Life coaches and others who help people manage their lives have coined a new noun to describe the feeling of being overwhelmed by work or worry: overwhelm. What is overwhelm? More importantly, how do you deal with being overwhelmed?
Two dictionary definitions of overwhelm offer clues to how to effectively manage it:
- "Charge someone with overwhelming tasks."
- "Cover completely or make imperceptible."
The first of these definitions is more obvious than the second. Substitute the word "yourself" for "someone" and you have the clue to one way to deal with being overwhelmed. More often than not, it's we who put too much pressure on ourselves. We want to earn more money, have an active social life, exercise daily and enjoy quality time with our families all at the same time. All of these things are important, but only because each of them can help improve or enhance the quality of our lives. If trying to juggle all these things at once becomes overwhelming, it defeats their purpose. If you feel overwhelmed by the demands you make on yourself, it's probably time to start prioritising your commitments and responsibilities.
When we become overwhelmed, we often literally "cover completely" our ability to lift the burden from our shoulders and relax. When this happens, it is easy to feel like the only way out is to keep doing the same things that cause us to feel overwhelmed in the first place. This can become a dangerous practice and lead to chronic stress and even stress-related disease. If you feel "swamped" (covered completely) with work or worries, it's vitally important to find a way to set them aside and take a temporary breather. Some ways to do this may include:
- Have a massage once a week. A massage not only feels good, it can actually release built up bodily tensions that can contribute to your feelings of overwhelm.
- Meditation is a great way to deal with overwhelm. Studies have shown that even short meditation sessions can have tremendous stress relieving benefits.
- Self-administered acupressure techniques such as EFT and Thought Field Therapy are popular methods used to deal with overwhelm. They are said to work by releasing energy blockages in the body; the very blockages that may be preventing you from finding a solution to overwhelm.
- Aromatherapy can be profoundly relaxing and rejuvenating. The sense of smell is directly linked with the pleasure centres in the brain. An aromatherapy session may be all it takes to lift you out of a feeling of overwhelm.
Another technique many self help gurus recommend is list writing. Sit down and make a list of everything you have to do without prioritising or editing. Often we feel overwhelm because of all the things we have do in a day. By writing a list, you can gain a sense of control over your life again. After you've written the list, go through it again and start prioritising. What are the most essential things that have to be done? When do they have to be done? How long will they take? Now that you have a handle on your day, you can focus on each task in turn and won't feel as overwhelmed by them all.
If overwhelm becomes, well, overwhelming, then it might be time to seek some professional counselling. There are dozens of counselling styles to choose from and you can surely find one in your area that resonates with you and they may prove to be the best and fastest way to deal with overwhelm. Whatever you do, don't let overwhelm get the best of you. There are solutions: you just need to find the ones that work for you.
Originally published on May 28, 2012
