Three Actions to Help When You Feel Overwhelmed
Have you noticed yourself feeling overwhelmed lately?
Is there so much to do that you don't know where to begin, so you find yourself shutting down? It is easy for me to find myself in that exact spot - sitting on the edge of the bed and staring out the window for a while, or scrolling for muuuch longer than intended on the Instagram. If you can relate, I want to share 3 helpful actions with you that I do when that feeling of overwhelm shows up that might help you as well.
1. Name one emotion
Often, when we say, “I feel overwhelmed” it is kind of an umbrella word that encapsulates many emotions all at the same time. I have found that when overwhelm shows up, it's a sign for me to pause and get curious. What is one emotion that I am feeling right now? I take time to name just one of the emotions. When we can connect to and feel one emotion it can help us to not have to feel everything all at once.
2. Look for one small way to ground your body
If you are feeling overwhelmed, what is one small way you can ground? Can you step outside and get your feet on the earth? Can you sit with your face in the sun for a few minutes? How about pausing to take in some deep breaths? There are so many different breathing techniques to be found using YouTube. While Wim Hoff is my favorite, he might not be yours, and that is ok. Maybe you prefer box breathing. The internet has a wealth of different breathing techniques to try.
3. Take time to connect to safety
The feeling of overwhelm could be trying to communicate that there is a part of you that does not feel safe. If that is the case, you can close your eyes and think of a moment when you did feel safe. Maybe you were at the ocean or on top of a mountain. You could be with someone in this memory or all by yourself. Let yourself notice how you feel in your body in that moment. Ask yourself these simple questions:
What do I see?
What do I hear?
What do I feel?
What do I smell?
What do I taste?
Let yourself connect to the moment with all five of your senses. When you're done, check in with your body and see how you are feeling. Our goal with connecting to safety is getting 1 to 5 percent more safe, so even if you only feel a teeny tiny bit more safe, that is great!
Which will you try?
Which of these 3 ideas sounds like something that would be helpful for you to try? If you do try one of these let me know! I would love to hear about your experience.
