Any person who has a heartbeat has probably felt overwhelmed at some point or another in their life.  And if you are actively accomplishing tasks or “stuff”, it may even be a familiar experience for you. The feeling of overwhelm presents itself in many ways; perhaps you’re seeing manageable curveballs as a crisis and more challenging than they really are. Feeling tired, defeated, and not sleeping can all be attributed to overwhelm.  One of the worst parts about the deluge of feelings associated with overwhelm is that you may react by avoiding it and shutting down. Becoming inactive may make you feel even worse because then you will also feel the discontentment of being non-productive. 

Here’s another symptom of overwhelm that you may not be aware of: the difficulty in saying no to people.  When one's plate gets too full, some people tend to lose their gatekeeping skills. When these skills are abandoned, the ability to assess a situation and determine if it’s reasonable to say yes is all but lost.  I think this happens because so much attention and energy is going into the large number of tasks and decisions that are in front of people each and every day. Sometimes it’s just easier to say yes and feel like you’re doing the right thing as opposed to saying no.  You know the expression, “If you want something done, ask the busiest person you know,”?  I think that plays a role here, too.  If you’re productive and people know about it, you’re going to be asked to go above and beyond, and often. Sometimes, being on the “A-Team” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Giving so much and so often is such a virtue in relationships, yet will likely become too much of a good thing if it leaves you spent.   

I know that feeling overwhelmed can be really uncomfortable. However, I also know that it’s well within your power to stop feeling that way.  So I’m excited to tell you that there are only two things you need to do to get yourself back into a state of feeling in control, calm, and really productive.

First, let’s create a schedule!

Schedule, create and follow a realistic and specific plan.  One that reflects everything (work, relationships, physical well-being, etc.) that you want to make happen right now.  With space allocated for life’s curveballs.  I outlined how to do this in my blog a few weeks back, so you may want to check that out now.  

One of the most common statements people make about what keeps them from doing what they really want in life is, “I don’t have enough time”. It’s no wonder that they feel overwhelmed.  Your use and your perception of time plays a major role in your feeling of organization and ease. A reasonable schedule is your guide to investing time so that you can be confident that you will accomplish everything that really matters.  And always tell yourself, “I made a great schedule that will take care of me.  All I have to do is the task at hand!”. 

Now let’s get focused!

Focus on whatever you are working on at the moment.  I can not overstate the value of you doing this as I know the power it has for you to be really effective and enjoy an ease while doing it.  The magic of having a specific daily plan of manageable steps is that you know all you have to do to be successful on a large scale is to work on each of the tasks.  This might sound really obvious, yet it’s a best practice that often gets overlooked.  As evidenced by how many people feel overwhelmed from time to time.

Meet yourself where you are by being flexible.  We all have moments when our energy and attention just isn’t what we’re used to.  If you notice that your focus is fading, give yourself permission to take a break.  Remind yourself that your well-crafted schedule has enough wriggle room in it to include re-energizing time.  This is especially helpful if you have tasks requiring creativity, like brainstorming or writing.  Activities that access areas of your brain are different from those that require analytical thinking.  If you’ve made a few solid attempts at something, consider switching the creative task time slot with an analytical task time slot.  If this happens a few times, take note of whether you have times of the day when your brain is in more in one groove than the other.  You’ve likely heard of morning vs. late-night writers.  Just like knowing what times of day work better for things like exercise.  Knowledge here is wisdom.  Just focus. Think only about what you’re doing right now and know that is wise and responsible.   

One last tip for the next time you are in the tsunami of overwhelm: don’t take things so seriously.  It’s easy to lose perspective when we’re stressed.  Give yourself a big dose of encouragement.  Tell yourself: 

“Everything’s going to be fine.  I trust that everything I want to make happen will get done”.

For more ideas on ending overwhelm, have a look at the following article:

https://hbr.org/2019/10/how-to-deal-with-constantly-feeling-overwhelmed