It’s a busy season at work. Things feel hectic and everyone seems to want something from you.
You were cruising along just fine, then one more thing landed on your plate. And then another. And another…until you realize…‘dang! (or some colourful expletive) I am so overwhelmed!’
The good news is that overwhelm usually isn’t random. It tends to follow a predictable pattern and when you can see the pattern, you can interrupt it.
You are completely capable and confident, and yet, when too much ‘life’ happens, you start to spiral. And when that spiral happens, you might start to notice some early signs of overwhelm:
- Rushing to get everything done
- Irritability
- Procrastination
- Saying how busy, tired or stressed you feel
You feel like you’ve fallen behind, and there’s no way to catch up. You start working longer to try to catch up, skip meals, and take a rain check on the things that make you feel more relaxed, like lunch with a friend.
I notice that when my mind feels busy, I start doing a lot of busywork that isn’t even important. My actions are being directed by my overwhelmed and busy mind. Not exactly the part of me I want to be running the show.
It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed and start dropping the things that take care of you first. Your self-care habits are usually the first to go.
The good news about overwhelm, is that it’s a pattern. Your pattern is unique, and yet, in general it likely goes something like this:
- Things are moving along just fine. You’re handling life and work and feeling reasonably on top of things.
- Then a few more things land on your plate. At work, at home, or both.
- You keep going for a while, until suddenly it feels like too much.
- That’s the point where the overwhelm peaks.
- Eventually something has to give. You start saying no, letting things go, or pushing a few things out.
- You get some breathing room.
- Things settle down.
- And before long, you’re back at the beginning again.
How do you get out of the cycle?
Patterns are predictable: one step leads to the next. Therefore, to get out of the pattern (or off the ‘hamster wheel’, as I like to say), you can choose to do something differently. Anything.
When you become aware of the predictable steps in your overwhelm pattern, you can see them coming and then choose a different, unpredictable action.
The action doesn’t have to be big. Little actions count big time.
Get Centered.
Take the pressure off yourself to take a big, grandiose action. Dial it down to even one percent. You’re already feeling enough pressure.
If you usually go to the gym for an hour each day and haven’t been because you’re too overwhelmed, (that’s the predictable action), consider going out for a 5 minute walk instead. This becomes a micro step towards getting re-centered.
If meditation is your go-to wellness habit, and you feel too stressed to sit still for your normal 20 minute session, (again, the predictable response to your overwhelm), take one minute, or even just 1 deep, intentional breath.
Handle the tasks in front of you.
After you feel a little more centered, look at the tasks, actions or projects you have on the go that are contributing to your feeling overwhelmed.
Ask yourself:
- Does this need to be done now? If not, by when? Schedule it in.
- Do I have to do it, or can I ask someone else to do it? Delegate as much as possible.
When I’m overwhelmed, it’s predictable for me to feel like I have to do everything myself. My stressed brain is telling me there’s no time to ask for help – I just need to do it all. This is another opportunity to get off of the cycle, by asking for help, even with one small thing.
How do I not get on the overwhelm train in the first place?
Pay attention to what tends to send you into overwhelm and learn to recognize the telltale signs that you’re heading in that direction. With that intel, you can make a plan to interrupt it earlier.
For many of my clients, the top way to stay off their cycle is to practice saying ‘no’ or ‘not right now’ instead of their automatic ‘yes’. If you have people-pleasing or over-achievement tendencies, this practice will make a big difference for you too.
If you know that skipping sleep, meals, or downtime reduces your capacity, put simple structures in place to protect those habits.
It’s not realistic to expect that life will never feel busy or stressful. Busy seasons happen.
But when you understand your pattern, you can recognize the signs sooner and respond differently.
When you do that, overwhelm stops running the show.
The goal isn’t to eliminate overwhelm entirely. The goal is to recognize the pattern sooner and choose a different step. This puts your best self back in the driver’s seat where you can make decisions and take action from a more centered and clear-headed place.