Make Overwhelm a Thing of the Past

If you've ever felt overwhelmed, this one's for you. 

When we are in the middle of overwhelm we don't have the mental capacity to work ourselves out of it, so write this down and put it on a wall somewhere, so that when you're overwhelmed you can look at this and know what to do.  

There are two things that need to be handled when we feel like things are spinning out of control, or when there's too much to do.  We have to address it on a micro and a macro level.  

Start with micro.  It alleviates the stress right in front of you and makes room for the macro.  

How? Ask yourself two questions:

1. What can go?  There are always things you're doing that you don't need to be doing.  Identify that, get rid of it - trust me, you and everyone will be fine. 

2. What do I keep that is non-negotiable?  There are things that are more important than others today, just today...what are they?  Immediately when you focus on the urgent and get rid of the less urgent you'll be able to breathe.  This primes the pump for the macro.  

Macro is perspective change.  We get so stuck in the nitty gritty that we lose sight of the big picture.  What's your big picture? Is it family? Is it having a peaceful mind?  Whatever it is - identify it, write it down, put it on the wall in front of you and when things get crazy ask yourself, “what can I do today to feel more in touch with my big picture?”

When we take immediate action by deciding what must happen today, what shouldn't happen today and how to keep our minds focused on what's important, overwhelm becomes a brief moment that we can navigate and put behind us...which then leaves us open to working better and being happier.  

Send this to a friend who you know is all wound up and in need of some helpful tools.