These days I seem to hear, “I am so overwhelmed, I have too much on my to-do list,” more often than not. This post is for all my friends and clients who have ever felt overwhelmed.
I recently received a call from a friend who was driving back to New Hampshire from a two week hiking trip in the Adirondacks. She said, “Lisa, I feel so overwhelmed. I have so much to do when I get back home. There is so much on my to-do list.”
I asked her about her vacation and tried to get her to realize she was still on it. She still had quite a long drive home. I encouraged her to crank the radio, sing to the tunes to help not let her mind spin things out of control.
I said to her, “Be here now, girl. In the car, with your mind on the road and not on that to-do list.”
Have you ever felt like my friend?
The hear the word overwhelm or versions of it all the time. Whether I am with friends, family, or clients, overwhelm pops up in conversation. “I am so busy. I don’t have enough time. I’ll never get it all done. I am so overwhelmed.” It’s there.
Overwhelm causes an excess of anxiety, which leads to more overwhelm resulting in less often productivity. I have seen overwhelm cause anxiety that has wiped people out to a point where they can’t function.
I’ve had my battles with overwhelm too. Those excessive and heighten feelings of “there’s not enough time and how am I going to do it all” tend to cripple me to the point of exhaustion. That’s not productive. I imagine some of you can relate.
Every so often when I feel that tingle of overwhelm creeping up on me. I have to stop myself, regroup and notice the thoughts I am thinking. Similar to my friend driving home from vacation, I find my mind not where it needs to be…in the now. Instead, it’s usually somewhere in the future.
Overwhelm takes away. It doesn’t add any value to your life. Some of you may question this and make the point that the stress you put yourself through may help you get things done. Even though you may have a level of productivity, your end result is the feeling of overwhelm. That certainly isn’t a way to be kind to your body and it shows.
Here’s the key. The thoughts you are thinking are leading to the overwhelm. It is not your to-do lists or anything external. Overwhelm is created in your head.
The bottom line, overwhelm is not a necessary evil to get things done, or lead you down the path of success. Overwhelm prevents all that is most beautiful in you from showing. It zaps your creativity, increases your stress hormones that love to make you heavier, tire you physically, and could cause your to wear a scowl on your face.
“Lisa, my to-do list is a mile long”…We all have those lists. The goal is productivity with ease and grace. If you are running rapid with overwhelm, you’ll never see the beauty that lies inside of you.
Today, I rarely experience overwhelm. My brain has learned to make new connections that now alert me rather than make me a victim of this paralyzing anxiety…overwhelm.
Here are 5 tips that have helped me oppose overwhelm.
1. Shift Your Mindset. Once you recognize that it is your mind creating the overwhelm and not the lack of time or your long to-do list, your overwhelm naturally reduces. Embrace the idea… “There is no rush.”
2. Use Mindful Language. Many of us operate under the “have to, need to, and should do it all” mentality. Whereas the reality is that you don’t “have to” do anything. You absolutely have a choice as to what you do daily.
I like to have my clients flip their language to a less stress bearing word. Since everything in your life is a choice, you can choose gentler words such as “I get to” or “I have the opportunity to” do whatever it is on your list. That simple shift in language feels very different than…”Oh my gosh, I have to do this now.”
Experiment with using these simple language shifts and see how they work for you.
3. Prioritize. Do the most important things first. Yes, I live in the real world and realize some things take precedence over others.
This was one of the reminders to my friend who was coming back from her vacation. She made it clear to me she had some pressing things on her list. Don’t agonize over all things on the list.
Do what is essential first. There is no rush.
4. Be Here Now. When you are consumed with the “to-do” list, the what and how you are going to get it all done you are missing what is here in the present. Your projection into the future envisioning a catastrophe if things don’t get done is a waste of your precious energy.
For my friend, it was for her safety. She was tired from the long drive and I wanted her to be safe on the road. The most important thing for her was being present in the car at that moment and not projecting into the future about all the things on her list.
5. Self Care. This is so important and is often never makes “the list.” When you make a conscious effort to take care of yourself by getting the rest, exercise, and self love overwhelm is less likely to creep into your head space.
A form of self love can simply be noticing how you are feeling at a given moment, then noticing how your body feels when you experience overwhelm. Notice what triggers your body and take action to get back into balance.
Try these tips. I would love to hear if they work for you. If you need more support with managing your overwhelm, give me a call. I have more tips and tricks that’ll help you shine your brightest.
Let’s get you out of overwhelm…
I am passionate about coaching women 40+ who are seeking a change in their life. Women who are at crossroads, feel stuck or not sure about the next step. I help women get to the other side of whatever they are feeling and support them to be Healthier, Happier, Confident, and Radiant.
Shoot me an email at lisa@lisajollimois.com
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Big Hugs,
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