How to Overcome Being Overwhelmed

Today's topic is overwhelm. And my mission is to stop using the word. In fact, I am on a mission to help all of you stop feeling that way. And when people ask you how you are, you don’t say, "AH, I am just really busy." Or "things are so overwhelming." You actually feel good. And can share it. 

Sound good? Are you ready to take on this challenge with me? Operation overwhelm is overused.

Let’s find a better way for how to overcome being overwhelmed. 

A crazy thing happens when you start a business. You get all excited and energized to start it. This is the fun phase. And then you enter the, wow, this is actually going to take work phase, which is where the overwhelm sets in. As a solopreneur, which is where most of us start, we start dreaming of a business and don’t think about all the other stuff. Like marketing, technology, logistics, etc. We stick to the ideas.

I am on a mission to bring back the fun in running a business. Especially as a solopreneur. And to ditch the overwhelm. 

First, recognize the signs of overwhelm: 

• Your nerves might be shot.
• You are anxious. 
• Everything feels hard. 
• You are more tired than usual (this is so me)
• You crave sugary foods
• You are irritable
• You crave fun
• You feel like making spontaneous decisions

Next, try to identify what is causing it:

• Too many zoom meetings (that is me, seriously 12 per day is too much)
• No whitespace in your calendar
• Nothing “fun” planned. For me, that looks like a weekly acupuncture date and currently a Friday Starbucks. 
• You sit at your desk too long (try working in a new space or move around). In general, sitting is just bad. Stand. Walk outside, etc. 
• You don’t feel in control. You haven’t had a chance to plan and catch up. 

We recognized the signs and tried to dig a little deeper into what was causing it. Sometimes a good journal session or just 10 minutes of quiet will help with this. Once you figure out how to overcome being overwhelmed, the possibilities for growth are endless. 

How to Shift the Overwhelm

Next, let’s talk about how to shift the overwhelm. 

1. Just say no. You have to create that whitespace. You need quiet or time to adjust when things get crazy. 
   
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2. Let go of something. Most of the time overwhelm comes from when there is too much on our plate. What can you not only say no to but let go? The second piece of this is what can you delegate? A lot of times this is a scary question but it feels really good when you take the delegation step. 
   
   
3. Know your priorities. At some point, priorities are going to make the decision for you. Is it more important to watch the next episode of real housewives or go to bed 30 minus earlier? Not kidding these are real conversations I have with myself. I want to watch the show because it is the only time there is quiet in the day, BUT the sleep is better. And will make tomorrow better. So what is your priority?
   
   
   
4. Develop a self-esteem. Now this one was taken from a recent Thrive Magazine article because I am not an expert in this area, but it helps.  Do you feel the need to constantly prove, perform and produce? Oftentimes, underlying poor self-esteem is the culprit of overdoing and over-committing. Instead of understanding your own needs, you are constantly catering to the needs of others. The willingness to take time for self-care often requires self-love and self-esteem.
   
   
5. Do what you feel. What feels good to you? What is going to bring you joy? Every day doesn’t have to be a step-by-step plan. This is also where I tend to go off the grid. When I start to recognize the symptoms of overwhelm, I unplug and get off of social media, play my favorite playlist, take a bath, Etc.
   
   
6. Reimagine a new schedule. I did a whole blog post on this last week but also according to the Thrive experts, this is a huge step. Imagine a new lifestyle, from scratch. If you made your health and happiness a priority, what would your day look like? 

Even if all of these steps sound overwhelming at first, try to incorporate one or two of them into your week next week. We are on a mission. You and I together. Overwhelm is overused and we are going to stop it.

Looking for more on this topic? Check out the Strategy Lab in the Crush the Rush Club!