How to Stay Grounded During the Day & Overcome Overwhelm

When you’re given – or when you give yourself – too many tasks to complete, it’s easy to become filled with uncontrollable emotion or too much sensory input. This is the very definition of the phenomenon known as overwhelm. Today, I will share three steps on how to overcome overwhelm, by staying grounded during even the most challenging days.

First, too many of us are actually proud of the fact that we work so hard we barely have time for a bathroom break, much less a meal or, Heaven forbid, taking some time to relax and recover. Sadly, functioning in a perpetual state of overwhelm has almost become a cultural norm, even for heart-centered leaders.

Despite this, we know that such self-inflicted stress dramatically reduces productivity and muddles thinking. Being overwhelmed will also make you feel stuck, and will even make you want to disengage from others. Yet, because we accept this as “normal”, we continue to push through!

In fact, when I ask the executives and business owners I work with how many breaks they take in a day, guess what they say? Zero. They tell me how it isn’t possible to take any breaks. But, of course it’s possible to take breaks, even if you’re the busiest person in the world. It starts with the right mindset, attitude, and working boundaries. If you haven’t developed these skills yet, maybe it’s time.

And so, the question becomes, as a heart-centered and compassionate leader, can you recognize when other people need a break, or when you yourself need to rest? Or, do you overexert yourself, risking a health crisis as the only thing that will slow you down? It’s time to become sensitive to your needs and take care of yourself by developing these three valuable habits.

Step 1. Make time for some R&R

When you’re trying to cope with overwhelm, the key is… Prevention. Prevention. Prevention. This is the most effective way to overcome overwhelm. You simply MUST learn to… Slow down!

Let’s start with one, 3-minute break per day, then build on that. This should be doable for most people. And, when I say “break”, I mean an intentional activity that lets you unwind, recharge, and re-energize. A short walk, quick stretch, meditation, time in nature all count.

**NOTE: Scrolling through social media, dealing with a crisis at home, or consoling loved ones do not count as a break. They just add to your stress.

Be creative and experiment with breaks. Over time, you’ll develop a rhythm as you become more aware of how and when to use breaks to prevent feeling overwhelmed. You’ll appreciate the sense of inner calm and focus you begin to experience. While there may be some trial and error at first, it’ll become intrinsically rewarding and an intuitive response. Find your rhythm and follow it.

Step 2. Abandon the “Save the Day” hero stance

As rewarding as it might feel to constantly swoop in and “save the day” – it’s simply not sustainable, emotionally or physically.

Apart from living in a constant state of overwhelm, this strategy quickly becomes counterproductive as micromanagement prevents your team from growing. Instead of coaching your team and giving them space to make mistakes, you’ll practice helicopter leadership that trains your team to constantly reach out to you.

This, in turn, leads to more overwhelm because they’re now asking you questions every step of the way. Ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” If you’re constantly operating as the “captain of the battleship,” who are you fighting against? Maybe the war is already over, but the habit of heroic undertaking keeps driving you?

Another behavior pattern that stems from a hero’s mindset is what I call “Mission Impossible” syndrome where, somehow, you end up constantly taking on the most difficult projects. These usually lack resources or have unrealistic goals. Often, you are not being additionally rewarded for them. When you attempt to do the impossible all the time, you feel exhausted, resentful and – overwhelmed.

If either of these behaviors sound like you, it’s time to work on your reality testing skills. Learn how to discern what’s both challenging AND realistic while inserting time to recharge and re-energize after each intense project.

Step 3. Develop flexible attention

Do your thoughts tend to jump around, from task to task and priority to priority? Our minds LOVE to get distracted. Plus, the more you and your business grow, the more distractions there’ll be. The more information, the better, right? Yet, this makes your thoughts like a rollercoaster, speeding every which way and lacking focus.

Your ability to focus is crucial. Attention is one of the most important assets of a leader. You’re going to get pulled in every direction as people vie for your attention. To keep perspective, focus on your strengths. Create and preserve time in your day that belongs exclusively to you . Experiment and find out what time of day works best for you.

If this sounds like something you need to work on, gently and kindly bring your attention back to the task. Practicing mindfulness develops your attention to be flexible by accepting the fact that distraction is natural. Once we’re aware of this, it’s actually entertaining to notice what our minds do to distract us.

The more you “practice distraction by distracting”, the more your mind excels at it. The more you practice gently redirecting your attention back to the task at hand, the more flexible your mind becomes. Focusing on one task at a time and slowing down actually helps the day go by faster. Plus, you expend less energy and aren’t frustrated – which is how you learn to overcome overwhelm.

If you’re in a leadership position and know that you need to help to overcome overwhelm, I invite you to connect and book a free 1:1 Discovery call with me. Let’s dive into specifics and get to work right away.

For more details and insight on this, watch my latest video, then, if you have more questions, feel free to contact me for answers.