How to Tame Your Drama Llama

You know those moments when something small happens and our brain decides to dramatize and catastrophize it? 

Like booking flights for the wrong dates? Signing up for a race but them having no record of it? Sending a sensitive email to the wrong person? 

It definitely sucks and feeling frustrated is normal. 

But instead of moving on to solve the problem, our brain dwells on it, crafts a narrative about how stupid we are, and keeps punishing us by luxuriating in guilt, shame or anger.

We turn into the drama llama! 

Before we know it, an honest mistake or miscommunication takes up way too much of our day. 

I’m here to invite you to not sweat the small stuff. Prioritize what really deserves your attention.

Yes, what happened may be an expensive mistake or a major inconvenience, but what we make it mean and how much of our precious energy it takes up is within our control.

How do we know what is worth our energy? 

My favorite strategy (after taking some slow breaths in and out through my nose), is to connect with my future elder wiser self. I ask her whether this is something I want to spend my time on?

My elder wiser self is a beautiful being - calm, self-confident, assured, and deeply in-touch with herself. She always has a wise answer for me. She helps me look at the facts and put things into perspective.

And if I’m having a particularly challenging day, I ask her to stand beside me all day and help me identify what really matters. 

So what in your life regularly triggers your drama llama? What advice would your elder-wiser self give you?