Overwhelm. What to do when it knocks on your door and 5 ways to reset and feel more present again.
We are busy. Our schedules are filled with work, homes to take care of and families to look after. Throw in some play time, passions and goals and we quickly find ourselves living at a fast pace. Enter OVERWHELM (the theme for this blog) as I chat about what to do when overwhelm knocks on your door plus 5 ways to reset and feel more present again.
Anyone else relate to adding way too many things to their plate and then suddenly realising it’s not going to be possible?
The precise moment we realise ‘this is not possible’, BOOM we’re flooded with all-consuming fear, doubt, worry, maybe even anger which sends our minds into overdrive and overwhelm.
We’re going to take a look at the most common causes of overwhelm and consider how to approach them whilst still honouring our goals and purpose.
First let’s take a few moments to consider where our overwhelm stems from.
Are You?
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Comparing yourself and spending too much time looking around at others? Social media has us dreaming of becoming just like our mentors but positive aspirations can turn into negative experiences when we begin to see things through a lens of competitiveness and comparison. Jon Acuff wrote the famous quote ‘Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle’.
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Trying to live up to others’ expectations? When we find ourselves caught up in trying to be what others want us to be, we stifle who we are meant to be. (You can read more on this topic in the blog Fear of judgement and other’s expectations).
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Trying to do too much in a short timespan? Overcommitting sets us up for failure because our expectations aren’t realistic. We can set ourselves up for success by allocating more time to our timelines.
By being gracious to yourself you are acknowledging life IS unpredictable.
Take back control by factoring more time in (and just imagine how good you’ll feel if you end up ahead of your timeline).
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Navigating a significant life change? Have you changed jobs, moved house, brought a new child into the world, had an operation, lost a loved one or lived through a once in a lifetime pandemic? (and everyone puts up their hand).
When our lives change, we sometimes expect ourselves to go on as before. Through times of transition we need to be mindful of how we approach our goals and be kind to ourselves as we adjust to the changes.
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Over analysing where you are right now and feeling defeated by how far you have to go? Does your current circumstance make the goal seem too big? Do you feel like you’ll never get to where you want to be? You’ve probably heard it a million times but breaking your big goal down into achievable steps and assigning a timeframe to achieve them in, means progress will be possible. Little bits of progress will always get you to the finish line.
Did you identify yourself in any of these causes of overwhelm? If you’ve recognised where your overwhelm stems from we can now look at ways to further reinstate equilibrium to your mindset.
I’ve laid out 5 ways to overcome overwhelm, reset your mindset and feel more present.
5 Steps To Reset When You Feel Overwhelmed
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Stay In Your Lane- Focus on your lane and keep your eyes on your goals. When you stay in your lane and stop looking around at what everyone else is doing you will experience the freedom to pace yourself. When you’re no longer trying to merge sideways into another person’s lane you remain focused and regain your momentum.
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Take Back Control Of Your Time- Decide what can stay and what needs to be removed from your schedule during this season. Some things may need to go on hold to make way for the most important things.
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Acknowledge we all have different setbacks and challenges- No two journeys look alike and your timing is different to the person next to you. Find comfort knowing everyone experiences hurdles, valleys and mountains.
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Intentionally pause, reset and replenish- Stop. Just stop. Overwhelm wants you to believe you have to keep going. Stop overwhelm in its tracks by taking time out. This can be as simple as spending time with family or friends, allowing yourself to sit down to watch an episode of your favourite tv show, catch up on your favourite podcast, read a book or enjoy a hot drink. Work out what makes your soul feel full and be intentional about making time for it.
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Remind yourself ‘You are enough’- Do this regularly- as many times a day as you need to hear it. When you repeatedly hear this phrase, you will begin to believe you are enough and realise you don’t have to do all the things.
I’m certain that if you take these 5 steps and put them to action you will experience an empowering shift and break the cycle of overwhelm.
I encourage you to reflect on this blog and share it with someone you know would appreciate some uplifting insights.
Want to begin walking the path to unshackle self-limiting beliefs? Download your FREE mindset audio guide 3 Steps to Unshackle Self-Limiting Beliefs.
With Love,
Annie