And how to quickly get back on your feet! #EmergencyPlan
Busyness is a fact. Being overwhelmed is an emotional state.
When we have already a lot on our plate, and more things keep coming at us: people throwing requests, expecting answers, waiting on us, deadlines to meet, unexpected events… it is very easy to be swept off our feet and move from being just busy to feeling completely overwhelmed.
Today was one of these days. Jam-packed. No time to take a breather. Things adding up on my to-do list. Doing my best to stick to the plan and be on time to meet my obligations.
Sounds familiar? From time to time or regularly? Maybe it is even your norm...
Being busy is one thing. Feeling overwhelmed is another.
When we are busy, we remain in charge of our energy and thoughts. One can have a very tight schedule with tons of things happening and obligations to fulfil and still remains focus and centred.
Moving into the feeling of overwhelm means that our boundaries have been crushed.
We aren’t in charge anymore; we are simply trying to cope the best we can with everything that we are being bombarded with. Energetically, we put our guard down. We forget that we are the ones in charge of our life, energy and actions, and become puppets merely reacting to the outer world, people or circumstances. We cannot think clearly, and our decisions and actions are negatively impacted.
A stressful, dis-empowering and exhausting situation.
But it happens. After all, we are all humans learning to navigate this life. Here are three practices that I find extremely efficient to get back on my feet when I feel overwhelmed (or sometimes have lost it completely!).
Overwhelm Emergency Plan
1.Take a 5-minute break to breathe, drink some water and focus your attention back to your body. A quick and great way to ground yourself in the here and now.
2.Keep your inner dialog in check. Your thoughts are the main gateway to feeling overwhelmed:
- There is no need to repeat in your mind or think continuously about ALL the things you need to do – you know! you have an agenda, your phone or an assistant to remind you if need be.
- There is no point either to worry about the potential disasters or “what if's” that could occur. Trust that you will deal with any unexpected events when they come up - if they ever do!
It only dilutes your focus; your energy is scattered among the millions of “next things to do”. This, in itself, is exhausting.
Be more “mindless” – you don’t actually need to think all the time – try! It’s fun to see how efficient we are when we don’t think unnecessarily.
3.Come back to the present moment.
- One thing at the time – even when you are multitasking. Focus on being focused, on being fully at what you are doing! Your energy and attention will fully stay with you, and your mind will be clear and sharp.
- It also naturally reset and reinforce your boundaries. People will respect your personal space, like by magic!
Being a busy bee doesn’t need to lead to burn-out!
Use these simple techniques as often as needed, all or alternatively. They are self-reinforcing and will improve the way you handle challenging days and work overload.
I wish you a wonderful, bustling and vibrant week!
Until next time!
Rachel
PS: let me know how these techniques work for you, or if you’d like to go deeper ;-)