Getting Out Of Overwhelm
Scott Couchenour
I help leaders transition without regrets ?? 4th Quarter Coach, experienced COO/CEO, strategist, keynote speaker, author, coffee connoisseur
It happened again. You became overwhelmed.
This makes me realize something: Overwhelm cannot be prevented. It's a part of life. Yes, we might be able to mitigate it, but it's never going to go away completely.
So, what are you to do? How do you get out from under the weight of overwhelm? How do you get back to that productive, effective person you know you are?
GET OUT
The first, and quite honestly the most effective method for dealing with overwhelm is to get out of your head. Sounds so simple - and it is. It's counterintuitive. It's deceptively simple.
All it takes is a spot away from the noise, piece of paper, and a pen (and I would add a great cup of coffee, but that's up to you.)
Here are the guidelines for a great download:
- Don't worry about punctuation or spacing. Just write.
- Don't worry about grammar. Just write.
- Go with every thought you think. Capture it on paper. Pin it down.
- Go until you either have nothing else to add to the paper, or you sense you're out of overwhelm.
"You can't see the label when you're in the jar." -unknown
What's Going On?
Here's what's happening when you download everything out of your head.
- First of all, you are creating distance from your dissonance. With this distance, you can think clearer. You can be more strategic because you are above the details - literally, look down on the piece of paper with all your thoughts. You're above it.
- Second, there is a therapeutic nature to "getting things off your chest." I'm pretty certain you've experienced this in your life already.
- Finally, you now have all you need on paper to give you some sense of direction. There may be recurring trends or patterns to what you've written down. Maybe you're struggling with the same issues you've been struggling with for some time. Getting them out in front of you makes it easier to see those issues more clearly and do something about them (and possibly even mitigate future overwhelm too!)
Are you overwhelmed as you read this?
Try downloading. Let me know how it goes.
The time you took to read this issue of the Serve Strong Finish Strong newsletter is greatly appreciated. Thank you. It's a privilege to write it for you.