How to get out of overwhelm and back into action
Overwhelm is one of those insidious states that steadily and quietly fills up in my mind like water overfilling a bathtub; completely on track and welcome until the water starts to spill and slosh over the edges onto the tiles and I have to take out the plug and let the drain loudly suck back the excess liquid until the tub is restored to a sustainable level.
It’s not like one of those ‘fight or flight’ situations where something stressful happens and I automatically have to deal with it here and now.
No, overwhelm is much quieter and more subtle than that. Overwhelm creeps up on me until I am paralysed without even knowing it. When I’m overwhelmed it’s easy to prioritise the ‘urgent’ over the truly important. It’s easier to place the loudest voice first; to give the oil to the squeakiest wheel, than to say ‘no’ and carry through on my promises to myself to achieve my most significant goals and face the consequences of these decisions (disappointing others by not responding to their priorities first, or facing my own limiting self-beliefs).
When I’m overwhelmed it seems easier to stay there than to look at why I got there in the first place or what might be keeping me there.
It seems easier to keep on task than it is to face my own self-imposed stories behind why I ‘should’ or ‘could’ be doing something but why I am, in fact, not.
It seems easier to say that I will do something tomorrow, but not today.
And it is easier - for now. But the ongoing consequences of staying stuck in overwhelm are serious. They include not achieving my biggest goals; staying stuck in life; focusing on the stuff that won’t make a difference to me in 12 months, five years, or 10 years’ time; and not fulfilling my potential.
I don’t want this for myself, and I don’t want this for you.
Over the years in my life, career and now my business I have developed tools and strategies to prevent overwhelm and if not prevent it, to move through it as fast as possible.
How to get out of overwhelm and back into action
Having a hundred things on the go at once can feel heavy, and burdonsome, and create stress because none of us can do everything - right?! The stress part often happens when we don’t feel like we can actually achieve what we set out to do. Or when we’re resisting where we’re at.
Step back and take a break
The first thing to do when you’re feeling overwhelmed is to give yourself a break. This feels counter-intuitive because, well, you’re busy.
However it’s the best thing to do to relieve some of the stress which prevents you from thinking clearly, and to gain perspective about what’s truly important.
I love to get out into nature and out of my head and into my body through movement in any form - yoga, swimming, walking. This helps me to gain perspective and come back to a task with fresh eyes and a clear head.
Plan and prioritise
It can be tempting (particularly when we’re really busy) to dive straight into the work. But it’s always worth taking a few minutes at the end of each day to plan and schedule the following day’s activities, as well as plan out your week ahead of time (I like Friday or Sunday afternoons for this!).
Sure - things are going to come up and unexpected tasks will likely land on your plate that you have to deal with immediately, but if you’ve got all of your priorities scheduled you can work around them or shift them to another time slot.
By planning, you can prioritise according to a) what’s important to you, and b) what’s important to your clients or in your role.
Take time out for stress-reducing activities
Stress is a big part of modern life and it’s made worse by social media and technology. Our brains are often racing at a hundred miles an hour (sometimes with unhelpful thoughts) and it can make it difficult to focus, stay present, and switch off when we need to.
Ensuring that you take time to de-stress in planned ways is crucial to staying sane - particularly during busy times when our self-care tends to slip off the priority list. Stress reduction is also key to increased productivity, so realistically you’ll get your time back by doing your work faster and better than if you were stressed out.
Stress-reducing activities can vary for everyone, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. If you’ve read my blogs or seen my social media channels you’ll know that I love doing yoga and I meditate daily for 10 minutes. I also love cross training, working with my PT, running, swimming and walking outdoors. Exercise is integral to maintain a balanced mood and increased energy.
Outside of exercise and meditation, I love spending time with my husband and friends; hosting dinner parties; reading books; baths; and watching Netflix, of course. I also use essential oils for a variety of health and stress-reduction reasons - I absolutely love them.
Catch your negative thought patterns
Sometimes, we’re overthinking so much that we’re not even aware of the negative stories we’re telling ourselves and the thoughts go around in our heads - often holding us back from fulfilling our potential and taking action.
Catching your negative thought patterns before they spiral into complete overwhelm is key.
For example, if you’re thinking that a task is too hard before you’ve even begun, it’s going to be too easy to procrastinate and push it aside.
Instead, flip this negative thought into a question: how can I get this done? What resources / knowledge / support do I need to succeed?
Remind yourself of why you’re doing this
If there’s no core reason behind why you’re doing this, again it can be easy to procrastinate and push the task aside.
If the reason is ‘because I have to’ it’s pretty common to put it off.
Sure - you may have to do something because you’ve committed to it, but what’s the driving force behind the action? For example, is it to build a sustainable business? Increase your income? Help others? Get organised so that you can create more time for tasks that you truly love? Write it down now.
Just get started
This sounds obvious, but there’s always an excuse to put something off until later. I aim to do the most difficult tasks first thing in my day so that I can create space and less stress in my day. (Plus, I’m most productive in the mornings so every task is faster!).
If you’re still struggling to get started, there may be a block or limiting belief happening for you. Ask yourself honestly how you feel about this task - what is the worst thing that could happen? Now flip it.
For example: what’s the worst thing that could happen? It could be criticised / fail.
Your new affirmation is: I’m great at what I do, and I am going to give this task the best that I have to offer.
