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Quick and Dirty Tips When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed

21/3/2018

Six Quick Steps to Overcome Overwhelm

Because of my chosen vocation—coaching—I’m immersed daily in the self-help world where there is more than a glut of information and suggestions available, which causes me to feel overwhelmed some days. Your overwhelm may be with your work, relationships, your health, etc. Here are some quick responses that help me and may apply to you.

Step One: Awareness (duh!)
Scan your body. Is your jaw clenched? Are your shoulders scrunched? Is your stomach tight? Inhale and send breath and energy to each specific area.

Step Two: Step Away
Go for a walk. No matter the time pressure, you can always take a washroom break; wash your hands, throw water on your face. Take a coffee break.

Step Three: Third Party Poll
Ask yourself; What would my mom, my friend, my coach, looking at my situation, see and say?

Step Four: Perspective
What part of this will matter to me, anyone or the world in 10 minutes? A few hours? 6 weeks from now? This time next year?

Step Five: Small Steps
Acknowledge what you’re currently doing well or in alignment with your truth and your goals. Take the information you’re presented with and determine if you can implement one, small part of it. Let one small step be enough. If that feels good and there’s no resistance, add another small step.

Step Six: F it! (‘had to put in the ‘dirty’ part as advertised ;)
If there’s resistance around one, small step then the information is not for you right now. Rest and do something fun. (The Answer to All Your Problems) Inspiration and energy will return all on its own.

If you are in CHRONIC OVERWHELM you might want to read this, and then please, enlist some help. Isolation, I have found, is fertile soil for overwhelm.

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Doing Something Different

14/3/2018

2 Comments

Rest and Change

Doing Something Different

I’m Back (did you notice I was gone?)

People! I love this photo. If you’re my ‘friend’ on Facebook or elsewhere you are most likely tired of it by now, but I loved this experience – zip linning! And I love the feeling the photo captured; I’m excited and proud of myself.

I realize I am fortunate, in so many ways, but this time particularly because I just returned from two weeks in Mexico and it was wonderful. Sun, heat and water are truly a recipe for relaxation and restoration and I certainly appreciated it, every, single day.

I’ve written often about the importance of rest. I believe rest is the single, best way to regain not only physical energy and strength but also emotional and creative energy and strength. I know that it is not possible, for many and varied reasons, for everyone to get away to rest, but there are always ways to spark shifts in the way we see and do things. Change can really be just as good as a rest.

Easy Ways to Spark a Shift

Go a Different Way. Literally
Take a different route to work. If you drive, take the train or a bus. Park a distance away from your destination and walk—observe the environment, the people, the different surroundings—pretend you’re new to the place and you’re taking it all in.

Wear Different Clothes
You may not be able to shop for new clothes, but what about wearing pieces you’ve never worn together before? Try on some different combos of what you already own. Change the shoes, add a scarf or a hat.

Watch a Documentary about something or some place that you’re curious about.

Try a Food or Recipe from a culture you’ve never tried before.

Role Play
Try it with someone you know well, your child, your friend, your spouse, just for fun. Have a conversation where you pretend you’re them and they pretend they’re you. You may be surprised the insight you receive about yourself and they too could learn something from you.

Pretend you’re your favourite movie star, music idol or famous person.
How would they handle your situations? What would they say? How would they say it?

Allow a Change in Perspective

Just allowing your mind the opportunity to see new things or see things from a literal different place can shift perspective, give the mind and body refreshment and maybe even solve a perplexing problem or two. It can motivate us to expand ourselves and how we operate in our world. It could change the way we see ourselves.

My recent trip got me out of my habits and comfort zones and it changed my perspective. I was in a totally different environment, I wore different clothes, I ate different food (sooo good!), I experienced a different culture and I challenged myself to do things that made me uncomfortable! I came home not only refreshed but with a fresh outlook. I took the opportunity to change some of the ways I do things and set my sights on some challenging goals.

Try One Small Thing

I hope you don’t just read the suggestions. I hope you try one. Or come up with an idea of your own. Do one, small thing differently and observe. Let me know if it sparks anything different.

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Quick and Dirty Tips When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed

Doing Something Different

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