How do you practice when you feel overwhelmed?

Whether you are just beginning your new spiritual path or you are in your 30th year, practicing magic, honouring the seasons, pulling out a daily tarot card all whilst juggling that thing called life can get a little much at times.

So… how do you begin a witchy lifestyle or return to one if you are feeling like everything is getting a too much? Here are my 5 tips to practice when you are overwhelmed!

1) Go back to the beginning

Sometimes, when we feel overwhelmed, we begin to feel lost. If you take house work, for example, when we feel overwhelmed, we may feel like we do not know where to start. You look at everything around you: the dishes need doing, the carpet needs hoovering, windows need washing, and let’s remember all those piles of laundry.

With the wealth of information that is on the internet, in books and on social media, it can often make learning the craft and practicing it feel like it is too much. Where do you possibly begin? Well… at the beginning – but at your beginning!

Remember why you want to practice. What are you hoping to achieve from living a life as a witch? Perhaps it is a form of self care, self love and self empowerment? Perhaps you want to live closer to nature and live off the land more? If we go back to our house work example, even if it takes days or weeks, we want our house to be cleaner and tidier so that it gives us a clearer and happier mindset.

2) Just do what you love doing.

When we feel sad, stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, what we need is some time to do something that makes us smile. This could be a hobby, a bath/shower, a walk outside.

Why should your practice be any different?

If doing a million and one different types of “witchy activities” a day does not fill you with joy, then don’t force yourself to do them. If you create a witchy to do list that is as long as a terms and conditions page, then you aren’t going to even take the time to go through it all, let alone enjoy doing it.

So why not just focus on the parts you love! If you have been forcing yourself to learn tarot and you simply aren’t gelling with it, then thank the cards, thank the opportunity, but move on. Your practice is your practice, and if we are to live as a witch, then we need to do what we are best at.

3) Create a set time and a special space

Even if we have everything we love at our fingertips, just getting round to it can be a struggle. If you are currently feeling very overwhelmed, whether that be by your practice, or by life which in turn is affecting your practice, then why not set a small amount of time just for you. This could be as small as 5 or 10 minutes, in the morning or in the evening (or even at lunchtime!) and just do something. It could be making a cup of coffee, but doing so with happy thoughts or cooking tea full of love. Just make a time and space where you can do what you feel you need to.

4) Use your emotions

There is no use or need to pretend like everything is ok. Intent is all it takes to sway a spell. Be honest with yourself and the universe. Journal or say it out loud if you have to! If you can put it into words, say how you are feeling and what is making you feel that way. Let yourself use feel those emotions, because if you can figure out what is making you feel overwhelmed, you may be able to find the solution.

From this point, you may find your path could be your saving grace! Let’s go back to our house work example… (I may or may not be procrastinating on doing my dishes – can you tell?). If your space is messy, you may find that you can turn to your path for inspiration. Perhaps your sacred space could be the first thing you tidy and clean. Then, you could light a candle for courage and inspiration to carry on. You may also find as you are tidying, you have the perfect opportunity to use a little floor wash or a squirt of aura spray to lift your mood and that of the house.

This way you are not only practicing, or tidying your house, but doing both at once! Double overwhelm buster!

5) Remember that everyday things are magical too.

Last but not least, there is magic in quite literally everything. From the power within us, the leaves that fall of the trees. Witchcraft does not have to be 4 hour long rituals every single day. As I mentioned above, even the act of cooking a meal with intent can be all that is needed and more to make a powerful spell.

Therefore, try not to overthink things when you are already feeling overwhelmed. It something feels like it is too much, then leave it behind for now. That doesn’t mean you cannot go back to doing massive feasts and three day celebrations for every sabbat or esbat, but if for now all you can muster is a quick raise of the glass and a cheers, then that is more than powerful enough!

I hope these few tips are helpful reminders that practicing magic doesn’t have to an everyday act that overwhelms you. Being a witch should be an asset, should be enjoyable and should be your instinctive way of life, so if it becomes a chore, it is definitely time to cut back and remember just how magical you are without all the extras!

Bonus Tip

If rather than your practice, but it is life in general that is weighing you down, then it is ok to put life first. I have seen posts on social media with people going through heaps and heaps of stuff. Sometimes, life is like that, and if you simply don’t have the time or energy to fully give back to the craft, then you don’t have to. It is ok to take a step back. The universe is here for you, it isn’t going anywhere, just as you aren’t in your heart. But sometimes, your energy is needed elsewhere rather than trying to cram in rituals. Magic is not a substitute – if your family needs you, or you need you, then you need to put that first. If you find that magic helps that, then by all means do it. But if it is just too much to think about planning a banquet for the next festival, then please do not panic 🙂

Lots of love and magic,

Amy x