Written by: Kaye Doran, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Lately, a lot of people have been speaking to me about how overwhelmed they are feeling. This seems to have become more prevalent in the last few years due to all the uncertainty highlighted by the pandemic.
Life is always going to present us with challenges and now, more than ever, we need to learn how to feel at the helm of our life, rather than feeling like a ship being tossed around in rough waters.
Overwhelm takes over when we lose focus and a certain structure. When our thoughts, feelings, and actions become unclear and untethered and swirl around the internal landscape like pieces of straw blowing around in the wind creating a chaotic mess.
The problem with overwhelm is if it is not recognized, reigned in, and restructured, it can become a dark cloud that hovers over our lives, halting our progression forwards; leaving us stuck in the comfort zone with a feeling of hopelessness which can lead to depression. Lost dreams of our life and its possibilities.
Overcoming overwhelm requires change and although the process of change is simple, people do not always find it easy.
Let me break the process down for you
Recognise you are feeling overwhelmed and have the desire to change.
Know that it is a matter of decluttering and reorganizing.
Specify what is overwhelming you
Identify the limiting thoughts and fears that have highjacked your mind.
Write down your fears to confront and diffuse them.
Ask what is most important to you. Personally, and professionally.
Get clear on how you would like the landscape of your life to look.
Create three to four short statements that align you to your desired outcomes.
Prioritize what you need to do from most important to least.
Identify where you need to redefine and reset your boundaries.
Applying these ten steps is like gathering up the pieces of straw and creating a mighty dart that can kill a beast. The beast is the overwhelm and the dart is your laser focus.
I used to ride motorbikes and I was taught that when turning, to always focus on where I was heading, and that way the motorbike follows the point of focus. Our minds are the same, if we lose focus of where we desire to go in life, our direction, and focus on all the fears, information, and to-do lists, we end up traveling in that direction. Destination overwhelm!
If we live in the realm of overwhelm for too long, it becomes the new normal. The comfort zone. We have become conditioned to remain in our comfort zones. The comfort zone is not necessarily the most productive place to remain, however, at a certain level, it feels safe. Remaining in the comfort zone is where we feel powerless to change.
Change is simple, yet people do not find it easy because it requires us to draw on inner energy to push us beyond where we are now. The steps I have outlined are simple, however, if not actioned and aligned with nothing changes, and remember that a part of us wants to stay in the familiar.
I myself know that if I do not go to the gym twice a week and have a personal trainer to get me into my uncomfortable zone, then I lose focus. The same as if I stop meditating, setting boundaries, and redefining my days and the landscape of my destination. I feel overwhelmed.
Decluttering is about creating space. In the external spaces around you like your home or workspace. Decluttering the mind of limiting thoughts and the emotions that accompany it. Decluttering the rubble in the pathway before you is the clearing of the fears. Fears are your projections into the future. Hold these projected fears long enough and that future will rise to greet you. Remember the motorbike analogy? In a previous article, I have written how to write the fears in a way that diffuses them.
Visiting what is important to you helps you to reorganize and refocus your why in life. Your why is part of your fuel. Being clear on the landscape is part of your motivation in life. It is supporting the refocusing process of the mind onto a clear image.
The creation of short statements is to realign your scattered thoughts into something more conducive to your outcome and helps to keep you in the now moment. It anchors your thoughts. Wherever possible start your statement with I am. Remember to keep it to three or four powerful statements so you remain laser-focused. The list of priorities will help you know what is important, like having a map. I recommend that you start each week with set tasks toward fulfilling those priorities, leaving a little room for the unexpected because the unexpected always happens. Remain fluid in your approach to what needs to be done.
Your boundaries are for you. They are like the white fluorescent markers on the side of the road to stop you from going over the edge. You can establish boundaries around work, relationships, finances, health, and well-being, and don’t forget to have a boundary around time for self-care and enjoyment.
I can guarantee that if you stay the course with these steps and usher in support as required you will overcome overwhelm and be living a life of joy. After all, don’t we all deserve to live a life we love, and doing that means making choices to do so.
Lean in and put into action and keep putting into action until a new normal is created.
“The power of change is in your hands.”
Go to my website, to set up a zoom call so we can discuss how I can best support you.
Kaye Doran, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Kaye Doran is an entrepreneur, facilitator, speaker, women’s leadership and life coach, shamanic healer, and creator of Inner Expressions, helping women realize their leadership from within. An unshakable optimist, she lives with a foot in both worlds – physical and spiritual, working with her unique blend of gifts in connection, knowing, shamanic energy sound healing, and accredited master life coaching. She empowers women with self-worth and the ability to create change. Supporting them to feel and know their inner power moves them beyond their comfort zone and back into the driver’s seat of their life. She has been working with women for three decades – and working on herself longer. Her motto is, “the power of change is in your hands.”
