Responding from Overwhelm
When I talk in this blog about guarding your energy, time, and attention, the purpose is to avoid the state known as “overwhelm.” I think of overwhelm as in using up your bandwidth with stimulation and feeling depleted.
Alice Boyes’ post in the Harvard Business Review newsletter 5 Mistakes We Make When We’re Overwhelmed is a great resource on common responses to feeling overwhelmed. She makes it clear that the problem is not so much with the feeling as much as it is about how you respond from the state of overwhelm.
I recommend her article, but here is my interpretation of her response “mistakes” to overwhelm:
You don’t take action to get yourself things that might help you.
Instead of not doing anything, choose something that doesn’t require a lot of thought or “work.”
You think you have to think hard about what to do before you can do anything.
Give the question to your unconscious mind and let it bubble up answers.
You think that because you feel overwhelmed, you can’t just “do it anyway”.
Maybe you can. Can you?
You make it even harder by adding requirements.
Focus on the outcome you want, and the minimum requirements to get that.
You hunker down and avoid the people and activities that would help you feel better.
Find low-key ways to engage with the people and activities that nourish you.
Your awareness that you are feeling overwhelmed is a key tool for being able to respond in a way that will not sabotage your goals. Being aware will let you acknowledge how you feel, take a breath, and consider the best response in the moment.
Alice Boyes, PhD is a former clinical psychologist turned writer and is author of The Healthy Mind Toolkit and The Anxiety Toolkit.
ADHD Life Support is the blog of
Susan McGinnis, CALC of ADHD Impact Coaching LLC
Coaching adults with ADHD www.adhdimpactcoaching.com