logged thousands of yoga and meditation sessions. However, recently, I have not been practicing as consistently. I’m hoping to weave that back into my repertoire this year.

I’ll get back to you about how it’s going…

Leadership begins with self-leadership.

If I can serve you in any practical and meaningful way, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at karine@learnforward.ca.

Designing thriving schools,

Karine Veldhoen

P.S. Need more, everyone in our village will receive a free gift supporting your management of overwhelm. Subscribe today. Let’s go together.