Planning for Overwhelm

The stress that causes you to become overwhelmed can be managed - you just have to be ready for it. The best way to be ready is to have a plan of action in place so that you can just go through the steps and get it done.

What should be in this plan?

Know what you can and cannot control. Knowing what is in your control can help you figure out what to focus your attention on. Knowing what is beyond your control allows you to know which activities to let go. This helps you figure out your priorities and makes the decision of what to do next so much easier!
Focus on the solutions - not the problems. Focusing on the problems you can't change only makes you more stressed and can keep you stuck in an overwhelming situation. Instead, figure out what solutions you have for the problems you can control. This is where you will make a difference. Let the rest go. Don't waste time or energy on things that don't matter.
Plan your strategy. Now that you have the solutions, it's time to figure out what to do with them. What do you need to do, when should it be done, how much time are you willing to put into it, and what would your next step be? When you have a plan in place you will find that life is much easier to manage.
Take care of yourself. Remember to eat right, exercise, and get the right amount of sleep. Taking care of your body gives you more energy to deal with the unexpected issues that may come up.
Ask for help. This can be hard for some people, but you need to understand that asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Knowing that you need help and allowing others to give you that help shows that you are strong enough to step back and allow someone else to take charge. That's called delegating - and is a sign of a leader!

Focusing on the solutions will help you stop obsessing over the things you cannot change and decrease your stress levels.

Having a plan in place to help you through these hard situations is one of the best ways to overcome overwhelm.

What is overwhelm?

Overwhelm can be described as stress on steroids. It's that feeling of being buried beneath a pile of thoughts and expectations and not seeing a way out any time soon.

Think of a new mom trying to manage taking care of her newborn. She hasn't been sleeping because it feels like the baby needs her 24 hours out of the day. During those hours, she is expected to feed the baby, change the diapers, clean up any messes the baby makes, and nurture the baby by cuddling and trying to protect it from the scary world.

There aren't enough hours in the day to add the cooking, cleaning, and the huge piles of laundry that come with having a newborn. Where is she supposed to find the time to eat, shower, sleep, or even have an adult conversation?

This is a great example of overwhelm.

When you are feeling overwhelmed, it's easy to give in to the temptation of curling into a ball and crying for days. But, that's not going to solve anything. If you are feeling overwhelmed by any part of your life, it's best to get it under control as soon as possible.

If you find yourself overwhelmed and needing a little bit of help getting back on track, let's chat and see how I can help you.

However, if you find that you are too overwhelmed and can't get a handle on it, please seek medical help immediately.

"Sometimes you have to stop thinking so much and just go where your heart takes you."

- Unknown

Did you know that the stress you have in your life is all caused by thoughts you allow yourself to have? And that the more stress you allow into your life, the more chances you will have of becoming overwhelmed?

Let that sink in for a moment.

All that stress the doctors have warned you about can be stopped just by changing the things you tell yourself. You are in control - even if it doesn't feel like it.

The quote says, "Sometimes you have to stop thinking so much and just go where your heart takes you." This quote means that you need to get out of your own head - stop allowing those types of thoughts to interfere and start listening to your heart.

So the next time you get stressed out, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and ask out loud,

"What do I need to do to change this situation?"

Listen to the first answer that comes to your mind. This is your gut feeling, your intuition. Trust it - it's usually the right answer.

When you start listening to your intuition instead of the stressful thoughts, you help yourself get rid of the stress and allow yourself to become happier.

How To Lower Your Stress Levels

The pressure is on because you have way more to do than you have hours in the day. You have three urgent projects to complete and yet are still being pulled in so many other directions. You finally get half way through your "to do" list and even more tasks have been added. Talk about stress!

High stress levels can cause you to feel overwhelmed. You need to find a way to get this stress under control before you become so overwhelmed that you can't find a solution.

7 Steps to Become Focused and Lower Stress Levels

Break down your tasks into smaller, bite-sized chunks of time. This will help you focus on one particular task at a time and gives you more of a chance of completing it . It also will decrease the stress around that particular task, which makes room for you to work on the next step or task.
Grab a sheet of paper and pen and write down everything you have to do. Make sure that this list is handwritten so that you can feel amazing as you cross off the completed tasks.
Circle all the easiest tasks on your list. You know, the quickest to complete the ones you don't have to put in a lot of effort get done.
Put a star by the harder, more involved tasks. These are the tasks you have been putting off.
Set a timer for 15 minutes and complete as many of the easy tasks as you possibly can. Work quickly and check them off your list as you complete them. When the timer goes off, it's time to move on to the next step - even if the task you are working on is still not complete.
Turn off your phone and remove all distractions from your work area. Which task on your list is the hardest and most time consuming? You know, the one that stresses you out just knowing it's on the list. Spend the next 30 minutes concentrating on that one task, completing as much as possible.
Take a short break. When the timer goes off, take a 15 minute break and then start all over again.

The 15 minute Task Sprint is a way to get those little tasks crossed off your list without having to do much thinking or planning.

The 30 minutes of focus will give you a good head start on getting your hard tasks started. You may need to repeat this a few times, but each 30 minute session will find you closer to your goals.

Please don't forget to take that break before starting again. This break will help you reset your brain so you have the energy to concentrate on finishing the tasks on your list.

When you start crossing things off your list, you also remove the stress associated with having to do those tasks.

Reduce overwhelm by using the STOP Technique.

The STOP Technique is a way to practice mindfulness and help you relieve anxiety and reduce your stress levels.

Taking time to slow down and breathe can help you figure out the next step you should be focusing on.

Here's how it works:

S = STOP what you're doing. Interrupt your thoughts and stop what you're doing. Interrupting your thoughts will help you break free from the storm of tasks and doubts that are rambling around inside your head and blocking you from focusing on the important tasks.

T = TAKE a few deep breaths to center yourself and bring yourself fully into the present moment. Focus on the breath moving in and out of your body. If your mind wanders, bring your focus back to your breath.

O = OBSERVE what is going on with your body, emotions, and mind. What thoughts do you notice? What emotions are present? How does your body feel? Tune in and sit with whatever arises for a few moments. Allow yourself to process the emotions so that you can either accept them or move past them.

P = PROCEED with whatever you were doing, making a conscious choice to incorporate what you just learned.

What is your most important and urgent priority?

What is one step you can focus on right now?

Now that you know what your priorities are and what you should focus on, just take it one small step at a time.

Have a Plan of Action

You know that when you allow stress to build up, you run the risk of becoming overwhelmed. You also know that overwhelm affects not only your mental state, but can also cause physical issues.

But did you know that you can have a plan in place for when life becomes too overwhelming?

Here's how to figure out your own plan of action:

Write a list of any scenario you can come up with that could be overwhelming to you. You can add to the list or move things around as your needs change.
Once you have your Overwhelming Scenarios List, you should figure out as many solutions for each scenario as possible. Again, write them down so that you can have them when you need them.
Keep this list in a binder or somewhere you can find it easily when you need to.

Why do you need this list?

Having a list of solutions for each problem that may arise can help you to get through the stress before it becomes too hard to handle. It becomes your peace of mind - making it easy for you to stop worrying about what could go wrong because you've already found solutions to those problems.

What if those solutions don't work?

You can always add to the list of solutions (or even problems you haven't come up with yet) and revise whatever isn't working.

Having a printed list allows you to make notes so that making changes will be a little easier.

Overcoming Overwhelm

Stress is hard on your mind, your body, and your relationships. Too much stress can cause you to become overwhelmed - and then even more problems arise!

I have created an absolutely FREE e-book to help you overcome overwhelm. In this book you will:

Learn what overwhelm is, what causes it, and what you can do to reduce your stress.
Learn the 7 steps to become focused and lower your stress levels and stop overwhelm.

Click HERE to get this FREE E-book now!

Planning For Overwhelm