Top 3 Tips for Conquering Overwhelm
Are YOU in Overwhelm?
With the busy, demanding lives we lead these days it is no surprise that most people are feeling overwhelmed! Are you one of those people?
By using the acronym of TIP let’s dive into this process.
T – Timing
Being aware of the timing of all that is going on in your life. As we all have heard, “timing is everything.” Question the timing of each event or request of your time and energy to be sure that it aligns with what you are doing in your life. If it is a “work thing” and putting lots of pressure on you, how long will it last? How are you releasing the pressure? How are you allowing time for working on it and all other requirements in your life?
Answering those questions will help you get a better perspective on whether these things are adding to your feeling of overwhelm.
I encourage you to take a step back and allow yourself not to get everything completed on the list within one – 18 hour period. Some things will roll over to another day.
I – Integrity
Always make sure all that you do is aligned with your values and this will ensure that you are handling all that you do with integrity. This is one of the keys to helping contain the overwhelm. If you are doing things – even if it is work related – that cause you to feel or think that it is against your values, then you are out of integrity which will add much to your stress level and definitely increase feeling overwhelmed!
A suggestion, if you are out of integrity in some of the things you are doing, examine them to determine if there is a way to correct the situation without causing you more stress. Some people are in jobs that can create that situation, if is your situation, you may want to consider moving to a company that better aligns with your values.
P = Priority
Prioritizing your “to do” list is extremely important to reducing the feeling of overwhelm. Most of us tend to start with the easiest things to do on our list, many of which are not important, and when all of the easy items have been completed, you still have the big, more complicated items to get accomplished, plus you now have less time. If that doesn’t cause you to feel overwhelmed then, perhaps you don’t need this seminar!
To be effective in reducing your stress, overwhelm and using your time well, it is imperative to prioritize your day, your week. In prioritizing, do the most demanding item first even if you have to do it in chunks of time. I know that works well for me. I set a timer on my phone or computer to give my attention to a project, then give myself a break when I might do one or two of the easy items before I go back to the harder task.
Try that and see how well its works for you!
And for an added bonus, I will give you a 4th Tip
S = Silence
Take time in your life to have silence surround you for at least 5 – 15 minutes each day. While in silence, then keep your focus on your breath and just breathe in allowing your mind to get used to silence. When your mind wanders, just bring your attention back to your breath.
This is so important especially as most of us are always around noise of one variety or another. Some people may have difficulty experiencing the silence at first because it may have been a long time since they have taken time to be silent. But try it consistently and I think that you will be glad to have the break and clear your mind. You can even do this on your commute, turn off the radio, cd or ipod and just enjoy the scenery of your drive – you might even discover something new along your route!
Namaste’
always remember, Your Chatter Matters
Margaret Martin © 2014