Everyone seems to be overwhelmed. We are overworked, overtired, overcommitted, and overstimulated….but are we over it? If so, here are 8 steps to recover from overwhelm and find more clarity.
Step 1: Reflect on the source of overwhelm. Take a few moments to reflect on the sources that are causing the most stress, regardless of whether these sources are changeable or not. List the stressors.
Step 2: Accept your feelings. These sources of overwhelm are causing a variety of emotions. Anger, sadness, helplessness, fear, and more may appear. Recognize and accept that these feelings are normal.
Step 3: Are you overdoing? Examine closely to see if there are any areas where more is being done than needs to be done or too much time is being spent. Is fear behind any of the tasks? Is perfectionism lurking in the background driving too much time on any given activity? Are expectations too high? Use fresh eyes to determine where to pull back without losing effectiveness.
Step 4: Practice mindfulness at home and work. Try single tasking and mentally turning off or diminishing thoughts about what is not happening in the present moment. Task switching taxes our brains and can slow us down and wear us out. While there are times we need to multitask, be assured that all the time is not optimal.
Step 5: Set boundaries. Find an area and step back. Speak up and ask for help. We make more work when we explode like a volcano, so best to tackle any areas of resentment as they are building and not wait for a meltdown or explosion. When it comes to colleagues or family members, being a good one requires honesty. If there’s help needed, ask for it.
Step 6: Breathe. Our breath is extraordinary. For one thing, it happens without us even thinking about it and it is essential to life. For another, it calms our nervous system. When we are overly stressed, we start shallow breathing or even holding our breath in short stints without knowing it. Take time out for a few rounds of deep inhales and exhales.
Step 7: Focus on areas of control. There are many things in our area of concern and influence, but not everything is under our control. Focusing too much on areas out of our control causes overwhelm. Redirect attention and energy to what is in our control.
Step 8: Do what brings you joy. “What?! That’s crazy, there’s no time for that!” That is what our brains tell us when we are overloaded. However, our continuous work results in diminishing returns. Activities we enjoy cause flow, an optimal state of performance, where time falls away and all else fades in the background. Our brain submerges into that which we love doing. This can be an exercise to sharpen your mind for all the other work you do. It also breaks the ego from its story of overwork that exacerbates the feeling of overwhelm.
Overwhelm is everywhere and finding our center takes work. We’ll never be in control of all the elements in our world, but grounding ourselves in the reality of the present moment, accepting our feelings, taking care of ourselves, and doing the best we can is the a way to ensure we aren’t hurting ourselves, or others, in the busiest of times.
Kim Perone, MA, CLC is a Success, Bereavement & Resilience Coach and Mindfulness Facilitator and founder of The Center for Clarity, Compassion & Contentment (CENTER4C). Kim works with organizations and individuals to offer essential skills for today. A personal strategist, philosopher, and champion for her clients, specializing in stress reduction, mindfulness, work life balance, bereavement, resilience, and authentic success, Kim is a Certified Life Coach, with an Master’s degree in Organizational Communication, Certified Workplace Mindfulness Facilitator (CWMF), a Certified Grief Educator, and author of Finding Your Center: The Case for Clarity, Compassion & Contentment (available on Amazon) and podcaster for Find Your Center with Life Coach Kim Perone available wherever you get your podcasts. It is Kim’s belief that when clarity, compassion, and contentment are present an inspired life is possible.
For more information, feel free to contact Kim at [email protected], (518) 301-3593, www.Center4c.com.
