When You Feel Overwhelmed, Take This Counterintuitive Step
Written by Pamela Wagner
@pamelawagnerofficial
There are times in our lives…it can be hours, days, or weeks…where everything seems to be going against whatever we want.
We miss trains even though we never missed a train in our lives, forget meetings or mistake timings even though you’re usually the most organized person ever, eat too much sugar, our favorite shoes suddenly hurt, distance ourselves from amazing people, and just feel like nothing is working at all. And, no matter what you try, it just doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
What most motivational videos will tell you is to keep trying, to keep doing, to keep taking action…just ‘push’ for something.
But, the harder we try, the more it seems like with every step forward we’re taking two steps back.
So, what do you do if nothing is working? How do you get rid of overwhelm when it seems to take over, and every step just seems to cause more confusion than clarity?
You give in. You do less and BE more.
You live in the moment. You are fully aware of the Now. You stop complaining and start gratitud’ing the s*** out of right now.
Can you get a real good cup of coffee that’ll just fill up your soul?
Can you call a friend that you haven’t talked to in a while?
Then go ahead and do it. Take a walk. Put on your shoes, grab your keys, and just leave whatever you’re inside. Fresh air helps, trust me.
What you now need to focus on is to start living more in a state of gratitude and possibility.
The state of inertia is beat by celebrating the little things in life.
Is your family healthy?
Are you feeling well?
Is your bed comfy?
Do you have a great couch?
Whatever it is, start thinking about the things that work well and are already existent in your life.
I know, I know, even that can be difficult in some of these times. It can almost feel exhausting just the thought of having to think of anything. But, be aware that feeling overwhelmed can be normal. Everybody feels it from time to time. You are not alone.
As small as that may seem, you just have to take life one step at a time now. And then, write down the little victories.
Did you manage to sit for one minute in gratitude? Did you manage to eat mindfully, without your phone in your hands? Did you manage to get out of bed when you just didn’t want to move that cover at all?
Whatever it is, write it down. And, you’ll see, that by having these little victories in front of you and seeing them accumulating, you’ll start feeling better.
Your brain may try to do its best to keep you in a state of negativity, but, if you write positive things down and you take those small little steps, it can’t help but replace those negative thoughts.
Most people try to just do away with unhelpful thoughts, but you can’t do that. The mind just cannot think of something. That’s why we need to work with replacement in order to start changing how you feel.
Hi, I'm Pamela, the face of Hustle Less & Live More!
I have trained and coached hundreds of people on personal development all over the globe – from Jamaica, the USA, to hosting workshops while being on a ship on the Atlantic ocean, all the way to Uganda, Austria, Ghana, the UAE, Pakistan, Singapore, and many more.
I am a go-getter, dream achiever, a true role model for behavior change, and I'm here to help you become the same.
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Hi, I'm Pamela, the face of Hustle Less & Live More!
I have trained and coached hundreds of people on personal development all over the globe – from Jamaica, the USA, to hosting workshops while being on a ship on the Atlantic ocean, all the way to Uganda, Austria, Ghana, the UAE, Pakistan, Singapore, and many more.
I am a go-getter, dream achiever, a true role model for behavior change, and I'm here to help you become the same.
