I was listening to a podcast the other day which was about being anxious and how we as a culture are stressed out. A thought that was brought out was about how our freedom has caused overwhelm. Our freedom of choice and options is causing our minds to be overloaded which brings about stress and anxiety. As we move into the season of Christmas what can you do about anxiety and overwhelm because of your freedom and specifically your freedom of choice?
Think about this. How many choices do you have of things to watch on TV? What about the choices you have through media like Netflix, Hulu or YouTube? What about the choices you have of restaurants? Now think about the pressures of fitting in or being liked by those around you. Social media pressures and keeping up with the Jones. How about the challenges of trying to stay true to yourself while the world is telling you what you should think or what you should say about Race sex and politics?
Here in lies the challenge of overwhelm that takes discernment and discipline. The freedom of choice and the myriad of choices that are out there creates this choice paradox. What you need to understand is that you have agency and are in control. What does that mean and how can you defeat overwhelm?
1. Set hard boundaries
A concept that is popular right now is the thought of work/life balance. I have been challenged with this because of burnout in the past and through a simulcast from Marcus Buckingham have come to realize that this is different for each individual. Marcus Buckingham has written a book called the Nine Lies About Work, where he examines this concept of work/life balance. He first states that balance is static which challenged me because life is not static! Because life is not static and work/life balance is not easy it brought me to the realization that I need to take the agency and set the boundaries for myself. In the past I have not done this well. Looking back, I can say that there were reasons for that but in my growth, I am finding that learning to disconnect from work is healthy and good. I feel that the main boundary that everyone should set is to leave work at work and to disconnect from it when you walk out the door. Being fresh because you disconnected is a great way to stay energized and to be more creative when you are at work.
2. Take time to reflect
This is possibly the real secret sauce to conquering overwhelm! Life is so fast paced that we barely have time to breath. Because of my faith, I have been consistent in getting up a little earlier in the morning to take time to read the Bible and to pray or meditate. This time to quite my mind is an activity that gets me going on the right foot. Besides this quiet time, I have been journaling which is also helpful for me. I review the previous day and look at the day ahead to get my bearings. I love the saying by the Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana who stated “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” because reflecting and examining our past will guide our day, week and future to help us evaluate the things that can be eliminated or done better when we are overwhelmed.
3. Be all in!
This might sound like a contradiction to the first two ways to beat overwhelm but it really is a twin to both of them. When you have hard boundaries, you can focus better while you are at work as well as be all in when you are at home. By being all in when you are reflecting will help you be more purposeful about the time when you do reflect because our minds tend to wander. The key phrase would be to be mindful. In other words, think about what you are doing and be present in that. Work when at work, play when at play, and be present when in a time of reflection.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
― Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana"
You do have more control than you think. Unfortunately, we get taken in by the perceptions of what other people think as well as the societal expectations. The challenge is that we let others define our success. If there is one thing that I can encourage you to do this week is to take some time to reflect and to think about who you are and what success is to you. This will help to clarify what you are doing and what you maybe need to eliminate.
If you are struggling with overwhelm, I would love to have a conversation with you. I do complimentary coaching session which are consultations with “zero” pressure. In the 30-minute session you will be able to experience coaching and I know you will see great value. Contact me here and find some sanity to your life!