Being spread too thin...dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed
You're a high achiever and have always prided yourself in your ability to get things done. You're the go-to girl at work... at home... with your friends. Sure, at times you get tired... frustrated... check out. But now you find yourself struggling more than ever to keep up the pace and dealing with feeling of being overwhelmed. You're feeling spread thin. You're more cranky than usual. You find yourself avoiding your friends, your partner, yourself. When you're at the point of being spread too thin, here are some tips for dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed.
It's important to recognize that the first step in dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed and anxious is to admit to ourselves how accustomed we are as a society and as women to being busy. Busy is an epidemic in our country, and it's almost as if we glorify our "busy-ness". But the more busy we are, the less capacity we have for dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed. Our nervous system is in high-rev and physically slowing down - which slows down our nervous system - is a key component to dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed.
Dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed: Is your busy-ness keeping you from getting adequate sleep, healthy nutrition, and proper exercise?
Rest, nutrition, and moving our bodies are keystone habits to focus on to help in dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed.
Recognize the impossibly high standards you have
Honestly, who doesn't like being recognized for a job well done? Well all do! Unfortunately, many of us have found our value in worth in this recognition. When we do this, the stakes get higher and higher. Before we know it, we're holding ourselves to some impossible standard that is totally unrealistic for any human being to meet. We think that by doing this, we can wave off the feelings of vulnerability and find a solid pathway to "worthiness". But what really happens is that not meeting our unrealistic goals for ourselves sends us into an unexpected shame spiral and we end up feeling even worse about ourselves!
So a big part of dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed is to let go of some of these unrealistic expectations. Give yourself permission to be human. The idea of doing this is definitely scary, but give it a try (and maybe you need the support of a therapist to figure out what this looks like).
Come on in. The water's fine.
An important practical step of dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed is to do one thing at a time.
By this point, we all have heard that the idea of multi-tasking is a myth. Our brains simply don't work that way (no matter how many time's we might try to convince ourselves that we are an exception to that rule. Focus on doing one thing at a time. Break that one thing down into steps. Be realistic about the amount of time these steps take (tasks always take longer than we would like for them to!!). You'll find that you actually get more done without feeling so overwhelmed! And speaking of time (and space!):
Take a step back!
Feelings of anxiety and overwhelm cause us to feel like we have to press in, super hyperfocus, and be like a dog with a bone, or else the task won't get done.
Don't take the bait, mate!
That's actually the fight, flight, freeze part of your brain telling you that there's a threat that needs to be addressed. In therapy speak, we call that hyper-vigalance. It's important to slow down, breath, take a step back, and be able to get a fresh perspective in order to help you in dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed.
Keep in mind, ladies, that you are not the only woman who struggles with feelings of stress and overwhelm in your life. Alina specializes in helping you to regain a sense of balance and purpose in your life. Help reduce your anxiety by asking for help. Call 813-434-3639 today to schedule your appointment!
