Overwhelm can overtake us quickly, but it's usually been building in the background...

You might not have noticed it building up, perhaps you just felt it "tip" into a state of slight panic, a loss of confidence, a dull, aching realization that you are in over your head.

Here is something you can do right now to alleviate this feeling.

Deep Rhythmic Breathing

Imagine a spot just below your navel.  Breathe into that spot and gently fill your abdomen with air.  Inhale through your nose; let the air fill you up, watch your abdomen slowly rise.  Then slowly release the air through your mouth, let it out, like a slow moving tide.  Place you hand on your abdomen to feel it fill and then deflate as the air slowly comes in and slowly goes out.  If it helps, bring to mind the rhythmic sound of waves lapping on shore & slowly breath in time to the rhythm.

With every long, slow breath out, feel the tension you are holding in your body relax.  Better?

Consider taking a break.

Stand up, stretch, further release the tension in your body.  Your mind can't relax until your body does.

Make a list of the things you DON'T need to do.

Everything may feel urgent, but not everything is urgent.  There are only so many hours in a day and you can't work them all.  What can you let go of to make room for what you want/need to focus on?

Switch focus.

You lose perspective when you get caught up in your work.  Switch tasks for awhile, do something that you know how to do well, or that is already started, and complete it.  Then go back to the item that was frustrating you; you may find you can see the way forward with more clarity.

Nourish your mind, feel your purpose.

No one works well in a vacuum, and when you don't feed your mind you become a passionless automaton at work.  Take 9 minutes and connect with a colleague, watch a TED talk, read an article or just sit quietly and clear your mind.  9 minutes is all it takes to nourish your mind and re-ignite your purpose.

Once your feelings of overwhelm have subsided, it's worth figuring out where they came from.

You may already know.

It might be something specific that triggered it (a deadline moved up, more work landing on your desk, unexpected feedback, etc.).  It's worth checking in to see how you are feeling, you may find you are carrying a lot of stress making it more difficult to accommodate unanticipated shifts in workload or accountability (or even just be your usual self). 

Take a few minutes to sit quietly and listen to yourself - what is contributing to feeling overwhelmed?

External sources.

There are many things you don't control, but have made a commitment to; delivering your work on time and having it be of the highest quality is one that comes to mind...but if you don't have the time and resources to meet that commitment (because it is not in your control) this can quickly create feelings of overwhelm. 

Breathe deeply and be curious.  What are you committed to?  What is in your control?  What is the gap?  Seeing the gap can help you to make objective and fact-based decisions about what to do next that allow you to re-balance your commitment in constructive and effect ways.

Internal sources.

Each of us has an inner critic, and at times that voice can be harsh and loud.  What is yours saying?  How kind are you being to yourself?  What expectations are you holding yourself accountable to? If you could do one compassionate thing for yourself right now what would it be? 

Being compassionate with yourself (and acting on it) is a powerful way to reduce feeling overwhelmed.

When you do things from your soul,
you feel a river moving in you.

A joy.


- Rumi