How do we combat the feeling of being overwhelmed?
There is a monster in our minds. The monster is our feelings of being overwhelmed. Is being overwhelmed real? Some would argue, no. I have experienced it in the past few weeks, with all the new experiences and responsibilities I now have. When I get that feeling and the monster takes over my thoughts, I have come to realize it is not true. It has taken me time to recognize it, but feeling overwhelmed is a lie. We tend to feed this monster without even realizing it. This week I hope these thoughts will help someone crush the lie that they are overwhelmed.
When life gives you lemons you make lemonade, right? Unfortunately, many of us have some sort of reaction when things do not go our way. We express anger, or feel frustrated and probably lash out at others. The good news is that you can control those responses by rising above them. Our first response to bad news is an audible sigh or complaint. When we learn to control that first response, we can control our minds much better. Take time to pause and refrain from responding negatively. Control your mind and body.
There are angels among us who are great relationship builders and lift others up. Lean on these unsung heroes. When we feel overwhelmed or underappreciated these individuals will guide us and breathe new life into us. Great colleagues can make the greatest difference in our times of need. Everyone should have a person who fills this space in their lives. We also must be this angle for others too.
The words we speak to ourselves, and others become true. If we continue to tell ourselves we are tired or overwhelmed, we become tired and overwhelmed. We start to believe it. If we change the wording in our minds to a positive, uplifting way that motivates us, we could believe that as well. When we tell ourselves we are going to have a great day and achieve our goals, we tend to do so. Our words have power for us and others. We must always speak highly of our colleagues and ourselves because words have power and unintentional consequences when used poorly.
I firmly believe the opposite of being overwhelmed is acting. When we are really overwhelmed, that means we have a lot of things to do. So, start crossing items of your to-do list. Acting will minimize any feeling of being overwhelmed. This is an opportunity to build momentum in the right direction. Each task you start builds upon another, that gets you to the finish line quicker. Momentum is the repellent to the monster in your mind.
How do you manage your mind and body when you are overwhelmed?
Who is a trusted colleague that keeps you grounded when the need arises?
How are your words contributing to the feelings of being overwhelmed?
What tasks could help you reduce being overwhelmed?
Don’t allow the overwhelming monster to reside in your head and lead your life. You have the ability and strength to conquer the monster; defeat him to live your best life. I wish you luck working through your moments of frustration and feelings of being overwhelmed this week. I appreciate those of you who check in each week and as always, please leave a comment that will contribute to this conversation.
Steven C. Bucks- Leading Conversations
~Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member~
