We all have moments when it feels like the world is sending us more experience than we can handle. I’ve noticed we are all feeling overwhelmed. If you feel this way I have good news for you.
I’ve been thinking about this recently, so I looked up the definition of overwhelmed. Interestingly enough, OVERWHELMED is defined as being buried or drowned beneath a huge mass. The example they gave was when water flows through to overwhelm the protective dam and then the entire village below.
It reminds me of experiencing a major life event where there’s suddenly too much to process. You can’t get your arms around it, which leads to a paralyzing sense of overwhelm.
A second dictionary example for OVERWHELM is to receive too much of a thing. Think about getting a new job. This major life transition is a lot to cope with – you’re overwhelmed with farewell messages and the loss of your current position. When you start a new job, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the increased responsibilities and exciting opportunities that come with it.
Many of us also feel overwhelmed by family issues. Parenting children (even older children who need your support as they navigate adulthood) or caring for aging parents can leave one feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities…being stretched too far
For me, having too many priorities and trying to wear too many hats gets me wrapped around my axle. These situations happen to each of us at some point, and often more than once in our lives. We move, get married, get divorced, have children, or can’t have children.
When this happens, our instinct is to process in solitude…to hide. Quite ironic because this is the time when we most need to lean on those closest to us. Without their support, we are left with the feeling that we just don’t have the tools we need to handle it all.
The good news is that there are ways to overcome feelings of overwhelm. On August 9th, my friend Vivian Hudson and I are hosting a free workshop to step you through six proven strategies of how to overcome overwhelm. If you’re feeling this way, I guarantee you’ll find one idea that can help you.