Feeling overwhelmed is the final stage of procrastination. The cure is to take action.
Having a day job already comes with its own set of stress and anxieties. On top of that, start a side hustle (or two), while trying to live a balanced life with family, friends and communities? Don’t you have enough to think or do?
It can creep up like that cockroach that crawled up the side of your chair.
I may have woken up feeling good. Yet one email and one text later, my brain reminds me what else isn’t done. And before I know it, I’ve fallen into that quicksand pit of worries.
The more I think, the more I sink… I’m overwhelmed.
Here’s how I overcame my anxiety of being overwhelmed:
1. Stop and Breathe… like a Navy Seal
We don’t realise how short our breaths are when we are nervous or anxious.
So stop whatever you are doing and box breathe, a technique used by the US Navy Seals to relief stress, heighten performance and concentration.
Inhale 4 seconds … Hold 4 seconds … Exhale 4 seconds … Hold 4 seconds
Warning: This is so powerful that you should discontinue if you feel lightheaded.
2. Mad write everything down… on paper
One of the reasons you feel overwhelmed is because your thoughts have nowhere to go. They are running circles in your mind. You have to get them from the head to paper.
Brain dump .. everything… outside your head.. long hand writing on paper.
Long hand writing may be slow but it really helps focus your mind and calms you.
3. Pick one thing to do… now.
Don’t just sort by priority, sort by what you can do and finish now!
Checking off that one quick item is the final push to shift your focus from being overwhelmed to doing.
Even if you do just one of the three things above, you will start to feel less overwhelmed.
Do all 3, you are ready to climb that zen mountain.