Ep. 79 How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed
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Ep. 79 How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed
If you’re like most of us, feeling overwhelmed is a regular part of everyday life. But what if it didn’t have to be? In this episode, we’re diving into the question of whether we can truly find a way out of feeling overwhelmed on a regular basis.
We’re talking about all this and more:
How to know if your level of overwhelm is a problem or not
The idea that being overwhelmed is a choice
8 practical strategies to stop feeling overwhelmed and anxious right away
The ways constantly feeling overwhelmed might be prideful
Alternatives to overwhelm (and thoughts that can help you feel that way)
Reconnecting to your greater purpose to create a life that doesn’t feel overwhelming in the first place
Links Mentioned In This Episode
Podcast Episodes from The Progress Project that can help you not feel so overwhelmed.
Our favorite blog post on time management
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Recap of Episode
How often do you feel overwhelmed?
The question that I would ask is this: “Are you generally overwhelmed or are you occasionally overwhelmed?”
I’d classify myself as occasionally overwhelmed, but I think some of us tend to live in a state of overwhelm and accept it as normal life.
Life is 50/50. Half good, half hard. This allows us to accept the occasional overwhelming days as part of the package. But if you’re overwhelmed 85% of the time, you can consider that it might not be normal or necessary.
What’s the opposite of overwhelmed?
The opposite of overwhelm is: Peaceful, in control, ease.
Isn’t that what we all want in our lives?
It’s a choice to feel overwhelmed or not -- there are seasons where we feel more overwhelmed or not.
If you look at it and really ask yourself, is this how I want to be feeling all the time, it’s probably not.
Strategies + Mindset to helping you feel less overwhelmed
Strategies help us get in control in the moment, mindset can help us solve the bigger problem of feeling overwhelmed generally.
8 Strategies to help you feel less overwhelmed & anxious
8 Strategies to help you feel less overwhelmed - Most people would say that they wouldn’t choose to be overwhelmed but it’s probably something that is unintentional -- they’ve fallen into this habit of being overwhelmed. Maybe they just haven’t had a chance in all of the busyness to intentionally create a different kind of life in the everyday.
Create some physical order, like doing the dishes and having a clean countertop or making your bed
Make sure you’re well-fed and well-rested
Download your brain
Make a plan & ruthlessly prioritize
Let something drop off your list.
Make it a game and experiment -- what does no one notice if you don’t do?
Commit fully to whatever is left -- no procrastinating
Pray for grace, discernment, & guidance
Sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking it all has to get done or the world will stop spinning. Yes, it is hard to choose what’s most important, but making the bold choice to NOT do something helps you fully commit to what’s left on the list.
Is overwhelm useful for you?
Decide whether or not overwhelm is useful for you. It’s normal and okay to feel, but make a choice not to dwell in it and live in a state of overwhelm. What if you just decided overwhelm wasn’t useful and was no longer an option for you?
There are alternatives to overwhelm! Here are a few ideas:
Capable
Curious
Excited
Humor
Ease
If you open yourself to these other possibilities of feeling something a tiny bit different, you might surprise yourself with what’s possible. Then your energy shifts and you can go back to the exact same plan but have a totally different energy about it.
Sometimes there are overwhelming things in our lives and the only way out is through. In those cases, maybe you just have to change your feeling about it.
Thoughts to try on instead of overwhelm:
Maybe it’s okay to disappoint people sometimes.
I’m actually very capable.
I wonder what’s actually important here.
It’s not me keeping the world turning.
What would happen if I didn’t do any of this?
Who would notice if I didn’t do this?
This is easy and completely doable.
Questions to ask when praying for guidance in not feeling so overwhelmed:
What’s most important? What is essential?
How can I simplify?
What can I NOT do?
Ask God to fill in the gaps of what you can’t do yourself.
If life is generally overwhelming:
Ask yourself: What do you want to actually be like? What is your life philosophy? What do you want to believe about your life? What do you want to create in your life? What do you want your days to look and feel like? What big changes do you need to make to make this a reality?
Reconnect to greater purpose & bigger goals
If you know the big picture of what your life is about, then you can look at the details of your life right now and ask yourself if they’re aligned. And if they’re not, then maybe you need to make some big decisions.
Be willing to take bold action so you can create the life you actually want.
Our favorite resources to helping you feel less overwhelmed
Our Full Find Your Purpose Course - Has helped many women feel less overwhelmed and find their true purpose in life!!!
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