Here are 3 painless, practical things to do when you feel overwhelmed.
3 Painless, Practical Things to do When You Feel Overwhelmed
Ever feel like shutting down when you feel overwhelmed?
I read a quote by Matthew Kimberley: Feeling overwhelmed is not because you have too much to do; it is because you don’t know what to do next.
I agree. The feeling of overwhelm is often caused by having a lot to do and looking at that huge to-do list…then stopping because there’s not a clear starting point. Then nothing gets done, of course.
So, what can you do? Here are 3 painless, practical things to do when you feel overwhelmed:
* Calm down
Take some deep breaths, lower your blood pressure and your racing thoughts. Practice some mindfulness. Here’s a freebie with my favorite mindfulness, deep-breathing activity. This will clear your head. Really. Try it!
Click here for more information.
* Predict a positive outcome
Our minds will drive us where we tell it to drive us. In other words: If we tell our brains, “This is going to be a disaster!”, our brains will usually co-operate with that.
Why not predict something realistic and positive instead? How about, “This is going to be challenging but I’m up for the adventure and will do FINE!”
If our brain expects an adventurous challenge with a FINE outcome, it will co-operate with that. In other words: Brainwash your brain with a positive truth statement rather than a negative, fear-mongering statement.
* Schedule backwards
Take a little time to plan before you start chipping away at the to-do list. This is how to do it; write these things down:
- Begin with the end in mind. What will it look like when you are successfully finished with everything?
- Now, look backwards to the half-way point. What will you have finished by that point?
- Now, look at the halfway point to the halfway point. What will you have finished by that time?
- Now, look at the halfway point to the halfway point to the halfway point. What will you have finished by that time?
- This gives you a good feel to the pacing you need. How much will you be needing to accomplish each day?
- What will be your starting point?
- With that starting point, write out a schedule. (For more tips on this kind of schedule, my friend, Sabrina, has a freebie called Scheduling Backwards.)
Want more help getting life under control? Life coaching will help with that. Contact me to reserve a time to get started on a life free from overwhelm!
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