tanyapmc

I am feeling overwhelmed. Here is a list of what I am doing.

1. Staying clean/sober

2. Meeting everyday

3. Sponsoring 2 girls

4. I am the GSR (group service rep) for my homegroup.

5. Go to woman's halfway house twice a week

6. School starts this week- Tues and Thurs.

7. Next week I start an (unpaid) internship- 20 hours a week

8. I am married

9. Starting therapy on Thursday to deal with family of origin crap

10. I am on a diet and going to weight watcher 1 x week

I just needed this written down. No wonder I am overwhelmed. I haven't worked in 7 years. May be unpaid, but still is work.

I get depressed when I am overwhelmed.

I am trying to figure out what I can take out of my life.

Any suggestions?

Done_With_It

What about the way you have it arranged? Can you arrange it better?

I don't know how you have it arranged but sometimes when I get overloaded
I find if I arrange things differently it helps, does that make sense.
Do things like the meetings on same days instead of scattered throughout the
weekend, etc.

Or you could mark them from 1-10 most important to least important, and then go
from there?

yearofthesnake

Hello, well it's a little hard to say because I don't know which is of the greatest importance to you. I would suggest mabey taking out the once a week weight watchers. You have so many things in your schedule. What about the halfway house? Can someone else lend you a hand with that until you things calm down a little for you? You really do need to cut a few things out though! I can just imagine how much your world is spinning! So just really think about this list. The ones that you can cut out of your life for while without feeling too bad about yourself are the ones that need to go. You can always pick the pieces back up when things calm down. Remember.....YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU TOO!

Best of luck to you!

Anna

Wow!

No wonder you are overwhelmed!

That is a lot to take on. Personally, when I started in recovery, I had to see what was important to me and I knew I had to put a priority on time to just chill. I need that.

What do you feel like you put on hold, for awhile at least? I don't have any answers, but I hope you can make your life a bit more manageable.

Done_With_It

BTW, I love your signature. Did you know our brains will ignore or skip over things, words, etc. that is of no interest to us, but it will almost always see our own name or a smiley face? That is not true if it's a sad face only a smiley face. True fact! 8

bonsai12

From the looks of your list God has work for you and I know for myself God never gives me more than I can handle. I'm proud what you’re doing; wow you’re definitely a power of example.

I had a friend in the program that I called all the time. I would feel kind of guilty calling because he was always so busy. One night when I called him I asked if he ever took time out for himself, he said he was taking it right now. I don’t know if that makes sense to you but it does to me.

Just from your list it sounds like you doing some of this stuff for others and you’re not doing it for yourself. (Just an outside observation) Like the job thing, 7 years no pay that would bother me. Doing something and being compensated for it helps me with my self esteem. I can’t get into service work with my home group no openings but if someone were to step down I would jump as a GSR position in a second. Plus there is no rule past the 12 steps that I need to go to a mtg everyday. Meetings dont get people sober and they dont keep people sober God does. Good luck with everything and if all else fails pray.

tanyapmc

Thanks all for your replies.

Bonsai....Let me explain the job thing. I have NOT had any type of job in about 7 years. The one I will be doing next semester is for a class I am taking.

I have sent off an email resigning from being the GSR for my homegroup. I spoke with my sponsor and she suggested that and I agreed. I feel better already!

Rowan

I think it was a good idea to resign from the GSR commitment, Tan. And maybe go to the halfway house once a week instead of twice? It's very important to take time out for yourself; I admire your commitment to the program and to helping others, but it's also vital that you nurture yourself and treat yourself with the same compassion you would one of your sponsees. You are a wonderful power of example, my friend.
Lets not overlook the fact that your 1 year anniversary is fast approaching - the psychological impact of that shouldn't be minimized. Anniversaries themselves can be very stressful!

tanyapmc

Thanks Ro. I have heard that alot lately about sobriety anniversaries.

Thanks to you all here at SR for your ongoing support.

Dee74

God may not give us more than we can handle, but that doesn't stop *us* sometimes piling our plate too high

good work tan - ease back - focus on you a little too

D

Impurrfect

(((Tanya)))

Sorry I'm late on this, but hopefully cutting back the GSR commitment will give you a little time to take care of you. You are doing an awesome job, and helping several other people....just don't forget YOU are important, too, okay

Hugs and prayers!

Amy

gypsytears

Good advice so far Tanya. Try what you have planned to cut down on... if it's not helping you can always go back and cut out a few more things to give some time and breathing room for YOURSELF .

bonsai12

Oh your going to school, well that will help the self esteem out. I cant wait to go back myself!!! Keep up the good work!!! Great desicion on the GSR thing sounds like you have a great sponsor hope it helps.

mr_clean

try stay in the moment, and find peace with that....

Then you u don't get overwhelmed so easily.....

Jersey Nonny

Hey, there, Wonderwoman, you Type A Personality, you! Easy Does It! Other than 1, 2, and 8, you should be able to pull back a bit...might even cut out a couple of meetings a week...you seem to be far enough along in your sobriety that daily meetings are more a "want" than a "need".

When I was a real eager beaver AA in early recovery, a friend of mine said, "You know when they say, 'I want the hand of AA always to be there', they didn't necessarily mean your hand all the time. There are other hands in AA!" Kinda gave me a much-needed lesson in humility...I thought I was Miss AA, and had to do it all!!! I suffered from "volunteeritis"...big time...I soon learned to budget my time between AA things and life...not allow AA to become my whole life. Of course, that isn't what you're doing...but, you do seem to be spreading yourself a bit thin.

tanyapmc

Thanks. Yes, I am spreading myself a bit thin. I became a "yes" person all of the sudden. Went from irresponsible to uber responsible. I have let go of the GSR assignment and feel better. Thanks again for all replies. Off to school