What to Do When Overwhelm Attacks You

Recently, I had a classic Monday. 

The new phone I’d just purchased arrived broken. My daughter needed something urgently for her school function the next day. Technology taunted me mercilessly all day. 

Also, I felt super tired. Overwhelmed. Grumpy. 

In my line of work, Mondays are often really exciting. I love coaching. I love exploring where my business would like to go next. I love working from home. 

So, I was annoyed that this Monday was being such a…Monday. 

I went into action mode, engaging my habitual self-pressure thinking machine in order to override my emotions and get stuff done. This caused an instant heart-racing, choked feeling in my chest. 

Screeeeeeeech! I hit the brakes. 

I have a long-standing history of engaging the self-pressure override mode. It always, one-hundred percent of the time, consistently, definitely, for sure gets me in trouble. My body suffers. My spirit wanes. My heart resists. 

I end up getting less done when I use self-pressure to spring into action. 

I realized I couldn’t fall back into self-pressure mode. 

Instead, I used this simple Slacker Magic formula, which I highly recommend for those times when everything is overwhelming and you don’t know where to start:

1. Stop and tune into your body. Notice any emotions. Allow them to exist. Be with your body, emotions, and spirit for a few moments just like you would a sick child or pet. Sit with them and be present. 
2. Take stock. What is essential and what can go? Get picky. When overwhelm strikes, strip down the to-do list and trust that you’ll find a way to do the things that can wait. You don’t have the energy right now for them anyway. 
3. Find the nearest rest stop. In other words, when is the soonest you can take a ten, twenty, or thirty-minute break to rest, restore your spirit in some way, or do something fun? Put this into your schedule. 
4. Take one small action step toward the necessary goal. Without the self-pressure in the way, you’ll find it so much easier to do. Let inspiration show you where to start. 

In the end, I got everything done that needed to get done, without the Monday overwhelm. Slacker Magic made it doable. I had time left over for some rest before I needed to go pick up my daughter from school. Slacker Magic for the win!