Overwhelm
When inundated with too many demands on your time and energy, it can become impossible to think clearly and act with purpose
We often experience overwhelm when too much is happening that feels outside of our control. Life throws way too many curve balls at once, triggering fear and inducing a stress response in the body and mind.
Sometimes the body overreacts. The body’s stress response is the same whether we are in physical danger or not.
Once we understand the science of what happens in the body when we are stressed, we can take back control and learn how to overcome overwhelm.
Knowing how overwhelm affects the body will help you recognize when it’s happening and release the stress in a healthy way.
What happens in the body
At the moment of stress, the sympathetic chain ganglia in the middle of your body activates. Your body releases acetylcholine, a chemical that normally helps move muscles. Other neurons respond to that reaction by releasing adrenaline (or epinephrine).
That epinephrine activates specific parts of the body needed to respond to stressful situations, like speeding up the heart to support movement (like escaping from a bear or lion). The body focuses extra energy on the systems needed to escape danger.
At the same time, other systems take a back seat until you are safe, like digestion. That’s why you may lose your appetite before a big exam or important meeting.
The stress response tells your body to “do something!” or “say something!” It pushes you into action, a sense of agitation that makes you want to move.
When your body goes into stress mode, you need to learn to work with it—not against it
What to do
1. Calm the nervous system with a physiological sigh
Calm your nervous system. Take a deep breath and trick it with a sigh.
When you do so you free up more brain space for creativity in deciding what to do next.
2. Practice regular self-care for long-term resilience
Follow these healthy habits to cope with stress better:
- Get enough sleep: Doctors recommend ~8 hours per night
- Eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet: Include stress relieving foods like fish, poultry, fruits, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats
- Exercise regularly: Harvard Health says exercise reduces stress hormones
- Drink water: Even mild dehydration can impair brain function, according to studies
3. Use the 80-20 rule to eliminate sources of stress
Now, let’s apply the Pareto Principle. Say you have 10 items that you wrote down. Apply the 80/20 rule by choosing two critical areas to focus on.
When you commit and make a plan to solve 20% of the major sources of your stress, you’ll experience a sense of relief. At the same time, you’ll get a boost of confidence in your ability to handle the remaining 80%.
It can be difficult to decide which items to prioritize first. If you can’t decide, try closing your eyes, taking a few deep breaths, and listening to your intuition about what would help you the most.
Or just pick one at random and get to work!
4. Work on setting boundaries
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