I’m standing in the kitchen, tidying, reviewing in my mind the things that I need to accomplish that day, and then I think of something else I should do this minute that’s more important. I get mad at myself for forgetting, leave what I was tidying in the kitchen unfinished, and move on to that forgotten task, which I likely also fail to complete because the chatter in my head about what needs doing overwhelms completion. This is one version of my overwhelm. It might be triggered by a genuinely busy day BUT the day doesn’t even have to “look” particularly busy.
Another version of overwhelm for me has not so much to do with the amount of busy, but the kind of busy. This overwhelm is me looking at my calendar (as an introvert) and seeing no time for me to be alone, no time to make reasonable transitions, or just too many big events with lots of people stacked up on one another (hello holidays!). The result is the same, a lot of spinning and discontent.
Yet another version (yes friends, I am an overwhelm expert)… I’m scrolling through my Facebook feed and feel myself being equal parts infuriated, disenchanted, and baffled by what I see going on the world, I’m well-informed but paralyzed. I have access to so much information, but have absolutely no idea what to do with any of it and so, more often than not, don’t do much with it and simply move on, in a much worse state of mind, to tending to the tasks of life’s daily necessity. Unsatisfied, bludgeoned by the world and judged by myself, wanting to crawl in bed and pull up the covers. Overwhelm as cold comfort.
What does your overwhelm look like? Do you withdraw, hide, play small so your life will shrink a little? Do you get sensitive and emotional? Do you find it difficult to accomplish your daily tasks? Do you only attend to your daily tasks in hopes that trudging through will force the feeling to go away?
Overwhelm is tricky in that it can be caused by so many things and can feel so many different ways, but there is a way out. And the way out always starts with getting very still, very quiet, breathing deeply and assessing your immediate circumstance. I don’t mean tomorrow, or next year, or even 5 minutes from now. What is happening exactly where you are this very minute? You can stop and breathe right here where you are. You can pause. You can allow everything to slow down. You can remind yourself that it is okay to pause, to rest, to allow your brain to settle, to allow your heart to simply beat. You can remind yourself that all you need to do right now is to breathe and feel the way that your heart beats for you, feel the way the blood pumps through your veins to your entire body, feel your breath slow down. Be glad in the quiet. Be glad that your body will allow you this peace. Be glad that you are able to slow down. Close your eyes and see the colors on the insides of your eyelids.
Rest.
When we learn to leave the tumult of overwhelm and allow stillness in, we increase our chances of discerning, with a clear mind and a loving heart, what it is that we most need to do. The other concerns line up in rank order or simply fall away as lacking importance. Peace is the first step to Finding the Ohhh in Overwhelm. If you want some help with the next steps, I sure would like to show them to you.
you are so right, being overwhelmed almost seems to be part of my daily life.
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Take a deep breath Angie.
Absolutely wonderful post, thank you for sharing! It’s so easy to become overwhelmed, especially at this time of year! xx
I have struggled during this time in years past and am so grateful to have found tools and strategies to help. I hope you have a lovely and restful week.
I found you through Chicken Chick’s Bloghop – I hope you’ll take a moment to visit my corner of blogland & leave me a msg to say ‘Hi’.
Funny how sometimes we forget the absolute & restorative power of quieting the mind by first quieting the body. Your writing style is very soothing; I imagine your voice & nature as being very comforting.
Thank you. I do what I can. I think we need a lot of quiet right now – or maybe that’s just me. 😉
I’ve feel overwhelmed pretty much 24/7/365 for the last 6 years. I keep thinking that it’s going to get better, but it never really gets all the way cured. I remember someone saying once…can you be whelmed? I mean most days I feel whelmed and then it’ll come to a head and I’ll feel overwhelmed then go back to whelmed. Basically I think unless I was a kid again I probably will be whelmed for the rest of my life.
It doesn’t need to be that way. I think we tell ourselves it has to be this way because we don’t know how to manage it. I can help if you want it. <3
Ohhh.. forgot to say I came over from Turn It Up Tuesday!
I love this, Julia – “the chatter in my head about what needs doing overwhelms completion.” That happens to me a lot! Thank you for sharing this thought-provoking and helpful post with us at Hearth and Soul.
I’m so glad you found it helpful April!