How To Get Traction When You're Feeling Overwhelmed
See if any of these scenarios sound familiar:
• Your alarm goes off but you hesitate to start your day because you know that from now until the end of the day, the pace of work will be wide open.
• You leave work already dreading the mountain of tasks awaiting you when you arrive home. And you've also got to answer that all important question, "What's for dinner?"
• You wish you could get some relief from the break-neck pace of life, but as you look at your calendar you realize it could be this way for a looooooonngggggg time.
Most of us have faced at least one (hopefully not all) of these situations in the past 30 days. And as the feeling of overwhelm takes over, our blood pressure rises and our breathing gets shallower.
But is the best solution just to get less sleep, consume more caffeine, and rationalize that it has to be this way? Maybe not. Especially if you want the benefits that come with having less stress and a greater ability to be more present in the moment.
If you're ready to move forward while still feeling overwhelmed with all you think you have to do, try one of these five strategies:
Own it.
As long as you make it about "them" and other external factors, you rationalize that you are powerless to take corrective action, which means you're a victim. But is that reality? Truth is, you probably contributed to your current situation in many ways, including:
• Desire to please everyone
• Lack of specific goals
• Unwillingness to have a difficult or uncomfortable conversation
• Inadequate planning
• Giving in to distractions
• Poor choices
• Unrealistic expectations of yourself or others
Once you have answered the question, "How did I contribute my current situation?" you can also ask yourself, "What actions can I take to being improving my situation?" For more related to this topic, check out my blog, Willful Ignorance and Productivity.
Get specific about your pain.
When we are too generic about what's overwhelming us (i.e. everything about life), we feel... well, overwhelmed and powerless to take action. While there may be multiple causes for your discomfort, getting specific about the circumstances driving them gives you a place to start looking at potential positive actions to take.
If you want some help getting more specific, check out my list, Which Of These 23 Types Of Overload Are Affecting You?
Reconnect with what gives you a sense of fulfillment.
When you're overwhelmed, you tend to pull yourself away (physically and/or mentally) from the people and experiences that nourish your body, mind, and soul. It's like trying to drive a car faster and faster that is running out of gas. Shawn Anchor, in is fantastic book, The Happiness Advantage, cites research that found that happiness and fulfillment are the best predictors of success and productivity. Read that again. The fuel for our success and productivity are found in how happy and fulfilled we feel BEFORE we take on the tasks in front of us.
One way I have found to make sure my emotional tank is full each day is to use a gratitude app to reflect on all I am grateful for before I begin my workday. It's amazing how looking back over the list from previous days and weeks reminds me of all I have to be thankful for, and powers me up to tackle the toughest tasks in my day.
Remember that sometimes "done is better than perfect."
What is overwhelming to some people is their inability to do everything to a certain level of perfection. They can't find the perfect time to have a difficult conversation. They struggle to start working on something because they don't have all the information they think they need. They have created an unrealistic standard for themselves that is blocking progress on many levels.
If that's you, challenge your thinking by asking yourself, "What would having _____________ finished allow me to do?," or "What resources would I have if I finished it sooner that could help me move forward in another area?"
Reach out to your "guardrail" friends.
When I am feeling overwhelmed I make it a point to reach out to one of the people in my life who will get me back on track. They won't let me have a pity party or agree with me just to be kind. They challenge my assumptions, remind me of my opportunities in my current dilemma, and give me a much needed mental and emotional boost.
The key for any of these strategies to work is to STOP. It's hard to make a course correction while you're still moving so quickly in a particular direction. Take a walk without your smartphone. Get to a quiet place where you can reflect more deeply about where you are... and where you want to go. Most importantly, ask yourself, "What's possible if I were to address the root causes of my overload?" You might just be surprised by your answer.