Emerging from overwhelm

Everyone has a limited capacity for stress, and we all face challenges that temporarily put us over that limit. Overwhelm is like a wave crashing into you. Repeatedly!
Psychologist Marla W. Deibler, PsyD, described overwhelm as “feeling completely overcome in mind or emotion.” When we think a stressor is too great for us to manage, we feel overwhelmed, she said.
 Personally once the overwhelm hit, all signs of intelligence and resourcefulness appears to instantly vanish from my brain. I just go blank. Well,  sometimes we can't control what life shoves at us though our faith tells us we can, that's if you can function on that level altogether, and often we do hear our preacher preach quite readily about learning to say thank you in the midst of a difficult moment,  well, I decided to follow that lead, that has constantly remained my disposition, I stopped fighting the situation, and tried consciously  welcoming it ----- offering gratitude for the unknown teachings and blessing it carries.  Fighting overwhelm has never helped anyone erase them, it's normal to experience some degree of anxiety when stressors are unfamiliar or unpredictable. So as we begin to work with the challenge rather than against it, we realize our nervous system starts to calm down.

Here are a few  strategies that might come in handy when feeling overwhelmed

       Don’t try to solve the problem while you are in a highly charged, emotional state. This will just keep you stuck in overwhelm.

• Focus on calming your nervous system down. Temporarily shift your focus away from the problem. Bring your attention back to something that feels calming and manageable, like making some tea or going for a walk. Take some deep breaths and give yourself permission to relax.

• Don’t judge yourself for getting overwhelmed. It’s already painful enough. Don’t compound the issue by criticizing yourself on top of it.

• Focus on right now. When you're consumed with what may or may not happen in several minutes or months, you can’t appreciate the here and now, Deibler said. Instead, schedule time to plan for the future, so you can breathe in the present moment, she said.

•  Change your multitasking mindset.

  “’Multitasking’ by definition implies that we are doing too many things at once,” Chapman said. He suggested readers shift their perspective. “We have to change our expectation that everything has to be completed right now ‘or else.’”
• Tend to your immediate needs. Make self-care your first priority. Listen to what your body needs and lovingly tend to your own wellbeing. You might want to step away from the situation, take a nap, do some yoga or talk with a good friend.

• Give yourself permission to move slowly. Bring your attention back to the present moment and do one thing at a time, with as much mindfulness as possible.

                                 Hope this comes handy, have a great day!