A common consequence of the busy lives we lead nowadays is that many of us often find ourselves in a state of overwhelm. I know I do! It feels like there there’s always so much to do on my never-ending to-do list and never enough hours to get it all done.
Even though overwhelm appears to be about doing and having lots to do, it’s actually a state of being first. Believe it or not, it is possible to have lots to do and not feel overwhelmed. There are many more states you can be in that will make you more productive. In fact, judging from the effect it has, it seems like overwhelm is about not getting anything done!
Overwhelm makes you feel like it’s motivating you to be efficient but really it’s a state of being that stems from fear. You are being driven by a fear of a negative consequence of some kind, and your focus is solely on the outcome, which takes the joy out of the process. Remember, it’s not just about the destination but the journey.
Overwhelm is also about not being present to the unfolding of your life as it is right now and comes from future-based thoughts which lead you to stress and worry. Although you may feel that focussing on what you have to do makes you do it, the reverse is true. Overwhelm makes you less efficient and productive, and everything ends up being much harder than it needs to be.
The dark side of overwhelm
It’s important to understand that you are going to find yourself overwhelmed from time to time, however finding yourself here on a regular basis is destructive to your business and your life. A little dramatic but true and don’t you deserve to have what you want instead of just constantly longing for it?
Overwhelm is a type of fear, the fear of success which keeps you from success. Since it’s the consciousness in which you do things that brings the results, coming from fear will only create more fear. Have you been finding that no matter what and how much you do, you constantly end up still feeling overwhelmed?
Feeling overwhelmed can paralyse you into inaction, stop you from hearing inspiration, taking inspired action and therefore ensuring things never get done. No matter how much you visualise, if you don’t know how to take the required physical action from a place of power to manifest your dreams, it ain’t happening!
By now I’m hoping you’re inspired enough to want to move past overwhelm and stop it from stopping you in your tracks. Use the following 4 step plan often and watch the destructive grip overwhelm can have on you fade away:
- Catch yourself when you are overwhelmed. You may hear the mantra of the overwhelmed running in your head ‘There’s just so much to do, I’ve got lots to do’ or catch yourself running around like a headless chicken. Either way you’ve got to catch yourself before you can do anything about it.
- STOP. Now you’ve caught yourself in overwhelm you’ve got to start facing it. Let’s separate the facts from the fiction. What are the facts here? Not the story just what’s true. Tune into the sensations. What are you actually feeling? It’s usually a simple sentence Eg, I feel really anxious.
- Any judgements? Now we can get into the story. How do you feel about what you are feeling? Are you trying to resist the feelings? Are you judging and shoulding all over yourself? Eg, I don’t like to feel anxious, I shouldn’t feel anxious.
- Notice all of it – you feeling overwhelmed, feeling anxious about feeling overwhelmed and resisting feeling overwhelmed and just be with it all. Drop back into observer mode and allow a space to open up between you and your overwhelm, watch it all going on. Feel it in your body and open to the full feelings. This may feel uncomfortable but stay with it. Fighting it just keeps the feeling alive.
Is that it?
Yes, because:
- When you are swept up in the trance of overwhelm you are really only open to solutions that will keep you stuck there, despite how logical they seem. This method allows you to step back and allow the feelings without feeding them anymore fuel.
- It also helps you to get out of your ego and into your expanded self where you are open to intuitive wisdom
- You will gain awareness of some of the thought patterns and limited beliefs held in your mind that lead you to become and stay overwhelmed, leaving you on the position to make other choices overtime and break free of the pattern.
Want more?
On Tuesday July 8 2010 at 4pm UK time, 11am Eastern, I will be holding the teleclass ‘Breaking Free of Overwhelm and Procrastination Permanently.’ It’s exclusively available to members of the Fabulously Vibrant Living club, my money manifestation club for conscious entrepreneurs.
Sign-up to the club now and receive the last 3 months teleclasses, membership is just £1 (approx $2) for the first month.
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