“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
This classic saying sums up the power of simplicity in the face of overwhelming adversity.
There is beauty in being able to reduce a situation to its barest, simplest terms and thereby gain new clarity and control over it.
Here, I will explore my own experiences of being overwhelmed and the different techniques I have used to simplify the situation.
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Acknowledging the Overwhelming Feeling
When faced with serious challenges in my daily life, I have often felt a deep sense of overwhelm. This feeling can be accompanied by a range of emotions such as fear, anxiety, and discouragement.
Acknowledging this emotion has been important for me to make sense of it and begin to unhook from it.
An important first step for me in simplifying a seemingly insurmountable task is to permit whatever emotions I am feeling in the moment and to be mindful of them. I will acknowledge the emotions, but then try to “objectify” them by viewing them as separate from myself.
For example, I might say, “Being overwhelmed is a sensation in my body,” or “I am experiencing fear right now.” These simple and direct statements help me to gain control over the situation, set a framework within which I can work, and allow me to become present.
When I can stop identifying with my feelings and begin to see them as separate from myself, I can make sense of what is happening. My emotions, wishes, and desires all seem very clear here.
In practice:
“I’m feeling overwhelmed right now. “I am feeling deep fear and anxiety.”
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Breaking Challenges Down into Beneficial Action Steps
Rather than trying to tackle a problem all at once, breaking it down into smaller, more manageable tasks has been essential in simplifying my experience of overwhelming tasks.
As I learn to view my tasks in manageable chunks, it also helps me to stay focused on the task at hand and not become overwhelmed by the seemingly insurmountable nature of the entire problem.
By understanding the individual pieces, I can gain control over the larger picture.
For example, I previously wrote about simplifying my love stories.
Rather than trying to solve a problem in one fell swoop and thereby feeling overwhelmed, I eventually realized that I was experiencing too many intimate relationships simultaneously.
This realization was a crucial first step in simplifying my experience of love.
In practice:
“I am going to break this down into small, manageable chunks.” To do that, I will have to permit myself to…
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Creating a supportive environment
Many times, during times of overwhelm, it can become difficult to see the good when the bad feels so close. I have found it helpful to create an environment that is supportive and encouraging.
This includes surrounding myself with people who are positive and non-judgmental and who are willing to help and offer suggestions.
Additionally, listening to motivating music and locating myself in a calming environment (e.g., near nature, taking part in an enjoyable activity outside of work) can also be beneficial for simplifying the experience.
I have found that these steps help me to stay positive and give me hope amidst a seemingly overwhelming situation.
In practice:
“I would like to find a very positive and encouraging person who I trust and can ask for honest feedback. I would also like to listen to music that makes me feel motivated and sit outside in the sun or go do something by the water.”
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Taking a step back
When I am feeling overwhelmed and frustrated at the same time, one of the best steps I can take is to pause and take a step back from the situation.
This allows me to create a more objective perspective of the problem.
This additionally allows me to take stock of what resources I have available and how I can best use them.
Setting aside time to simply take a breath and reflect on the situation allows me to regain clarity and continue with a fresh and new outlook.
In practice:
“I’m feeling overwhelmed right now. I would like to find a very positive and encouraging person whom I can trust and ask for honest feedback from. “I would also like to listen to music that makes me feel motivated and sit outside in the sun or go do something by the water.”
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Making Time for Rest and Self-Care
When engaged in a seemingly insurmountable task or when faced with a feeling of intense overwhelm, it can be difficult to think of mundane tasks and activities that may help to restore balance.
However, to truly simplify a situation, I find it important to make time for rest and self-care.
This includes getting adequate sleep, eating nutritiously, and engaging in activities such as yoga and meditation that allow for relaxation and increased self-awareness.
By taking the time to focus on and attentively manage my physical and emotional well-being, I am better able to approach my challenges with clarity and also reduce the intensity of my experience of overwhelm.
In practice:
“I am feeling overwhelmed right now. I would like to find a very positive and encouraging person whom I can trust and ask for honest feedback from. “I would also like to listen to music that makes me feel motivated and sit outside in the sun or go do something by the water.”
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Facing My Limiting Beliefs and Setting Boundaries
I have found it helpful to consciously identify my limiting beliefs that may be playing a role in my struggles.
Once I am able to more clearly identify these beliefs, I can more directly challenge them and seek ways to overcome them.
I have found it helpful to journal about my limiting beliefs and the emotions that they have provoked in me in the past few weeks.
This has been a very helpful tool for helping me become familiar with the emotions that are associated with these beliefs so that I can then work towards challenging them.
In practice:
“I am feeling overwhelmed right now. I would like to find a very positive and encouraging person whom I can trust and ask for honest feedback from. “I would also like to listen to music that makes me feel motivated and sit outside in the sun or go do something by the water.”
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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