Shifting Your Mindset and Capacity for Overwhelm to Support Your Growth
Why do we feel overwhelmed?
It’s actually natural to feel overwhelmed. It’s an early warning system that feels uncomfortable, prompting us to pay attention and do something differently. In past generations, feeling chronically overwhelmed was much less common. These days, though, our constant access to technology and our mindset have created a sense of overwhelm, even when our circumstances arguably do not require us to take on everything we do.
Overwhelm for one person is different than overwhelm for another. We're all born with a particular threshold for stress, and our personality and genetics will determine how much we can handle. However (and this is great news), we can increase our capacity through routines that maximize our recovery and get us closer to our goals. This is also a much more fun, relaxed, and sustainable approach.
As uncomfortable as it feels in the moment, overwhelm is actually a protective sensation.
Overwhelm is warning us that we're doing more than we think we’re able to. It's asking us to pause and pay attention to our thoughts, feelings, and body sensations. And these days, many of us are ignoring these warning signals and pushing through in favor of productivity and people pleasing.
What is the difference between pushing ourselves to achieve goals and unhealthy overwhelm?
Mindfulness. You have to understand the reasons behind your actions and love the reasons why you're doing things. At no time can pushing yourself be to your detriment. Now, there may be times when you're working on a big project or preparing for a holiday gathering when you intentionally choose to feel overwhelmed for a short while, but things go back to normal once you reach your goal or hold the event. Sadly, though, many of us start to live our lives in this state, and it takes a significant toll on our mental and physical health.
We can agree that living in a constant state of overwhelm does not feel good and isn't supportive for us in the long term. However, by changing our routines and capacity towards more balance, we can actually increase our overwhelm for a short time. On the other side, though, it makes us more capable and resilient.
How can we manage overwhelm when trying to make lasting changes to our lives?
Even though it doesn’t feel so good in the moment, trying something new is actually a neutral circumstance. This means that it's neither good nor bad; it simply is. I get it — it may not FEEL neutral at first, but practice will help us get there.
There are often thoughts like:
I don’t have the capacity
I don’t know how
It’s too much
This is uncomfortable
Read over the list of thoughts again and ask yourself: what sensations do these thoughts create in my body? How do they make me feel?
I will often feel stressed and anxious when my mind starts bringing up these thoughts.
What you can do: Notice the sensations and feel them while you count to 30. The feeling will pass with time and appreciation.
In order to feel differently, like committed, determined, and in control, we need to think differently.
Here are some thoughts you can try to evoke new feelings:
I can handle it
I have a plan
It’s okay to feel feelings — they’re my friends
I want my goal, and it's worth the discomfort
Urges pass
These are strong thoughts, but they’re only thoughts
When you find and practice supportive thoughts that work for you, your mindset will change.
Another helpful way to begin doing new things — say you want to start a daily walking habit or increase your daily vegetable intake — is to write down your intentions each morning. Even just a few minutes of journaling or jotting down a few thoughts about what you plan to accomplish will help you move closer to your goals.
You'll move slowly towards goals, you won’t quit, you'll keep going despite setbacks, and it will feel easier over time!
Ultimately, overwhelm is a signal that we need to pay attention to. Our brains tell us that we need to push and get things done. However, this is not a sustainable lifestyle, and we need to be very aware of our mind and body fatigue.
Being aware of the internal and external pressures to overwork in your personal and professional life. These unhelpful thoughts can make us feel unwell, but they can be transformed with awareness.
Your future self will appreciate the slow, deliberate steps you are taking now, towards a more balanced future.
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