If you’re facing down the feeling of being overwhelmed, then you’re not alone … in fact, over 20% of people in a recent study felt chronically overwhelmed in the last 12 months. I get how you feel and its not a nice place to be, how will you ever get all that done and keep those around you happy at the same time!
The good news is that feeling overwhelmed is just that … it’s a feeling. In turn, that means it’s internal and CAN be resolved. The bad news is that the feeling of being overwhelmed is in itself a limiting belief and therefore self perpetuates … the more you feel overwhelmed the more overwhelming it can feel!
The better news? There are some tried and tested ways to deal with it that you can employ RIGHT NOW.
- Reframe your goals. Goals that involve a long term mission can often be intimidating and they don’t need to be. A great example is weight loss and fitness where instead of focussing on your target weight (which might be somewhere in the distance), focus on losing just 1 pound this week instead. Goal setting is important, but it can be paralysing if you don’t break your goals into achievable steps.
- Remember big problems do not need big solutions. This is perhaps the greatest mindtrap of the 21st century! We all have problems and areas we want to work on, but a big problem does not equate to a big solution … more often than not a big problem requires a lot of small steps and small efforts. If you’re not spending enough quality time with the family, a simple movie night or switching your phone onto silent can go a long way.
- Motivation and Momentum are almost the same thing. Utilising the 2 points above, you can develop some momentum, even if you can’t solve the issues at hand or can’t even conceive how to attack them. By simply starting with the smallest thing you CAN do, you build momentum which changes your mindset and solutions will present themselves. Any sports fan can recall the moment a losing team made 1 great play and changed the course of the game.
- Laugh at yourself. This can be tough, but if you can it will work wonders. Look at the list you’re trying to achieve and find the humour in the perversity of it all … it simply can’t be done! What a fool! Happy people laugh more, but you can trick your brain into being happy by forcing a smile or forcing a laugh. It might sound far fetched, but study after study shows that forcing a smile or a laugh can reduce blood pressure, increase dopamine and manage serotonin levels.
- Seek help. If the above doesn’t work for you then find a friend, colleague, coach or therapist to work with. Explain why you’re feeling overwhelmed and get the list down. Work through it with them and you’ll start seeing solutions you didn’t see before, items that you really don’t need to do and more.
“Big Problems Rarely Require Big Solutions”
