Overwhelm

Overwhelm is a feeling of being out of control which, if not addressed, can lead to stress and anxiety. We need to gain back the control, but are we letting our perception of time control (and overwhelm) us?

We often complete tasks depending on how long we think we have to do them in; if we think we have 3 months to complete something we’ll typically take 3 months to do it. But if we’re forced to do it in 3 weeks, we will do it in 3 weeks – therefore we had the time all along!

Author Jen Sincero advises that we must improve our relationship with time for ourselves and others and get organised. Using our calendar to block out realistic time for tasks and turning up for personal and professional appointments on time (or early!) is recognised good practice.

But what else can we do?…

Regain Focus

To focus, we first need to recognise our own individual distractions and then take measures to protect ourselves against them.

• Stop and ask “What am I doing?” Is this mindful and helping me in some way or am I spending hours mindlessly scrolling facebook/instagram/Vinted/favourite retailer site etc?
• Set yourself time limits for social media, shopping/trading sites or any other platforms which tempt you with shiny new posts and images – 15 minutes, then make a pact with yourself to do something else
• Leave your phone in another room when you go to bed – it gets easier after the first time, promise!
• ‘Prevent the ping’; turn off your phone’s email or message notifications during down times.

Resist the Rush

Use your phone clock alarm – set it 30 minutes before you need to leave the house to pack your bag, change clothes etc. Eliminate the last minute fluster in finding the keys, changing your mind about which coat to wear etc. You may well need longer if you’ve kids to organise.

Manage the Mountain

‘Chunk down’ and get unstuck. Chunking down a large project into manageable tasks will help you get started as well as prevent feelings of overwhelm:-

• Set yourself chunks of time for each task – 60 minutes of focus.
• Adding small tasks to your calendar with realistic deadlines for completion will, when achieved, build confidence and momentum for further action and ongoing progress.

Prioritise your Priorities

Write down your goals and their relevant tasks. Allocate a grade to each task for how important it is to you and to what extent doing that task will take you closer to achieving your goal and do those first. Consider which tasks must be done by you versus those which could be delegated to others.

Pay good attention to your own tasks before giving away your attention to other people’s priorities.

This may sound tricky at best, and selfish at worst. However completing a number of tasks necessary to moving you closer to achieving your own goals and objectives, before responding to messages from other people will move you forward and focus you on the right things.

This should ultimately leaving you with more time (which you could choose to spend supporting others if desired).

Increase Sleep Time

“Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day” (‘Why We Sleep’, Matthew Walker)

We all know that gaining more time in slumber will improve our daily focus. It also helps build our resilience to overwhelm. Napping can be an effective way to boost cognitive function, but it should not be used as a substitute for a full night’s sleep.

So are we actually developing the necessary habits required to increase our sleep time every night?

In her podcast, Mel Robbins suggests working backwards to identify your REAL bedtime:

• Consider the time you need to wake up then count 7 or 8 hours back to the time that you need to already be asleep.
• Consider how long it takes you to actually get to sleep once in bed (reading, getting comfy) and count this time backwards.
• Consider how long it takes you to prepare for bed – bathing etc and count this time backwards.
• If you’ve been honest with yourself about the above times, you now have your new REAL bedtime.
• Set your alarm for this time as a recurrence for every evening or before work days.

So we’ve smashed the above technique and we’re in bed ready for sleep.  So what do we do about the mind chatter which creeps in and stops us from slipping into our blissful slumber?

Breathe and Meditate

Managing our state is not only beneficial for when we want to get to sleep, but it can calm us when we’re feeling under pressure and want to manage feelings of overwhelm.

4-7-8 Breathing

Also known as relaxing breath, 4-7-8 breathing is a deep rhythmic technique based on pranayama practices. It involves a pattern of inhaling, holding the breath, and exhaling to reduce anxiety and feelings of overwhelm as well as promote relaxed sleep.

Try this breathing exercise using five steps:-

Breathing exercises become more effective with practice, so persist in incorporating these exercises into your nightly routine. Try this exercise alongside other helpful habits for sleep promotion; maintain a consistent bedtime and resist drinking coffee and eating large meals in the latter part of the day.

A benefit of consciously relaxing our muscles is that we silence our ‘mind chatter’. When we intentionally focus on relaxing the different parts of our body, we focus less on troubling thoughts. It’s amazing how much tension we hold in our bodies without realising it (I find the jaw a particularly good one to focus on relaxing).

Try adopting a number of these strategies as routine – after all, we all need and deserve to reap the benefits of a good night’s sleep.

*Please note that if you’re having persistent difficulty falling or staying asleep, it’s important to contact a health care professional for support.

We offer individual Coaching to support you in overcoming overwhelm and in gaining balance for the achievement of your personal and professional goals. To learn more, click here.