HOW TO DEAL WITH FEELINGS OF OVERWHELM

During these times, I have felt serious feelings of being burnt out. Burnt out from having to cook. Burnt out from constantly holding my baby. Burnt out from trying to do all these things at once. And what I’ve come to realize is that feeling overwhelmed is totally normal, as a matter of fact, it comes with being human. So, because we can’t avoid this feeling forever, I have chosen ways in which I can effectively deal with overwhelm. There is likely a time where you will feel overwhelmed again, so why not find a way to overcome it? We all know drinking wine, eating food, and splurging are ways to help us feel better, but these are all temporary and costly fixes. Here are some ways in which I personally deal with my overwhelmed feelings.

TAKE A WALK

God knows we love our babies ,but they require a lot of our time and they are literally attached at the hip to us. As a result, I had to find a way to escape the feeling of being confined without negating the care of my child. Taking a walk around my neighborhood or nearby park to observe all that God has created seems to make my issues small. Watching the birds fly and chirp and seeing the sun shining always reminds me of how small my issues truly are. Knowing that he created all these things in a matter of days, helps me to know that my issues are never bigger than God and that if he gave me these responsibilities, he will give me the resources to take care of them as well. Also getting fresh air, helps you to clear your mind. This is an instant energy booster for me.

TAKE SOME TIME ALONE AND SPEAK POSITIVE OVER YOUR FEELINGS

Sometimes we just need a moment to assess where we really are and how we feel. I love going into my son’s room and sitting on the floor to take in my feelings. Pick your favorite place in the house and sit there with no distractions (including your phone). Or pick the place in your house that is connected to your feelings of overwhelm such as the laundry room (for your overwhelm of too much laundry). While in this room , I literally decide to leave all of my negative feelings there and turn those things into positive. For example, instead of saying I’m so tired of taking care of my baby, I will turn this into I get to take care of the baby God gave me instead.

BE IN THE MOMENT

We often feel overwhelmed because we are trying to do too many things at a time. Yes, you have to complete your homework, clean the house , and wash your hair but looking at all those things at once is an easy way to never even start. Look at the day in pieces, not as a whole pie. When we are looking at the big picture, we often miss the beauty in all the little things that happen throughout the day. Because we choose to focus on all the tasks at hand, we can sometimes miss out on the important things in life such as the milestones of our child/ren. Kids can go from lying on their back to crawling in a matter of minutes and because were so focused other things we can miss it. And in a way we are robbing ourselves of what life is really about , its experiences.

In no way am I saying that your feelings of overwhelm are easy to deal with. Being overwhelmed can make you feel even worthless at times. However, we must choose to find ways to deal with our overwhelm in a healthy way because as life continues so will our responsibilities. Choose to change the scope of how you look at things that you have to do . While I’m tired of all these things that I have to do, I am also aware of my ability to get it all done. And even if it doesn’t get all done in the time frame that I want, I will extend myself the grace God has given me. We unfortunately see people choose to deal with their feelings in negative ways and I hope that this post has helped you to handle all the blessings that will be coming your way. If you have been doing any things that have been helping you to deal with overwhelm, you are more than welcome to write them in the comments.

XO , The Imperfect Woman