Overcome "I don't know what to do" with The Bathtub Formula

E76: When you're stressed, worried or overwhelmed, try this "super top tip" to find clarity

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Have you ever felt stuck and unsure what to do next?

"I don't know what to do!"

This was what a friend of mine said last week on the phone to me. She was in her own echo chamber, going over what was wrong, trying to find answers, and setting up tests to figure out what could be done.

It was a rollercoaster ride of uncertainty. She questioned why her stomach twisted into knots - was it a previous diagnosis or recent family stress?

Listening to her questions was like watching a puppy searching for treats that weren’t there - a lot of effort with no reward. No wonder she wasn't sure what else she could do.

It's easy to feel stuck when there's uncertainty and questions don’t have immediate answers. 

So where can we turn? 

Is there a more effortless way to overcome "I don't know what to do!"

Lower the level of water in your bathtub

I shared the Bathtub Formula for Optimal Health with her, a metaphor I’ve found helpful. It’s what inspired me to publish last week's Effortless Thursdays - edition 75. 👇

The first principle of the Bathtub Formula is to fill your bath with what's good for you.

My friend's bathtub was filling up with:

a steady stream of "what ifs"

the stress of worry, and 

poor sleep.

The more "bad stuff" we put into our bathtubs, the more likely we'll experience flooding and significant damage to our health.

The good was being drowned by the bad.

Pulling out the bath plug

When stress and anxiety rise, it's tempting to yank out the bath plug to lower the water level quickly.

But what if the plug is hidden or jammed? 

It's like waiting for test results — frustrating and out of your control.

The “Super Top Tip”

But yanking out the bath plug isn’t the only option.

I asked my friend to share what she could do to reduce the water level a little bit either by:

Adding what’s good, or

Removing or stopping adding what's bad

Even though my friend felt stuck, she answered these two questions with ease.

She knew the bad things that were filling her bathtub already.

Some things in her diet had "slipped" - eating things she knew weren't ideal for her health (Who hasn't done that?! I know I have with crisps)

Her stress levels were high because she was unavoidably having to help family members

She also knew the good things that could fill her bathtub again

Going out for walks

Connecting with friends

Those good things were prompted by a simple question - what my friend called a "super top tip"

Where can you find the joy?

Finding the joy makes it fun and more effortless to bring the level back down - even if it is slower. We can escape the danger zone and open space for curiosity, opportunities, and experiencing more joy - even in the midst of turmoil.

👉 Over to you!

When you’re faced with uncertainty and worry, it’s tempting to rush straight for the bath plug, but if you can't find it, or it's jammed, focus on adding goodness instead.

Ask yourself:

What's one small thing I can do to add joy?

What can I do to add the good stuff back in?

Like my friend, you probably already know the answers. So I invite you to trust yourself and take that small step towards joy.

ps If you’re an entrepreneur, a lawyer or another high-flying professional - who’s looking to connect with your optimal health and experience life that feels effortless, get in touch and let’s have a conversation.

That’s it for this week!

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To your health and success!

Eric