When you feel overwhelmed, it’s difficult to focus on one thing at a time. Your mind starts to race and think about all the things you need to get done or are putting pressure on yourself to complete. There are several things you can do to stop feeling overwhelmed and I’ve written them out as a 4-step process. Follow this 4-step process to stop feeling overwhelmed. 

1. Step one: Let the emotions associated with overwhelm be there.

   When we feel overwhelmed it’s usually our goal to stop feeling overwhelmed and move on already. In doing this, we push away the emotions we’re feeling associated with being overwhelmed and then they pop back up. By giving them permission to be there and slowing down to allow your overwhelm to be there, you’re giving space to all your emotions. Common emotions associated with overwhelm include anger, frustration, sadness, defeat, confusion and stress. No wonder we want to push these away! Give yourself some time to feel these emotions by journaling them, taking some deep breaths and identifying what they are or by meditating with them and being present with where you are at now without needing to change it.

2. Step 2: Identify your next best step.

   You probably have a million things you could do next or that are on your to do list. This is part of what leads to feeling overwhelmed. You have so many to do but you don’t know how to prioritize and do one thing at a time. Choose your next best step and stick with it. Your next best step is something that you are capable of, something you have the inner resources to accomplish as well as the outer support to achieve. Your next best step will help you feel less overwhelmed once you’ve completed it. Start to imagine the first few steps of taking this next best step. 

3. Step 3: Release the emotions associated with being overwhelmed.

   You know those emotions you allowed to come to the surface and were present with? Now it’s time to release them. Breathe in being present and breathe out these difficult emotions. Trust that your environment can handle these emotions and transform them for you, they are no longer yours to hold. You might wiggle your body around or shake out your arms and feel these emotions leaving your energy field.

4. Step 4: Cultivate trust for yourself to take this next best step.

   Call to mind once again the next best step you identified. Don’t change your mind from it even if you are tempted to because if you do, this will only lead to more confusion and overwhelm. Begin to cultivate trust for yourself that you can feel in your body. Breathing in trust and comfort for yourself. Letting yourself be here now, trusting that you will take this next best step. Trusting that you will follow through. Trusting that you can handle this.

If you follow this 4-step process, you will gradually stop feeling overwhelmed. Unfortunately it’s not as simple as snapping your fingers and boom, you’re not overwhelmed anymore. It takes dedication, action and clarity, all of which this 4-step process helps you with. You’ll start doing the next best step and then the next best step after that and before you know it, you’ll have more checked off boxes on your to-do list than items! To recap, feel your feelings, identify your next best step, release your difficult emotions and cultivate trust that you’ll follow through on your next best step. Repeat the process as often as necessary and get going on your goals! Let me know by sending me a DM on IG how it goes!