Time for a guided visualization exercise: How to stop carrying it all. Because maybe right now, you’re carrying more than people can see. The decisions. The details. The emotional labor. The deadlines. The expectations. The invisible mental list that seems to follow you from room to room.
Maybe you’re the one everyone comes to.
The steady one.
The capable one.
The one who knows where everything is, what needs to happen next, who needs what, and what might fall apart if you stop paying attention.
And maybe lately, it’s been feeling like too much.
Not because you’re weak.
Not because you’re bad at this.
Not because you should be able to handle more.
But because no human being was designed to carry everything at once. So this episode is an invitation to pause. To stop gripping so tightly. To come back to yourself. To remember that responsibility does not require self-abandonment.
You do not have to hold the whole world together today.
You get to breathe.
You get to notice what is yours.
You get to release what is not.
And you get to take the next right step with a little more steadiness.
And so… to kick off the month, today is another guided visualization episode, which we release on the first Tuesday of every month this season. So, how does it work? Simple! Let my voice be a guide for you as you focus inward to help you tap into your inner wisdom and Intuition for answers.
Listen and participate in this guided visualization exercise: How to stop carrying it all.
Before we get started, here are a few things that you’ll need to do in order to get the most out of this.
1. Create a safe space - no distractions or interruptions
First off, you’ll need to create a safe space where you won’t be distracted or interrupted… and also, keep in mind that during this exercise, you’ll have your eyes closed. So yeah, probably not best to do this one while driving.
Silence your phone notifications… The world can wait for the next few minutes.
Then, get comfortable in a seated position or lying down, if that feels better. You get to decide. As with all visualization and breathing exercises we do together this year, you always get to decide what is best for you… take what you need and release the rest.
Okay, now close your eyes or avert your gaze to the ground.
2. Take 3 intentional breaths together with me
Let’s take three intentional, life-affirming breaths.
- Deep breath in through the nose, expand the belly, hold at the top, and then slowly release through the mouth. (Do this three times.)
Now, let your breathing come back to a normal pace, whatever feels right for you.
3. Do a body scan and feel your feet
It’s time to do a body scan… Imagine you’re slowly scanning your body from the top of your head… down past your shoulders…Through your arms… to your fingertips… All the way down your torso, hips, legs, and toes.
Notice any sensations — maybe tightness, softness, warmth, heaviness.
No judgment.
Nothing to fix.
Just noticing.
Once you’re at your feet, really take notice of what it feels like to have your feet make contact with the ground. To be firmly rooted down, the safety and security of that sensation. What do your feet feel like right now?
4. Time to visualize - How to stop carrying it all.
Now, with your eyes still closed, I want you to imagine yourself standing on a quiet path at dusk.
The sky is soft.
The air is still.
The world feels a little quieter here.
You notice that you’re wearing a heavy backpack.
Not a regular backpack.
A deeply overloaded one.
The straps are pulling at your shoulders.
The weight is pressing into your back.
And somehow, you’ve gotten so used to carrying it that you almost forgot it was there.
But now, in this quiet place, you notice.
You notice how heavy it is.
You notice how long you’ve been carrying it.
You notice how tired your body feels from trying to move forward with all of this strapped to you.
Breathe.
Ahead of you, the path opens into a peaceful lakeside dock.
The water is calm.
The dock is sturdy.
There is a wooden bench nearby, lit by a soft lantern.
This bench is here for one reason.
It is here to help you set down what you’ve been carrying.
You walk toward the bench slowly.
No rush.
No urgency.
Nothing to prove.
And when you’re ready, you gently slip one strap of the backpack off your shoulder.
Then the other.
And you place the backpack on the bench.
Notice what happens in your body the moment you set it down.
Maybe your shoulders drop.
Maybe your breath deepens.
Maybe your jaw softens.
Maybe part of you feels relief.
Maybe part of you feels nervous, like, “Wait… am I allowed to put this down?”
Yes.
You are allowed. For these next few minutes, you are allowed to put it down.
Breathe.
Now, imagine unzipping the backpack.
Inside, there are stones.
Some are small.
Some are jagged.
Some are smooth.
Some are so large you wonder how you’ve been carrying them for so long.
Each stone represents something you’ve been holding.
Begin to take them out, one by one.
Maybe the first stone is labeled, “Everyone’s expectations.”
Take it out.
Place it on the bench.
Maybe another stone says, “I have to get this right.”
Place it on the bench.
Maybe another says, “If I don’t do it, no one will.”
Place it on the bench.
Maybe another says, “I should be further along by now.”
Place it on the bench.
Maybe another says, “I can’t disappoint them.”
Place it on the bench.
Maybe another says, “I have to stay strong.”
Place it on the bench.
Maybe another says, “There’s no room for me to need anything.”
Place it on the bench.
One by one, let the stones come out.
The task.
The worry.
The meeting.
The family thing.
The financial pressure.
The unanswered message.
The hard conversation.
The thing you’re avoiding.
The thing you’ve been pretending doesn’t hurt.
The thing that is technically fine, but still exhausting.
You are not throwing any of it away.
You are not denying reality.
You are not being irresponsible.
You are simply creating space between you and what you carry.
Because you cannot clearly decide what belongs to you while it is all strapped to your back.
Breathe.
Now, look at the stones on the bench.
Some of them are yours.
Some of them are not.
Some were handed to you by someone else.
Some you picked up years ago and never questioned.
Some belong to an old version of you who believed that being loved meant being useful.
Some belong to a workplace that rewards urgency over wisdom.
Some belong to people who need to carry their own part.
Just notice.
No judgment.
No shame.
No rushing.
Breathe.
Now, beside the bench, you notice three small signs.
The first sign says:
Mine to carry.
The second sign says:
Mine to share.
The third sign says:
Not mine anymore.
Take a moment and begin sorting.
Pick up one stone.
Ask yourself, “Is this truly mine to carry?”
Maybe yes.
Maybe no.
Maybe only partially.
Place it where it belongs.
Pick up another stone.
Ask, “Does this need to be shared?”
Maybe this is something you need help with.
Maybe this is something that requires a clearer boundary.
Maybe this is something that was never meant to be carried alone.
Place it where it belongs.
Pick up another stone.
Ask, “Is this actually not mine anymore?”
Maybe this is someone else’s reaction.
Someone else’s urgency.
Someone else’s disappointment.
Someone else’s lack of planning.
Someone else’s emotional weather.
Place it where it belongs.
Keep sorting.
Slowly.
Gently.
Honestly.
Mine to carry.
Mine to share.
Not mine anymore.
Breathe.
Ask yourself: “What is one small thing I can do to help make my load lighter?”
Let an answer rise.
Maybe it’s sending one message.
Maybe it’s asking one question.
Maybe it’s canceling one thing.
Maybe it’s naming what you need.
Maybe it’s going to bed earlier.
Maybe it’s choosing your top three priorities for today.
Maybe it’s telling someone, “I can help with this part, but I can’t carry the whole thing.”
Maybe it’s giving yourself permission to stop for today.
Whatever comes up, just notice it.
No forcing.
No judgment.
No overthinking.
Just listen.
Breathe.
Now, silently repeat after me: “I do not have to carry it all.”
“I am allowed to ask for help.”
“I can be responsible without being consumed.”
“I can care deeply and still have limits.”
“I can take this one step at a time.”
Let those words land.
Not as a performance.
Not as a command.
Just as a reminder.
A steady reminder.
A true reminder.
Breathe.
Now, look up. Above the lake, the sky is beginning to shift. The first stars are appearing.
Soft.
Quiet.
Constant.
They have been there the whole time, even when the day was too bright to see them.
Let them remind you of the wisdom inside you.
The part of you that knows.
The part of you that can tell the difference between urgency and importance.
The part of you that can sense when something is too heavy.
The part of you that knows when it’s time to pause.
The part of you that remembers you are not a machine.
You are a human being.
With breath.
With choices.
With wisdom.
With needs.
With limits.
With strength.
And this week, you are allowed to move like a human.
Not a machine.
Breathe.
You see the stones on the bench, but they look different now. Less mysterious. Less impossible.
You can see what is yours.
You can see what needs to be shared.
You can see what you are allowed to stop carrying.
You do not have to pick the whole backpack back up.
You do not have to prove your worth through exhaustion.
You do not have to be the emergency plan for everyone else’s lack of clarity.
You get to choose.
So now, silently ask yourself:
“What am I allowed to set down today?”
Let the answer come.
Maybe it’s guilt.
Maybe it’s perfection.
Maybe it’s over-explaining.
Maybe it’s rescuing.
Maybe it’s saying yes too quickly.
Maybe it’s carrying someone else’s mood.
Maybe it’s trying to make everyone comfortable at the expense of your own peace.
Whatever comes up, trust it.
Simple counts.
Small counts.
Gentle counts.
Breathe.
Now, take one final look around this quiet lakeside place.
The bench.
The lantern.
The stones.
The water.
The steady ground beneath your feet.
This place is available to you whenever you need it.
Anytime the weight gets too heavy, you can return here.
You can pause.
You can breathe.
You can sort.
You can choose.
You can take one small step.
You are not behind.
You are not failing.
You are not alone.
You are allowed to stop carrying it all.
Take one slow, grounding breath.
And when you’re ready… gently open your eyes.
--------------
So, how did that feel? What came up for you?
I want you to set a 7-minute timer, grab a pen and paper, and take this time to write down everything you remember from this visualization exercise.
- What stones did you take out of the backpack?
- Which responsibilities felt truly yours to carry?
- Which ones need to be shared?
- Which ones are not yours anymore?
- Where are you over-functioning right now?
Answer as many of these questions as you like… or just focus on one. Whatever brings you the clarity you desire right now, you get to decide.
One final whisper
Carrying it all is not a badge of honor.
It may be familiar.
It may be rewarded.
It may be what people have come to expect from you.
But that does not mean it is sustainable.
And it does not mean it is yours to keep doing forever.
Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is not push harder.
It is to stop.
To notice the weight.
To tell the truth.
To ask, “What is actually mine here?”
To let someone else carry their part.
To let a few things wait.
To let a few things be smaller than your nervous system thinks they are.
Because your peace matters.
Your capacity matters.
Your humanity matters.
You are allowed to care without carrying everyone.
You are allowed to lead without absorbing everything.
You are allowed to love people without rescuing them.
You are allowed to be capable and still need support.
You are allowed to stop carrying it all.
I hope this visualization sticks with you the entire week through. Do it again and again if you need clarity or fresh ideas to help your spirit feel refreshed once again… because when you tap into your deep inner knowing, you’re accessing the deep inner wisdom.
That electric energy that can be found inside all of us that connects us all together. It knows. You know. We all know if we are brave and we open ourselves to it.
You can do this, I believe in you.
It’s time to SIMPLIFY.
If this thought of the day inspired you...
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Thank you!
Show credits: Suzen Marie, our Podcast Editor and Jeffrey Lynn, our Video Editor. Plus, Aubri Williams, Chris Justice, and George Mills, our advisory board. And I’m your host, Mary Baird. Big love to Dennis Coleman, Kristen Kurtis, plus Mark and the team at Goodboy, as well as the folks in #TeamMary. Thank you so much for listening and telling your peeps about us.
As always friends, keep things simple.
