3 ideas on how to stop feeling overwhelmed

This year I committed to a mastermind intensive course that will help me focus on my goals. Part of this process involves extensive planning and creating a broad overview of where we want to end up.

It was eye-opening (and slightly frustrating). And even though our objectives are different, you and I likely have one common distraction.

Too much input leads to loo little output.

Information overload can lead to a very ineffective to-do list, trust me on this.  When we constantly keep adding more to our brains, we risk becoming productively paralyzed.

 

 

We have brains that are easy to take for granted. But this year I want to spend more time guarding my systems. Treating my brain, my body, and my goals like precious friends. Not drowning them in more, more, more ___________.

The goal isn’t to overwhelm, but inspire action.  But girlfriend, I bet though you know all about overwhelm. Just like me. Action is hard to implement when we feel like we are falling apart.

 

Why am I so easily overwhelmed?

Our brains and hearts and bodies are bombarded with information. All the time.

We binge-watch shows in an effort to shut down for a while, our fingers scroll through endless feeds…seldom stopping to leave an encouraging comment to the content creator, or put the idea into practice before continuing.

News shouts bad news in the background while we make dinner. We sign up for classes before finishing others.  Books get ordered while there are still piles unread.

Suddenly we feel overwhelmed and frustrated, wondering what to do next. Science shows that distractions might feel great, in the moment, but have the potential to be addicting.

 

 

Even good things lose their delight when there is too much competition to enjoy them.

“The primitive part of our brain responds not just to threats, but also to opportunities. So each time we respond to a modern-day ‘opportunity’ like, say, a text? It rewards us.  Each time you change activities your brain responds with a feel-good dopamine hit.

 So yes, you could argue that information overloading can improve your moods. Except for the minor fact that it’s addictive. Each stimulating distraction adds dopamine, until you are on the addictive ‘dopamine loop’. The true danger of cat videos….” – Andrea Blundell

 

What is feeling overwhelmed a symptom of?

At the end of the year do you want to feel like it was a disappointment, OR be proud of what you accomplished? Limit the input to find peace of mind.

One thing preparing for this class made me realize? Being a dreamer means I have WAY more ideas than actual time.

It is not even on the possible spectrum in one year, let alone probable. I needed to cut waaaayyyy back and be realistic about my hours.

Have you stopped to consider where you spend the bulk of your “spare” time? Set a date with a notepad and pencil to really understand where the moments go.

It is a great exercise that puts things into perspective and establishes a more rewarding lifestyle.

 

 

What 3 things to try when feeling overwhelmed with life

• Set the tone of your home. This is the one place we can control some of the stimulation and provide our brains some peace! Remember that we have a  choice of what we invite into our sanctuary.

Guard against too much news (be informed without being destroyed). It is hard to create a beautiful life if we constantly invite chaos. Add scents that feel calming. Enjoy total silence…or perhaps classical music to let your brain rest from “words”

• Do a no (input) freeze. You know how people do “no spend January” etc. to regain order in their finances? Let’s apply that to our brains. No more signing up for things until we finish what we already have going…and it if isn’t interesting anymore, that is ok! Free up space in our mental “budget” for something new and ditch it.

Leave interesting new books on your Goodreads list until the ones on the shelf are read. Perhaps a media fast would be refreshing, albeit uncomfortable at first, to stop bringing in more images, suggestions, words, recipes. Just stopping the feeling of adding more to an already full plate

• Create an idea dump location. Christa at Do A New Thing taught me to have a visual shelf to offload the ideas that keep coming. As prep work for the intensive I am doing, this was imperative. Trello is a free website that creates visual bulletin boards to keep those future plans safe, and current projects organized. I really like it!

It is therapeutic to just let the stuff get OUT of our brains, and then pick up the piece we want. Choosing, instead of spending so much mental energy trying to make sense of juggling it all

 

How to cope with feeling overwhelmed

Friends, we most likely want the same thing. A peace-full, rewarding, and impactful life we can celebrate. Let’s make this the year that we pursue that instead of getting tripped up by all the distractions.

If too little input means too little output, then quality and curated input will offer an outpouring of things that matter to us on a deeper level.

An excellent way to embrace the life you have, right now. It can be imperfect, you can have distractions, and STILL embrace the joy of knowing you are pursuing a life well-lived.

Not just surviving the day. You deserve more than that friends.

We NEED you to show up and do your thing. For yourself and your joy, and for each other.

Let him who means to love life, and see good days, seek peace and pursue it” (1Peter 3:10-11)

 

Prayer for feeling overwhelmed

 

(download your free prayer how to stop feeling overwhelmed printable here)

 

Resources to stop feeling overwhelmed:

• The Art of Rest: Faith To Hit Pause In A World That Never Stops
• Peace with the Psalms: 40 Readings to Relax Your Mind and Calm Your Heart
• Find Peace: A 40-day Devotional Journey For Moms
• Not Just A Mom: The Extraordinary Worth of Motherhood & Homemaking 
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