Overwhelm is easily the single biggest reason why my path down the road to recovery ends up on temporary hiatus. When we become overwhelmed by everything that is happening around us, our ability to think logically is just gone.
A recent example of overwhelm for me occurred just recently – I missed a deadline. Sounds silly doesn’t it? But that simple act of dropping that tiny ball that was up in the air with countless other balls triggered it all. All of a sudden, I felt like the sky was falling. It’s all coming crashing down. Quick! Brace for emergency landing! We’re going down!!!
So naturally, after I recognised that feeling of overwhelm rising up I went immediately to someone who could help me get some perspective and set out a plan of attack…. Nah! OF COURSE NOT! I actually paced up and down the hallway, went in the foetal position and cried for 20 minutes. Which brings me to my first point:
- We don’t act rationally when our emotions are running high
When the fight or flight response is triggered in our brains, our higher order functions switch off. This means our ability to think rationally about what is going on is gone. So, what do you do? This is where grounding exercisescomes into play. Put simply, grounding involves using a number of different techniques to bring us back into the here and now, while also reminding us we are SAFE in the space we are in. I will be doing a full post on grounding exercises in the future, but for now you can find a step-by-step guide on how to do the Five Senses Exercise at the bottom of this post.
Ok, so I have reached a point where I am a bit calmer. The ability to think objectively is starting to come back. What do I do now?
- Talk it out and develop a plan
When I managed to get a little bit more rational, the first thing I did was pick up the phone and call someone who was independent from the situation and could give me some solid advice. For me, it was my psychologist. However, this person can be anyone that you feel comfortable letting it all out to and can help you develop a plan of attack to deal with your mini crisis.
Don’t want to talk? That’s ok too! Try writing it all out. Sometimes seeing everything laid out in black and white can be enough to gather ideas and get yourself back on track.
And finally…
- Don’t force yourself to be OK right away
When we have these intense moments of overwhelm it is nothing short of exhausting. That surge of adrenaline and the drop off as you become calm again makes you feel like you have run a marathon. You feel physically and emotionally drained and that’s TOTALLY NORMAL!
Do some self-care knowing that you have a plan in place to take care of the situation when you are ready. Self-care means different things to different people and can involve doing something for your physical health, like going for a run, or something for your mental health, like writing in a journal. Self-care can even involve spirituality, such as prayer or meditation. The important thing to remember about self-care is that it is something that improves your overall wellbeing and makes YOU feel good. For me, this meant a long soak in the tub and doing some reading before coming back to deal with the missed deadline.
When we are in the middle of overwhelm it can be very hard, if not impossible, to see the way out. Hopefully with these three points up your sleeve, you can light your way out of the overwhelm fog.
Goodbye for now, and remember – keep calm, and grow strong!
Five Senses Exercise
Take a moment in this time and place to connect with your five senses and surroundings.
List FIVE different things you can SEE
List FOUR different things you can TOUCH
List THREE different things you can HEAR
List TWO different things you can SMELL
List ONE thing you can TASTE
Doing this exercise grounds you in the here and now and sends the message to remind the brain that you’re OK. For the best results, practice this exercise regularly to reduce anxiety and dial back your emotional response.
Growing Strong 