3 Powerful Steps when you Feel Totally Overwhelmed [Crush It in 5 Minutes or Less]

My head swirls with all the things I should be doing. My heart beats fast, and an anxiety creeps in. The anxiety says I can’t do it all, and I don’t even know where to start. This is overwhelm. We’ve all been there. When suddenly there’s too much on our plate, too many voices clamoring for attention. Here are three concrete steps to take when we feel totally overwhelmed. It’s time to crush it.

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3 Powerful Steps When you Feel Totally Overwhelmed

When we feel totally overwhelmed, it’s not actually about everything that is on our list. It’s about how we feel about everything that is on that list. So we don’t have to get everything done before we stop feeling overwhelmed.

These three practical steps help us shift our mindset and tackle the to-do’s in a way that increases calm and confidence. And you can do them in five minutes or less.

1. Breathe Deep and Shift

First, take a deep breath, hold it for an extra moment, and release the air. Make your breathes slower and deeper, slower and deeper.

Overwhelm is a feeling. It’s an emotion that comes when we think, “I have too much to do, and I can’t do it all.” So a powerful way to conquer that overwhelm is to shift our thought process.

Deep breath in, slow release.

Research shows that this type of mindfulness meditation reduces stress and improves mental health.

As you breathe deeply, don’t think, “I’m fine, I’m fine. I can do it all.” Because we can’t. Our brains will recognize the lie.

Deep breathe in, slow release.

Instead, be honest. Rather than fight the reality, accept it.

“I can’t fix all the things. I can’t do it all.” Breathe deep and slow and teach your brain to be calm.

Then empower yourself.

“I can’t fix all the things. I can’t do it all. But I can do enough. I can do what matters most.”

You feel better already, don’t you?

2. Braindump

Now that we have shown our brains that we are going to survive and they can just calm down a bit, it’s time for some practical action to help us conquer that list.

It’s time for a braindump.

Get a piece of paper and write everything that comes to mind, everything that is causing stress.

Write down the things you need to do, the world problems that are worrying you, the habit of your child that is driving you crazy, and the fact that you have no idea what to wear to that big meeting tomorrow.

Write it all.

When we feel totally overwhelmed, it is therapeutic to take the jumble of craziness that is inside and put it in a finite list on the outside. In writing this list, we’re pulling our thinking brain into action alongside our emotional brain.

This whole brain working together is our best offense to fight overwhelm.

3. Make a Plan

Take a moment to address each item on your list individually.

Overwhelm happens when all these things hit us at once. But we can tackle just one thing. Look at each item and plan for its resolution.

All those things you need to do?

Mark the items that you can delegate or say no to.

Put your remaining tasks in order of most important and necessary timeline-wise to least important and can wait. Pull out the calendar and pencil in times to work on those most important things. Accept the fact that we can’t do it all, and if those little balls get dropped, life will go on. We will be okay.

Related: Organize Your Time

The world problems that are worrying you?

Give yourself a second to mourn the hard realities, and then look for the good. Find things to be grateful for such as our freedoms and opportunities, the reality that things can always change for the better, and the fact that we can influence for good those within our sphere.

The habit of your child that is driving you crazy?

Take a minute to look at the big picture. Remember that your child is just that, a child. Our kids are learning and developing just like we are. We can work through each hard stage together. Remember that this too shall pass.

Embrace a little more compassion for this kid with the crazy antics.

Then put this behavior on the list for your next Personal Quiet Time. During that time we can dig deep. What might be causing the behavior for my child? Why does it bother me so much? Are there unmet needs or is this a developmental stage? How can I best help my child resolve this behavior?

Learn about the behavior and find out how other parents have approached it. The Whole-Brain Child is a great parenting book that addresses a lot of behavioral challenges.

Click image for purchasing information.

Even if it feels like you are the only parent in the whole world dealing with this, you’re not. Learn from others and seek Divine guidance.

And the fact that you have no idea what to wear to that big meeting tomorrow?

You’re asking the wrong person there. But if it were me, I’d let my twelve-year-old and husband who have some fashion sense decide for me.

Crush It in 5 Minutes or Less

When that feeling of total overwhelm creeps in, set a timer for five minutes.

For the first full minute, breathe deep and affirm the reality that you can do what matters most. One minute might feel like a long time to just sit, but close your eyes and give yourself permission to handle life well.

For the second minute, braindump. Push yourself to write anything and everything.

During the last three minutes, devise your plan of attack for each item on your list.

This five minute process can transform our outlook. Before, we may feel totally overwhelmed. Afterward, we will feel calm and confident that we can do what needs to be done. You’ve got this.

Ready for some long-term solutions?

What helps you when you feel totally overwhelmed? What challenges are making things difficult for you right now? Please share in the comments.

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