How do you do it all, Erika?

I’m a busy woman and I do a lot but, keeping it real, I need you to know that I don’t do it all.

No one does. 

How could I run a global business, coach and serve my clients, run workshops, speak at events, show up authentically on social media, be a mother and a wife and not get stressed? 

The answer is I don’t. 

I DO get stressed. But I don’t stay there.

Sometimes people look at everything I do and think that I’m superwoman and never miss a beat, but I'm human, friend. 

I get stressed, I get overwhelmed, I get angry and cry

but I’ve learned that it’s not about the fall, it’s about how fast you get back up. 

And I tell you, I’ve learned to get up pretty damn fast!

So here are some of the practical things I do to make sure I don't go loco!

I over communicate and ask for help

When things go pear shaped, I guarantee it’s because somewhere along the line, communication has broken down. 

My husband and I do our best to communicate everything but sometimes, we let something slide and those are the times when the stress gets too much. 

Sorry to say this folks, but your partner, your friends, your colleagues, they don’t read minds. You need to tell people what’s going on for you.

And you need to ask for help.

If you don’t communicate to the people around you and you’re facing a bunch of challenging shit, you’ll start feeling alone and isolated and like no one cares. Then you’ll start blaming and they’ll get defensive and that creates even more problems. No one needs that.

Just tell the people close to you how you’re feeling and ask for help before the stress gets too much.

That way, they can support you the way you need or be honest with you about where they’re at. Maybe they’ve got a lot going on too and you need to look elsewhere for support.

And that’s OK.

I say NO 

Time is precious. I don’t spend it doing stuff that’s not a priority to me. And that means saying no to invitations, even if it means disappointing people sometimes.

I spend my time doing what lights me up.

I’m with my family, with the beautiful women that I serve, with people who inspire me to be a better version of myself.

And if that means I miss out on going to the movies or speaking at an event that’s not really my jam, so be it.

I’ve learned to love what is and not fight it

Sometimes I break down and I do something or say something that I’m not proud of. But the key is, I don’t get stuck there.

I’ve learned to recognise what’s going on in the moment, be present and observe what I’m feeling but I don’t let that feeling define my next action.

You see, most of the time, the trouble comes when I’m not being present. When I’m fighting what is instead of loving what is. 

When you start feeling stressed or scared or angry, try to step back and recognise what’s going on in your body. Observe what’s happening in your emotions. 

Feel it, don’t fight it. Be in this moment. Cry, yell, run, do whatever your body needs to do to feel that emotion.

And then, move through it.

You have to learn to move through the problem.

If you don’t, you’re stuck in victim land. And victim land sucks people!

My calendar is my friend

I literally don’t know what’s happening from one day to the next unless it’s in my calendar. And my calendar is FULL. I rely on that thing for everything.

With so many things happening, it’s easy to have a million thoughts and to-do’s running around so

instead of those things taking up energy in my head, I put them in my calendar and set an alarm.

I focus on right now 

I don’t scroll through my calendar to see what’s happening tomorrow or next week. I stay present with my day, knowing that I’ve already set time aside for whatever else needs to be done.

If I jump ahead, I’m just going into anxiety about a future that hasn’t even happened yet.

By focusing on today, I can be where I am, serve who I need to serve and give my full attention to the NOW.

I do what lights me up

Yes, I’m busy as hell but the fire inside me to see the transformation in the people I work with gives me the energy I need to keep going.

If you don’t have energy for your day, you need to look at what you’re doing. 

Do something or work towards something that sets you on fire. 

Maybe you don’t know what that is just yet and that’s ok. This is an opportunity for you to start thinking about what matters to you.

I recently recorded a podcast episode all about this question people ask me. Check it out!