Every day we face a new set of challenges. If we allow it to happen, we can quickly become overwhelmed. This often occurs because we are unable to say no to people. After years of self-centered behavior, many recovering people feel they need to make up for lost time. Whenever they are called upon for help, they immediately say yes. The problem with this approach is that it can cause us to overload our circuits. As we attempt to squeeze more and more into the day, we begin to see some of our old behaviors returning. Before we know it, we have lost our serenity and are full of fear, anger and resentment. What also happens is that as we fill up our day with so many commitments, we begin to neglect our program. We end up skipping meetings and failing to call our sponsor because we have spread ourselves too thin. Part of sobriety is maintaining a healthy balance between service and self-care.

Sometimes we even need to say no to ourselves. Perhaps we need to stay home when we’re feeling tired and read a book instead of going to the gym for a late night workout.

Personal Reflection: How close are you to overwhelm today?