By Gary, on August 19th, 2012
We all have this feeling every once in a while. We all cope with it some way or another. It can completely stop us in our tracks leaving us feeling inadequate or incapable. Sometimes the feeling of being overwhelmed can be the result of our perception of the current situation(s). Other times being overwhelmed is just because of the reality we are in. Each of us will have to do some self-reflection to determine what our perception/reality ratio is that causes us to feel overwhelmed. Whatever this ratio is, you will need to take real steps to overcome this feeling.
Personally, I have spent my entire career mired in being overwhelmed by too little time to do the work, too many things due at the same time, not enough in the budget to spend the time to do it right. Recently it has turned to a major disruption in my life and having to do things I was not trained to do. Each time, starting and proceeding to the finish are the steps I would use to overcome feeling overwhelmed.
It could be cleaning your house, getting your car fixed, fighting traffic to get to an important meeting, paying bills, having time for yourself, etc. Or, it could be a death in the family, a divorce, a loss of job, etc.
I think it all filters to this:
We feel that we are not in control of our own lives.
What to do
Think back. When did you last feel overwhelmed? and how did you deal with it? How did you handle it? What did you do? When did the feeling go away?
If you can answer these questions, then you can help yourself deal with feeling overwhelmed. If you can’t answer them, then here are some steps to take:
- Determine the outcome (what you want). “I need the garage cleaned out enough to park both of my cars in it.”
- Subsequent Steps (find the path to take). “I need to put the stuff somewhere.” “Can I do a garage sale?” “Should I throw the stuff it away?” “Can I organize the garage better?” Should I rent a storage unit?” Etc.
- Determine the starting point (what can I do first?). Maybe it’s throwing things away or giving things away. Maybe it’s buying or building storage shelves.
- Start (most important step). You cannot finish if you do not start. Start the process and keep moving toward the outcome you have set. You will be amazed at the progress you will have. The feeling of being overwhelmed will transform to the feeling that you have control over this part of your life. It is a positive feeling which will then attract other positive feelings. My mother-in-law had a saying: “To get to there, you had to put one foot in front of the other repeatedly. Before you know it, you will be there.”
There are many books and systems that can also help you. Please take advantage of them.
Don’t lose hope.
