You know those days when you are so busy that if you receive one more email or phone call your head might explode?

You’re at your max.

Harmony and balance only exist in a far off land and your shoulders are up to your ears.

This happened to me two days ago and I had no one to blame but myself. I could progressively feel myself filling up over the last month, yet I still continued to say yes to everything; I mean everything! Yes, to new clients, new projects, even volunteering. I did all of these things with the best intentions of giving, but only to end up depleted, cranky and saying “I’m so busy” about 20 times a day.

Yesterday my friend asked me to go up to the mountains for a few days for a little eco-therapy—to hike and simply get outside. The thought of not having access to my computer for the six hours it would take to get there made me even more stressed. So guess what I told her?

“I’m too busy.”

When we get to the point where we’re choosing busy verses taking care of ourself, it’s time to stop what we’re doing.

Take a minute to reflect about how you got there, and make note of some things that will help you take better care of yourself.

Here’s a few things I came up with:

1. Stop saying yes to everything. 

Remember, when you say yes to everything, you are saying no to space, and space is where the magic comes into your life. You don’t have to start saying no, just say maybe and give yourself a minute to consciously say yes. A conscious yes leads to alignment with yourself. Blind yeses can lead to heads exploding.

2. Take time to breathe.

Yes, my fellow humans, we have gotten to the point where we have to be reminded to do the simplest things. Literally there are times when my boyfriend comes over to me when I’m on the computer, looks at me for a few minutes and says, “You’re not even breathing!” So let’s all breathe more. Our bodies like it.

3. Stop saying you’re so busy.

If you keep saying it, guess what, you will stay that way. Say things like, “I’m grounded, calm and productive.” It might not be true in the beginning but if you keep saying it, it will be eventually.

And sometimes, rather than contemplating and analyzing everything, it’s just better to stop. Turn off your computer, pack a bag, get in the car and drive to the mountains, knowing that whatever answers or space you need are waiting for you there.

“In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.” ~ John Muir

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Ed: Brianna Bemel