Written by: Megan Tull, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The holidays are such an exciting and joyous time of year. However, for many of us, it can also be a very stressful time of year. Your calendar and 'to do' list is beginning to fill up at a rapid pace and all of the sudden you begin to feel like there’s too much to do and not enough time to get it all done!
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Just about everyone on the planet right now feels overwhelmed.
Overwhelm isn’t about getting things done – it’s about managing your energy and mindset. If your life is cluttered, so is your mind. It's challenging to stay focused on the present moment when looking into the future of tomorrow, or the weeks ahead.
I’d like to give you my “Top 7 Overwhelm Elimination Strategies” to help you break free from overwhelm once and for all. Seeing things from a new perspective is key and focusing on only taking one bite of the elephant at a time. If you multitask, that's great, but finishing what you start is extremely rewarding. You get to see an end result, the fruit of your labor once something is complete. That is immediate gratification. This will build confidence.
Strategy No.1 Focus on the Big Picture
You get overwhelmed because you're focused on everything that’s happening around you. You lose sight of the big picture. Have you ALWAYS been OK in the bigger picture? Yes you have, so zoom out for a moment and take a deep breath.
Strategy No.2 Change Your Environment
You’re probably not aware of how many things in your current environment trigger you to feel overwhelmed. The stack of papers or bills piled up on your desk or that camera reminding you of the videos that need downloading. Clean off your desk by putting everything in another place. If your children have left gadgets behind, ask them to put them where they belong. If the weather is nice, take your laptop outside and enjoy the day while you work. That will also inspire creativity.
Strategy No.3 Acknowledge It and Let It Go
Most people are so busy trying to get away from overwhelm they don’t realize it’s a part of you. Trying to run away from yourself never works. Instead, stop for a moment, close your eyes, and just acknowledge to yourself that you feel overwhelmed. All energies inside of us (good and bad) are calling for our attention. Recognize it and then just simply let go, knowing that it is not serving you at this time. Shift your thoughts to something positive, such as how much fun it will be to spend some quality time with your family.
Strategy No.4 Learn Something New
If you’re always overwhelmed, it probably means you’re operating from a less than ideal state of knowledge or consciousness. Be sure to carve out some time to learn from others who are steps ahead. It could be a book, audio program, or online video training. This new information will give you a better perspective about how to best respond to your life and business.
Strategy No5. Exercise
Exercise has been proven to reduce stress and give you more energy. Take some time each day to get out in the fresh air and go for a walk or run. You can also partake in a Mind/Body workout such as Pilates or Yoga to really stretch and strengthen your muscles, release tension and boost your energy. It may sound like one more thing to do, but the benefits are astounding. Physical movement such as a brisk walk will clear the mind, and along with deep breathing, you'll feel refreshed and re-energized.
Strategy No.6 Quiet Your Mind and Do Some Inner work
What’s required from you to really shift this energy is to spend some time doing your deeper inner work. Letting go of your old wounds, forgiving those who have hurt you, healing from your past trauma’s. Get connected to something greater than yourself. Find your way of being in the world that is authentic to you.
A powerful exercise that works great is to close your eyes and focus on all the things that you are grateful for such as; your life, your family, your friends, your health, your career etc. This is a powerful way to put you in a peaceful state quieting your mind. Then, visualize your day and set your intentions on how you’d like your day to go.
Overwhelm Elimination Strategy No.7 Call Your Coach or Mentor
A coach or mentor will help get you laser-focused. If you don’t have someone or a group of people who are holding you to your highest potential, providing support and guidance and keeping you focused, I guarantee this is one of the reasons you’re struggling. Get aligned with a coach or mentor immediately. There’s a reason why EVERY athlete or successful business owner in the world has one. I encourage you to use these 7 strategies this holiday season to ensure that overwhelm doesn’t take hold of you and rob you of experiencing all of the wonderful blessings this time of year has to offer.
How do you deal with overwhelm?
Please leave a comment below with the things you do to deal with your own overwhelm.
I’d love to hear what works for you!
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Megan Tull, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Megan Tull is an Earn Your Worth Expert to the Experts, Transformational Leader in Business and Life, a Best-Selling Author, and an International Speaker. Megan is CEO and Founder of Silverlining Concepts, LLC, an innovative business coaching and consulting firm.
Megan's passion and expertise are to help high-achieving, success-conscious business professionals and entrepreneurs to eliminate the struggle and overwhelm by re-designing their career or business to align with their unique value and true self. She helps them to discover their "Brilliance" allowing them to authentically attract their ideal clients with ease generating more profit and more fun in their career or business...all while making a difference in the world.
She’s the best-selling author of The Passion Belief Method - Own Your Value and Earn Your Worth in Business and is a regular contributor for The Huffington Post and The Business Journals. She has been featured as an expert on CBS and FOX and will be a co-host on a new TV show called Lite It Up TV- Ignite Your Life airing in the Fall of 2021 on your favorite streaming channel.