I Don't Do Overwhelm

When I hear the word “overwhelm”, I think of overpower. While one can be overwhelmed with joy, I want to explore and focus on the negative context - overwhelmed with something negative or unpleasant, such as work. When someone says, “I am overwhelmed with work (or workload)”, it usually means the work is too much to handle.

Overwhelmed to me triggers the sensation of drowning. It feels like I cannot pop my head above the water surface to breathe, despite being an avid swimmer. The rip current is so strong that it is sweeping me away and I am going to die.

That certainly does not feel pleasant and I don’t want to experience it. Why would I have that feeling of being overwhelmed?

In the past, I would have answered that it was due to my work load or work-life imbalance. Feeling overwhelmed seems justified, or even natural.

Let us explore this. Does it have to be true? For example, the hours you work is not exactly what determines your feelings about it. Why do some people think that working 12 hours straight is too much to handle and some people think that is amazing? The former group may have thoughts like, I should be working way less than 12 hours. The latter group may think that, it’s amazing to work 12 hours instead of 14 hours straight.

So it is our opinion, our thought about the situation that determines how we feel. This is an important realization. Although many times you cannot change your circumstances, you have the ability in you to change how you think or feel about it. This is great news, as managing our thoughts can lead to more desirable feelings. We take action based on how we feel, and actions determine our results.

We have a very powerful tool – our mind. If we can manage our emotions, we can move forward in the face of negative feelings.

Is overwhelm even a thing?

Being overwhelmed means that you are thinking something is too much to handle. When you have this thought, you will likely feel overpowered, suffocating, restricted, etc. Then next thing you will likely do is dwell in this overwhelmed state and not move forward. You may also try to avoid that feeling by distracting yourself, redirect yourself to focus on something else instead. You may also develop anger or frustration toward the situation, lashing out on other people. Or you may just hide. The potential results will be staying stagnant, no work gets done; indulging in other things and avoiding to face yourself and your true feelings; ruining relationships at work or at home. The ultimate consequence is that this whole situation makes you feel even more overwhelmed!

What if overwhelm is a choice?

Yes, it is optional. You get to decide not to feel overwhelmed. First, tap into your awareness. Identify what is the thought behind the feeling of overwhelmed. Ask yourself – is what you are thinking true? The absolute truth? Or is there another way to view the circumstance?

Be curious and open-minded. Explore in your brain how you can think of the situation differently. Are you in touch with your emotions? Fully experiencing the whole spectrum of your feelings?

In the midst of the raging sea of overwhelm, find the buoy with a light that is shining through. You get to decide how to manage your mind. The more you practice awareness, the more natural it is to identify the thoughts, the feelings, the actions and the results associated with any circumstance. Rewiring your brain takes time, and consistency is the key to successful rerouting your default thinking.

I don’t do overwhelm. I choose not to feel overwhelmed. I get to choose what to think by practicing my creativity. You can do it too.