How To Handle Your Overwhelm

I know you are feeling so overwhelmed right now. 

There is so much information coming at you, so many decisions you need to make. Everyone has an opinion about what you should do and how you should do it. In some cases you asked for help and then regretted it because you were flooded with information. Then other times you don’t ask but they offer up their advice and suggestions. You’re to the point now where it is all just noise and you have no idea what to do. So this is where you stay. Overwhelmed and confused. 

I’ve been there. 

And do you know what I’ve learned. Over whelm and confusion are a choice. It’s an option. An option we don’t have to choose. And when we do choose overwhelm and confusion we are actually just indulging in the emotion. Much like we indulge in a big bowl of ice cream after a hard day. 

When we indulge in feeling overwhelmed or confused, we give ourselves permission to not have to make any moves. To stay stuck. Which is actually much more comfortable to us that stepping out into the unknown. We don’t have to make the phones calls, have the conversations, send the emails, fill out the paperwork, do the research, or make the decisions. And we use up so much precious time and energy when we stay in these emotions. We lose time in the confusion and deplete our energy with all the circles we run in our heads.

It’s not actually the things them selves that we should do and it’s not the information itself that is coming at us that is making us feel overwhelmed. It’s what we are thinking about all that information and the things we need to do. It’s what we are thinking it will mean if we do or don’t do those things. 

We’re thinking things like

I have to get it all done. 

There is so much to do. 

I might do the wrong thing. 

They know better than I do.

I might make the wrong choice. 

I don’t have time to do it all. 

I don’t know how to do it.

I don’t know where to start. 

I can’t do this. 

No wonder overwhelm and confusion stick around. 

Okay, take a breath. 

Exhale. 

Now, try thinking about these things for a moment. 

Overwhelm is a choice and I don’t have to choose overwhelm.

I have the exact amount of time I need to get things done.

There is no wrong decision.

I can ask for that information again when I get there if I still need it. 

I can decide to take their advice. 

I can also decide not to. 

I am learning my way through.

I only need to take the next small step.

Did you feel the load of overwhelm start to lighten? Did your shoulders lose a little weight? 

Pick one of these thoughts or something similar to go back to through out your day. This will help you take the single next step and then the next and the next. One small step at a time and before you know it, you’ll be out on the other side with all this behind you. 

Love you madly.

Leslie

P.S. You got this. I can show you how if you would like. Email me at leslie.canup@gmail.com. We'll take it one step at a time.