Connecting back to my post from last week, when there’s a lot going on in the world and/or in our own lives at the same time, it’s not uncommon for the feeling of overwhelm to appear. The way we each deal with this feeling is as unique as we are – exercise, cleaning, coffee, walking the dog and seeing a counsellor are just a few of the ways people in my life tackle overwhelm.

When I experience overwhelm, I notice it’s very similar to how I feel when I experience an anxiety attack and so how I deal with it is also similar. We live in a time, especially following the pandemic where I see people experiencing overwhelm a lot, and so this week I wanted to share what I have found helpful in these moments.

First, Connect With Yourself. What I mean by this is stop whatever you’re doing, push back from your desk, put your devices down and get in touch with your body. If you’re sitting, let your feet rest on the floor, close your eyes, let your arms hang down by your side, and breathe. Take a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. Repeat breathing in and out a couple more times. This approach usually helps me feel centered. If you know this won’t work for you, change your scenery. Go outside or put your favorite music on and go for a walk.

Next, Identify the Problem. When I experience overwhelm, I usually know what caused it, though not always. Once I’m feeling centered and able to think more calmly, I need to understand what the problem is, and what helps me most at this point is to be able to talk out loud. I feel fortunate to have great people in my life, and a few who are reciprocal sounding boards. As someone who is very used to overthinking, I know that talking out loud, sharing what I’m feeling and listening to advice is the most helpful way to figure out next steps.

Then comes Action A Solution. Once I’m centered, know what caused the overwhelm and have an idea about how to tackle it, the next step is to put said plan into action.

As I was writing this, I was thinking about a specific example I could share, which takes us back into 2021. It was the intersection of the second year of the pandemic, and my Mom’s diagnosis of and treatment for breast cancer, while still working mostly at home and not really knowing what was ahead. Years ago, when I was first learning how to navigate my anxiety, one of the most important things I was taught was being present and going a day at a time. Doing both of these was immensely helpful. As you may already know from previous posts, my Mom, thankfully is now cancer free.

While this is my approach, it’s also important to note that it took time for me to learn and practice these steps. Be kind to yourself as you figure out how best to navigate overwhelm, which brings me to a couple of reflection questions I want to leave you with this week:
- When you feel overwhelmed, what is your approach to navigating it, and if you don’t have an approach yet, what could serve you best in those moments?
- For the people you have in your life regularly – family, friends, coworkers – do they know how to best support you when you feel overwhelmed?