Feeling O.V.E.R.W.H.E.L.M.E.D.!?!?

If you are like most people, regardless of whether you’re unfulfilled or unemployed, you’ve faced the feeling of being overwhelmed. And unlike other times when you’ve felt overwhelmed in life, the feeling accompanying a situation of being unfulfilled or unemployed feels particularly heavy, murky, and…well, overwhelming!?

What Does it Mean to be Overwhelmed?

While I have heard the word “overwhelmed’ used consistently by career explorers over the 20 years I’ve been involved with Crossroads Career, I thought it might be useful to do a little research to see what some published research literature had to say about the subject. So, I simply googled “feeling overwhelmed,” and two credible sources came up to provide some insights: A Harvard Business Review (HBR) article (10/10/19) and the Gallup 2024 World Emotions Report (yep, I didn’t know there was such a thing).?

HBR states,?“The cognitive impact of feeling perpetually overwhelmed can range from mental slowness, forgetfulness, confusion, difficulty concentrating or thinking logically, to a racing mind or an impaired ability to problem solve.”?Hmmm, I can relate to that summary!?

Meanwhile, according to Gallup 2024:?

• “Negative emotions dipped for the first time in a decade, and positive emotions rebounded to their pre-pandemic highs.”?

• Gallup asks six questions about negative experiences, which touch on anger, physical pain, loneliness, stress, worry, and sadness.?

• Meanwhile, the positive emotion index edged slightly upward to 71%, with people under 30 experiencing the most growth in their positive index.?

Both sources point out that feeling overwhelmed can stem from a variety of sources, with the diagnosis coming from the range of negative feelings we experience with those sources. And while we recently discussed the range of emotions during a job search (click HERE to read our blog post – Psychology of the Job Search: Emotions at Play), this feeling of being overwhelmed takes on a different twist for most people.?

What Does Scripture Say About Being Overwhelmed?

Before we get to some solutioning, let’s ground ourselves in Scripture with a few passages:?

• Psalm 61:2 “From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” David believes he can turn to God and knows that God is his rock!?He knows that if he is to have any relief, it will come from God.?

• Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” This is challenging, but essential. Keep our minds stabilized on the foundation that only God can provide.?

• Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”?You KNEW this one was coming! Focus on that word, “everything!”?Nothing is too small to lay at God’s feet!?

What You Can DO When You Feel Overwhelmed

Now, with that grounding, let’s get into some practical application.?EXACTLY, what do you DO, when you find yourself feeling overwhelmed??

1. Reframe Your Situation with Faith?– – Positionally ask yourself these questions:?

• Do I trust God enough with my time to re-ground myself with a few of His promises? Just two minutes!?There’s a LOT of verses in addition to what I shared above.?

• Will God please redeem my time and empower me for His service today??

Make a List?– – What are all the pressing things that need to be completed? What you’re doing here is “taking every thought captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5) It’s easier to become overwhelmed when our minds take the same issue and position it in a wide variety of ways.?When we write it down, we pin it down and recognize each issue separately, without repetition. Guess what!?! The list gets shorter! ???

Filter the List?– – Apply a few questions to arrive at what really NEEDS to get done first:?

• What will get me in trouble if I don’t do it today??

• Does this item feel pressing because it is a REAL deadline, or one I’ve created??

• Who will really miss this item NOT getting done today??

Take Care of Hygiene?– – Here it’s a bit of Covey’s “First things first.” For example, for me, I don’t miss a meal due to other situations.?Properly fueled, I can do more and be more effective.?I’m not as good with the exercise discipline as I am with food intake (and it shows.?Ha!).?Sleep is another one I don’t deprive myself of very much, as I find myself ill-equipped to deal with the list (post number 3 above) if I’ve skimped on sleep. ??

Wade Into It?– – As my operating friends say, “Let’s chew through those to do’s!” I prioritize the list from #3 and just start completing the tasks on the list. And YES, I physically cross the to do off the list when I finish it! The feeling of accomplishment goes a long way to combatting the other negative feelings I experience. ??

Gauge Your Time?– – As I steadily work through my list, I constantly gauge and recalibrate the time constraints I’m under based on the time it’s taking me to complete the different tasks.?If I need to re-prioritize based on what’s been done and what’s left on the list, I try to be nimble and shift things around accordingly.?

Done is Better than Perfect?– – Keep coming back to this statement, famously said by Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s long-time COO.?Now is NOT the time to show people your perfectionist bent. ???

Feeling O.V.E.R.W.H.E.L.M.E.D. is not where we like to find ourselves, but when we do, I’m confident that employing the framework above can help you move it from?“feeling overwhelmed” to “everything’s ok!”

Blessings!?

Dave

Dave Sparkman currently serves as the volunteer Crossroads Career board chair and local ministry leader. He is also the founder and managing director of Spark Your Culture, a corporate culture consulting firm. Prior to that he worked at UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune #5 public company, serving in the role of Chief Culture Officer. His unemployment experience came from the implosion of Arthur Andersen, where he served as the West Region Managing Partner, People.

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