Different kinds of overwhelm
Did you know there are different kinds of overwhelm? Some overwhelm is brought on by uncontrollable forces outside of ourselves, and other overwhelm is of our own doing. But all of it feels a little out of control!
To tackle overwhelm effectively it’s important to recognize the source.
For instance, if you’re in a hectic and stressful work environment and your plate is full with tasks assigned by others, maybe you can’t control the deadlines or the amount of things you’re expected to do but there could be other things you CAN control to reduce the pressure. Sometimes there are tasks that could be delegated but you may think “it’ll be faster for me to do it than try to explain it to someone else.” This mindset only perpetuates overwhelm. If you take the time to equip someone else now you have more possibilities of sharing the load in the future to reduce stress and balance things out. Another pressure release is to evaluate how you’re managing yourself throughout your day (self interruptions, non-project related technology usage, if you’re taking enough breaks, etc.) to maximize your time, energy, and mental capacity.
Often when you have “others induced overwhelm” it helps to take a look at what you can control instead of what you can’t and then make healthy choices to handle those things with maturity and efficiency. But the workforce isn’t the only place overwhelm is “others imposed.”
If you have littles or are caring for elderly parents, for instance, you might feel overwhelmed by the amount of responsibilities that come with those territories. In this case, it’s really helpful to evaluate what expectations others have of you AND your own expectations of yourself. Are they realistic? Are your perceptions of others' expectations even accurate? Clarifying those things and then determining what realistic expectations actually look like in this season (and communicating that where appropriate) goes a long way to making life more manageable.
But the other kind of overwhelm is self-imposed. This is when you feel like you need to measure up to “something” so you bite off more than you can chew (but don’t want to admit it). Saying “yes” to everything, wanting the kids to experience all the things, always making sure you look “put together,” priding yourself on how busy you are. The list goes on…. But keeping life so full you have to run on overdrive all the time only leads to burnout and self-condemnation.
The good news is, it’s completely possible to bring balance to life so you can participate fully in it without pouring yourself out to detrimental degrees. You can be fully present with the ones you love and provide your best for them without neglecting yourself.
You can have fullness without overwhelm!
It just takes a shift in your mindset and beefing up on some healthy habits. It starts with accurately assessing the sources of your overwhelm, deciding in what ways you can take better control of the things you CAN handle and let go of things you can’t/shouldn’t, and finding support when you need it.
And for that…I’m here.
I’m passionate about fortifying women with the skills, confidence, and knowledge to defeat the overwhelm that leaves them feeling threadbare, whatever the source, and to thrive! Because I used to be that woman and I took an intense journey to change my patterns and learn how to live more stress-free. Now I can teach you a simpler way to go about it!
Let’s talk!