Overwhelm isn't a singular, acute event like a sudden fear response. It's often a cumulative state that arises when your perceived demands consistently exceed your perceived resources.
It becomes "a thing" when:
1. Cognitive
Overload: Your brain's prefrontal cortex (responsible for
executive functions like planning, decision-making, and focus) receives too
much input, too many decisions, or too many open loops.
It literally reaches its
processing capacity limit, like a computer freezing.
2. Nervous
System Dysregulation: Your sympathetic nervous system (fight,
flight, freeze) is chronically activated, and your parasympathetic nervous
system (rest, digest, recover) isn't getting enough time to bring you back to
baseline.
This sustained state of
"on alert" depletes energy.
3. Emotional
Burden: Unprocessed emotions, anxiety about the future,
frustration, or a sense of powerlessness accumulate, adding to the mental load.
4. Erosion
of "Why" (as you noted): If your "strong
why" is depleted, or the perceived cost of effort vastly outweighs the
reward, your tolerance for stress drops, and the tipping point into overwhelm
is reached much faster.
It's the conscious mind's
interpretation that "this is not worth it," leading to mental
shutdown.
Essentially, overwhelm is the mental, emotional, and
often physical manifestation of your system signaling that it's beyond its
current capacity, and it needs a shift.
Where Might Its Source Be?
Overwhelm is rarely from a single source; it's an
intricate interplay:
- External
Demands: Workload, deadlines, complex problems,
difficult people, economic uncertainty, constant news.
- Internal
Pressures: Perfectionism, fear of failure,
people-pleasing, inability to say no, unrealistic self-expectations (often
rooted in subconscious beliefs).
- Physiological
State: Lack of sleep, poor nutrition,
dehydration, insufficient movement can significantly lower your resilience
threshold, making you more prone to overwhelm.
- Subconscious
Programming: Limiting beliefs like "I must do
everything myself," "I'm not good enough if I don't handle it
all," or "I don't deserve support" directly influence your perceived
resources and can fuel the feeling of being overwhelmed.
5 Best Ways to Deal with Overwhelm (Recovery
/ In-the-Moment Relief):
These are immediate strategies to pull yourself out of
the "too much" state:
1. The
"Brain Dump" & "One Thing" Focus: Get
everything out of your head onto paper (or a digital list) to offload
cognitive burden.
Then, immediately choose
just one tiny, actionable item to focus on for the next 15-20 minutes,
ignoring everything else. This creates immediate clarity and a sense of
control.
2. Conscious
Diaphragmatic Breathing (4-7-8 method): Inhale slowly through your
nose for 4 counts, hold for 7, exhale completely through your mouth for 8.
Repeat 3-5 times. This
directly activates your vagus nerve, signaling safety to your nervous system
and quickly lowering heart rate and anxiety.
3. Physical
"Shake-Out" or Micro-Movement: Stand up and consciously
shake out your hands, arms, or even your whole body for 60-90 seconds.
This simple action can
physically release stored tension and discharge excess fight-or-flight energy
from your nervous system.
4. 5-4-3-2-1
Grounding Technique: Quickly engage your senses: Name 5 things
you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can feel (e.g., clothes on
skin), 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
This pulls your attention
away from internal chaos and firmly into the present moment.
5. Micro-Break
& Sensory Reset: Step away from your screen or task for just
5 minutes. Look out a window, listen to a calming piece of music, stretch, or
grab a glass of water. This brief disengagement allows your brain to reset and
reduces sensory input overload.
5 Best Ways to Prevent Overwhelm (Proactive
Bolstering):
These are sustained practices to build resilience and
increase your system's capacity:
1. Proactive
Nervous System Calibration (Daily Practice): Regularly engage in
dedicated practices that strengthen your parasympathetic nervous system when
you're not overwhelmed.
This could be 10-15 minutes
of mindfulness meditation, gentle yoga, or deep breathing exercises daily.
This builds a robust "baseline of calm."
2. Strategic
Information Diet & Digital Boundaries: Consciously limit
your exposure to overwhelming stimuli like constant news feeds, social media,
and non-essential notifications.
Design specific
"offline" times each day to allow your brain to rest and process
without constant input.
3. Empowering
Subconscious Belief Rewiring: Actively challenge and
replace limiting beliefs about your capacity, worth, and control.
Regularly affirm your
strength, resilience, and ability to handle challenges, thereby increasing your
perceived resources and tolerance for demands.
4. Non-Negotiable
Energy Investments: Prioritize foundational biological needs:
consistent, quality sleep (7-9 hours), balanced nutrition, and regular physical
movement.
Your brain's capacity and
resilience are directly tied to its physical well-being.
5. The
"Pre-Paving" & Visualization Habit:
Before known stressors (big meetings, difficult conversations, demanding
projects), spend a few minutes mentally rehearsing the scenario, visualizing
yourself handling it calmly and effectively.
This primes your nervous
system for success and reduces the element of surprise-induced stress.
By understanding overwhelm as this complex interplay of
cognitive, emotional, and physiological factors, and by applying these
proactive strategies, you can significantly enhance your ability to navigate
demands with clarity and control, rather than being swept away.
If you ever want to discuss your own situation and your
plans, please schedule some chat time
https://calendly.com/markap12
#overwhelm, #subconscious, #nervoussystem, #careerstopper, #brain