Dealing with overwhelm
As I’m working on building this brand, I noticed I go from extreme excitement where ideas are flowing and the big picture continues unfolding and then the overwhelm creeps in little by little until it becomes crippling not knowing where I should even start to make all of this come to life.
I’m such a big picture, dreamer type person that when it comes down to bringing it to life, I have difficulty prioritizing what needs to be done first. And with so much to do I want to do things efficiently. I start down a path and realize how long it will take after digging into it and then question if this is the best thing to be spending my time on. It’s why after years of working, I have much in the background that never gets brought through to completion.
I’m getting this feeling of overwhelm now and I realized the way I soothe it currently is with consumption— be it food, coffee/tea, shopping, scrolling media. I know the opposite of consumption is creation. So now I’m trying to focus on how to keep my nervous system calm enough to actually push through and get something finished.
It’s ironic because the thing I’m getting finished is this post, which makes me smile a bit knowing that at least something useful will come out of all this! I got dressed and looked for a restaurant and had to question— am I even hungry, or am I just trying to soothe this anxious feeling I have inside. And I realized it’s a bit of both, but mostly the anxious bit.
What does the overwhelm feel like in my body?
A pit in my stomach
Fiddling legs
Racing mind
Mentally looking for an escape activity
Constantly reminding myself to refocus
Ways to calm my nervous system:
Give in
Temporary fix, but then the guilt of not moving things forward brings out other negative emotions after. Not the best fix, but certainly one I’ve used and let me tell you, I already know what that side of the coin looks like so I’ll move onto a few that actually help me regain my focus and excitement.
Breathe
Taking 10 slow, focused breaths can help slow the mind down. I’m always amazed by how much this helps. There’s something about paying attention to my inhale and exhale that reminds me everything is okay. It’s like it sends a signal to my anxious body that it’s okay to be calm.
Gratitude list
Focusing on the good can help curb the anxious spiral and get back on a positive thought path. I do this by asking myself—
In what ways is this good?
So many ideas!
Great content to share
Allows me to speak on what I’m passionate about
Reframe
Shifting the feeling to excitement. Scientifically, the chemical reaction for overwhelm and excitement is the same, it’s just a matter of how we decide to translate it. Athletes use this trick and can be the make or break for their game— get hyped up or psyched out. It happens to the most talented people and it’s all about building up that mental resilience.
Self-Talk
I do this by using affirmations. I typically turn to the wonderful mentors on TikTok here, so I’m sharing some of my favorite tips and reminders that help me shift the dialogue that’s happening in my brain.
There’s all the time left.
One step at a time.
I’ve got this!