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Overwhelmed and Over It: Embrace Your Power to Stay Centered and Sustained in a Chaotic World
Liberate Yourself From Stress And Overwhelm! If you’re like most women, you’ve discovered that the tasks and pressures never end in our culture, a culture built for burnout. But there’s a way to stop stressing and start thriving — to wake up to the underlying systems and unsustainable ways of working and living that sap your strength, drain you dry, and fragment your focus. Feminine wisdom leader Christine Arylo is on your side, as she shines a light on the external forces and internal imprints that push you into overwhelm and self-sacrifice. She then shows you how to access your power to achieve what matters most, including receiving what you need and desire. You’ll learn to release the old approach to working, succeeding, and managing a full life, and embrace a new way that gives you clarity and courage to make choices in your day-to-day and overall life design that support and sustain you.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 6, 2020
36 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Christine Arylo
14 books56 followersChristine Arylo is a transformational teacher, speaker and best-selling author. After earning her MBA and climbing the corporate ladder, she chose to devote her life to creating a new reality for women and girls, one based on self-love and true feminine power instead of the relentless pursuit of having to do, be and have it all.
She is the author of two best-selling books, Choosing ME before WE and Madly in Love With Me, The Daring Adventure to Becoming Your Own Best Friend, and the co-founder of Inner Mean Girl Reform School, which has helped over 23,000 women transform their inner critics. She is also the founder of the international Day of Self-Love, February 13th. She is affectionately known as ‘The Queen of Self-Love.’
Christine has been featured on CBS, ABC, FOX, E!, the Huffington Post, and on radio shows and stages around the world, including TEDx. She normally lives in Northern California with her partner, Noah, but recently they sold their house to live their dream of living, working and speaking and teaching from anywhere in the world.
To find out more about Christine go to www.ChristineArylo.com and www.ChooseSelfLove.com
She is the author of two best-selling books, Choosing ME before WE and Madly in Love With Me, The Daring Adventure to Becoming Your Own Best Friend, and the co-founder of Inner Mean Girl Reform School, which has helped over 23,000 women transform their inner critics. She is also the founder of the international Day of Self-Love, February 13th. She is affectionately known as ‘The Queen of Self-Love.’
Christine has been featured on CBS, ABC, FOX, E!, the Huffington Post, and on radio shows and stages around the world, including TEDx. She normally lives in Northern California with her partner, Noah, but recently they sold their house to live their dream of living, working and speaking and teaching from anywhere in the world.
To find out more about Christine go to www.ChristineArylo.com and www.ChooseSelfLove.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 30, 2021
I'm currently listening to this (audio book) on my morning walks (and even this evening, because I have become a little bit addicted to these ideas of liberating myself from this culture of depletion). Loving it so far - but need the hard copy so I can reread and do the journal work, so I have just ordered on Book Depository. I am SO ready to embrace the ideas presented here! <3
AND I just wrote a whole review here, and my computer froze and it hasn't saved. So usually I would rewrite it - but now - nope. I don't have time and I am no longer going to let technology piss me off as much as I have in the past.
So all I will say is this is ESSENTIAL reading. It is utterly insane how we have brought into a system that is leaving us exhausted, burned out, and sick. And we don't just need a holiday, we need to rethink how we operate, so our lives are sustainable, and we are thriving rather than just surviving.
Now that the hard copy has arrived, I am going to take some time to read this more thoroughly and do the journal work. Because so much in the audiobook rang true for me. The system is broken, let's stop allowing it to break us, and instead, focus on reinventing how we live!
My final takeaway from this is simple: 'Busy' is now a dirty word in my books. I will no longer wear it as a badge of honour, but see it as a sign that I am not slowing down, reprioritising and taking care of myself and my own life force, well enough.
AND I just wrote a whole review here, and my computer froze and it hasn't saved. So usually I would rewrite it - but now - nope. I don't have time and I am no longer going to let technology piss me off as much as I have in the past.
So all I will say is this is ESSENTIAL reading. It is utterly insane how we have brought into a system that is leaving us exhausted, burned out, and sick. And we don't just need a holiday, we need to rethink how we operate, so our lives are sustainable, and we are thriving rather than just surviving.
Now that the hard copy has arrived, I am going to take some time to read this more thoroughly and do the journal work. Because so much in the audiobook rang true for me. The system is broken, let's stop allowing it to break us, and instead, focus on reinventing how we live!
My final takeaway from this is simple: 'Busy' is now a dirty word in my books. I will no longer wear it as a badge of honour, but see it as a sign that I am not slowing down, reprioritising and taking care of myself and my own life force, well enough.
October 30, 2020
There is sooo much wisdom packed into this book, it's incredible! I've been part of Christine's Feminine Wisdom Way group for the past 3 years, and it's like she's taken all of her teachings from this year-long program and packed it into a single book (so generous!) My body sighs in relief when I read about aligning with the natural cycles of the Earth, and I absolutely LOVED the section on liberating our time. Christine is so good at giving us practical ways to apply this deep feminine wisdom, and I love the personal stories she shares along the way. This is a book we women need during these intense times so that we can stay nourished and sustained!!
October 17, 2020
When my business was forced to close in March, I felt spinny, out of control, and anxious. I am the one who usually helps others with grounding practices, meditation, relaxation techniques and pranayama... but I found myself searching for a community for support, something to help me anchor in these scary and uncertain times. Christine's podcasts and then her weekly zoom at that time was such a blessing. I was drawn to her practices honoring the Universe's natural cycles and rhythms. She offered practices from her upcoming book , OVERWHELMED AND OVER IT,
such as bookending your day, making self sustaining and harmonizing choices to empower you, the daily 4 points of connection and so much more. She reminded me of the importance of setting and protecting our energy fields. These practices helped me to get clear and to dig deep finding resilience and reach out to connect when I just wanted to hide. I couldn't wait for my copy of Overwhelmed and Over It! It is indeed a book of wisdom and support and sisterhood. I will refer to it over and over. Its already lovingly well marked.
I highly recommend getting a copy for yourself and one for a friend. The time is now!
such as bookending your day, making self sustaining and harmonizing choices to empower you, the daily 4 points of connection and so much more. She reminded me of the importance of setting and protecting our energy fields. These practices helped me to get clear and to dig deep finding resilience and reach out to connect when I just wanted to hide. I couldn't wait for my copy of Overwhelmed and Over It! It is indeed a book of wisdom and support and sisterhood. I will refer to it over and over. Its already lovingly well marked.
I highly recommend getting a copy for yourself and one for a friend. The time is now!
January 20, 2021
Christine Arylo reminds and encourages women to access our innate wisdom and power. As the subtitle of her book says, "Embrace Your Power to Stay Centered & Sustained in a Chaotic World."
We live in a culture that was “built for burnout” with systems that add to our stress and overwhelm, Arylo points out. She outlines the “external forces and internal imprints” that drain us regularly. I found the book a helpful guide to which I’ll return for help in releasing old approaches to “keeping up” and embracing practices that sustain.
The book’s introduction describes “7 Roots of Overwhelm, Burnout, and Self-Sacrifice." Root 4 stood out for me: “Your nervous system has not been conditioned to handle the amount of information coming at you, nor the accelerating pace and intensity of today’s world, so you keep short-circuiting.” Arylo quotes Yogi Bhajan, who brought Kundalini yoga to the West: “We do not need more information. We need the wisdom to use all the information.”
There are “twelve specific imprints at the root of the burnout, self-sacrifice, and overwhelm” Arylo says. She devotes a chapter to each, illuminating the way each is not working so that you can “release” it. Chapter 4, for instance, is “Release: Start the Day Harried and Hacked” and “Embrace: Start the Day Connected and Protected.” Throughout the book are self-awareness practices entitled “Know Yourself” with questions to consider.
So as not to be overwhelmed by the book, Arylo suggests reading a chapter every week or two. “Choose a time span that feels focused and fluid.” I found that to be wise advice.
A chart helps readers get in touch with their own behavior by rating from 1 to 10 such things as “I try to do too much in one day” and “I feel anxious when I slow down or create space to relax.” The chart really helped me wake up to my regular, non-sustainable habits.
“Success is having the courage and clarity to choose what’s aligned and true for you,” Arylo says and I wholeheartedly agree.
Throughout the book are illustrations called glyphs created by Katherine Torrini. Some are related to harmonizing practices, such as in Chapter 10: “Release: Make It All Happen Now / Embrace: Focus on What Matters.” The glyph is called “Feel Focus & Flow” and is one that could be photocopied and kept as a regular reminder. The woman in the glyph is pondering several questions. One of these is, What is needed today?
I appreciate Arylo’s reminder to stop glorifying being busy. In pre-Covid times it seemed to be the most-asked question: “Keeping busy?” And then we might go on trying to outdo one another with many examples of our busyness. Perhaps these days we can ask one another, “How are you replenishing yourself?”
Overwhelmed and Over It also reminds readers that we’re not alone. We can reach out to gather our people. “When women come together in sisterhood, with intention, shift happens,” Arylo says. Together we can embrace and celebrate our power and innate wisdom.
Story Circle Book Reviews thanks Mary Ann Moore for this review.
We live in a culture that was “built for burnout” with systems that add to our stress and overwhelm, Arylo points out. She outlines the “external forces and internal imprints” that drain us regularly. I found the book a helpful guide to which I’ll return for help in releasing old approaches to “keeping up” and embracing practices that sustain.
The book’s introduction describes “7 Roots of Overwhelm, Burnout, and Self-Sacrifice." Root 4 stood out for me: “Your nervous system has not been conditioned to handle the amount of information coming at you, nor the accelerating pace and intensity of today’s world, so you keep short-circuiting.” Arylo quotes Yogi Bhajan, who brought Kundalini yoga to the West: “We do not need more information. We need the wisdom to use all the information.”
There are “twelve specific imprints at the root of the burnout, self-sacrifice, and overwhelm” Arylo says. She devotes a chapter to each, illuminating the way each is not working so that you can “release” it. Chapter 4, for instance, is “Release: Start the Day Harried and Hacked” and “Embrace: Start the Day Connected and Protected.” Throughout the book are self-awareness practices entitled “Know Yourself” with questions to consider.
So as not to be overwhelmed by the book, Arylo suggests reading a chapter every week or two. “Choose a time span that feels focused and fluid.” I found that to be wise advice.
A chart helps readers get in touch with their own behavior by rating from 1 to 10 such things as “I try to do too much in one day” and “I feel anxious when I slow down or create space to relax.” The chart really helped me wake up to my regular, non-sustainable habits.
“Success is having the courage and clarity to choose what’s aligned and true for you,” Arylo says and I wholeheartedly agree.
Throughout the book are illustrations called glyphs created by Katherine Torrini. Some are related to harmonizing practices, such as in Chapter 10: “Release: Make It All Happen Now / Embrace: Focus on What Matters.” The glyph is called “Feel Focus & Flow” and is one that could be photocopied and kept as a regular reminder. The woman in the glyph is pondering several questions. One of these is, What is needed today?
I appreciate Arylo’s reminder to stop glorifying being busy. In pre-Covid times it seemed to be the most-asked question: “Keeping busy?” And then we might go on trying to outdo one another with many examples of our busyness. Perhaps these days we can ask one another, “How are you replenishing yourself?”
Overwhelmed and Over It also reminds readers that we’re not alone. We can reach out to gather our people. “When women come together in sisterhood, with intention, shift happens,” Arylo says. Together we can embrace and celebrate our power and innate wisdom.
Story Circle Book Reviews thanks Mary Ann Moore for this review.
October 20, 2020
I have read all of Christine's books and attended many retreats with her. Every one of them life changing, and has provided me with wisdom on the next step of my path. This book is not just another self-transformation book to be read and then never "practiced", sitting on the shelf collecting dust. This book is at once a spell-breaker and an operators manual for creating a harmonious life (without adding more to your to-do list) and liberating yourself from any guilt for choosing to live from your deepest soul desires.
With deep love Christine breaks the spell we have all been living under. Conditioned by the systems we live within who tell us we have to DO IT ALL, take it all on, and be responsible for everything and everyone, and produce, produce, produce without even knowing what it is we TRULY want, what is enough, and what we are here on the planet to cause and create. And when we can't handle it all, we feel guilt and shame, instead of being true to ourselves. So we DO more, instead of saying no to the systems that created the human condition of being in overwhelm. So first, the spell we have been living under has to be broken, and Christine has done that through her kindness, compassion, and an integration of ancient wisdom that weaves seamlessly into our modern lifestyles.
Then once the spell is broken, rather than think we can do nothing to change it, she teaches that it starts with us, as individuals to make changes from the inside, taking small steps (and some big ones) to liberate ourselves from what the external world says we should do and how we should operate. To take ownership and stand in the truths of how we really want to live, how to be in harmony with all the areas of our lives, and to take a stand and make choices that are for our highest good. Ultimately, to elevate ourselves but also the world and systems in which we have influence over. By taking a stand for ourselves, we become way-showers for others to do the same. And that is how systemic change is made.
The practices in the book are designed to be woven into your life, integrated into your life, without feeling like you have "more to do" but as a way of living. I assure you that if you work with the practices in this book and experience how harmonious your life will become you will never go back to you old patterns and ways of doing things. Because there IS a different way.
With deep love Christine breaks the spell we have all been living under. Conditioned by the systems we live within who tell us we have to DO IT ALL, take it all on, and be responsible for everything and everyone, and produce, produce, produce without even knowing what it is we TRULY want, what is enough, and what we are here on the planet to cause and create. And when we can't handle it all, we feel guilt and shame, instead of being true to ourselves. So we DO more, instead of saying no to the systems that created the human condition of being in overwhelm. So first, the spell we have been living under has to be broken, and Christine has done that through her kindness, compassion, and an integration of ancient wisdom that weaves seamlessly into our modern lifestyles.
Then once the spell is broken, rather than think we can do nothing to change it, she teaches that it starts with us, as individuals to make changes from the inside, taking small steps (and some big ones) to liberate ourselves from what the external world says we should do and how we should operate. To take ownership and stand in the truths of how we really want to live, how to be in harmony with all the areas of our lives, and to take a stand and make choices that are for our highest good. Ultimately, to elevate ourselves but also the world and systems in which we have influence over. By taking a stand for ourselves, we become way-showers for others to do the same. And that is how systemic change is made.
The practices in the book are designed to be woven into your life, integrated into your life, without feeling like you have "more to do" but as a way of living. I assure you that if you work with the practices in this book and experience how harmonious your life will become you will never go back to you old patterns and ways of doing things. Because there IS a different way.
October 6, 2020
This book is for all women who are sick and tired of being in overwhelm, trying to "balance" work and life, and generally trying to survive in this fast paced, chaotic world. The practical tools, illustrations, and heart felt-stories layout the path to a harmonic relationship with life - where we can let go of over giving, over compensating, and more and nourish ourselves. By doing this, we are able to be more present in our relationships, careers, and lives. There truly can be a different way to live - we can choose to get off the hamster wheel and liberate ourselves to more meaningful work and relationships. I am a woman who burned herself out into a serious health condition and am using the guidance in this book to recovery. I promised myself I wouldn't do that again, and with the support of this book and Arylo's work, I know I can keep that promise to myself.
October 6, 2020
"Stretched beyond capacity. Struggling to get it all done. Sacrificing yourself to take care of everything and everyone else." Christine Arylo begins her beautiful and inspirational call for women to change our current reality with these words which seem to apply to most of the people I know (men and women). She then sets forth practices drawn from both modern and indigenous wisdom to help us all "become the change" we wish to see. She speaks from a fierce feminine heart to illuminate a path by which we can "conjure up the clarity, confidence and courage to do things differently within our own lives first and then within our families and the organizations and communities where we live and work.."
October 14, 2020
Christine Arylo and this brilliant body of work are absolutely made for these times. This text reads like a sacred, spiritual text full of wisdom that every woman needs to know. I could not put it down. I am already re-reading it, going slower the second time around to really take it all in. There is so much practicality in this wisdom and user friendly exercises that anyone can do and that result in big shift. This is the kind of book that must be shared with all the women you know and discussed. Christine Arylo teaches women how to do things differently. This concept is a breath of fresh air and liberates me from being trapped in the systems we currently operate in. We can all do it differently!
October 19, 2020
A breath of fresh air with the sweet gift of exhale! Christine Arylo’s OVERWHELMED AND OVER IT paves a gentle path towards daily life fulfillment without having to “do it all” to get there. In this pandemic era where women have even more on their plate than ever, this book even gives the reader permission to take her time with the steps/chapters; each of which offer a generous serving of wisdom, rather than having to read through to the end to get to the whole message. Written as relatably as chatting with a friend, Arylo shares her life saving lifestyle practices that all women need to incorporate into their lives, especially right now.
October 8, 2020
This book is like no other I've read. It hits the nail on the head- the pressures of life, perfection, burnout. The difference is her perspective and how she leads you to recognize and change the patterns in your life that aren't sustaining you. The "Know Yourself" and "Harmonizing" practices throughout the book are ways to stop, think and apply the new ideas. The acts of harmonic defiance and getting to know your feminine wisdom are so freeing and empowering! This is a book you will highlight, dog-ear and go back to time and time again for guidance and inspiration.
February 15, 2022
This might be one of the most important books I've read this decade. I bought copies for four of my girlfriends and invited them to read it so they can also experience the deep mind shift this book offers. Previously I was in a place where I was waiting for "this stressful/busy/chaotic/difficult time to be over", and I didn't realize how draining that was for my life. Am I perfect and zen like now? Not yet. But I'm closer. And this book is the reason why. Thank you Christine Arylo for sharing your wisdom so I could make it my own. I'm planning to keep sharing that through every step of life.
October 13, 2020
Christine guides the modern day busy woman to say yes to her multifaceted life, yet say no to sacrifice, exhaustion, and discord. The reader is delighted to find it possible to create a new reality by making simple choices to experience more spaciousness and harmony everyday. Overwhelmed and Over It is a beautiful invitation to slow down, pause, connect, and choose differently from a place of wisdom and heart knowing.
November 1, 2020
As an overachiever, battling with the feeling of overwhelm has exhausted me for years. I was so happy to see this book solely dedicated to helping women how to get back to the very fundamental and restore their inner power! An amazing read. I felt liberated as I dived into the practical wisdom and exercises. So grateful for this book and I'm now actively cultivating harmony from within to allow the shift to happen!
September 27, 2023
The book started strong and was really good at the beginning. However, like many self-help books, it suffered from saying the least with the most possible words and stories. The whole book is summarized in the first appendix, and that was all the book without the extra repetition. I know I'm in the minority here as everyone seems to like the book. It just felt too long and became a chore to read, and I had to skim read it to get it over with.
July 2, 2021
Things are intense instead of being busy, recharge, protect your field and connect. These are some of the wise words that author Christine Arylo offers for how not to get overwhelmed, run down or drained.
July 26, 2021
Christine put words to my intuition of focused work and fluid breathing space. Also liked her idea of harmonic defiance.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews