Overwhelmed and Overweight

(c) NicoletaIonescu Fotosearch_k85599008

Overwhelm is a type of emotional paralysis where you feel as though you’re unable to cope with or handle your circumstances. You might be feeling overwhelmed because you:

✅ Have very high standards and expectations of yourself; perhaps expectations of perfection, which are very difficult to live up to.

✅ Are trying to do more than you can physically and emotionally handle. On top of this, you are trying to account for absolutely everything.

✅ Haven’t taken the time to prioritize your tasks or your life in a way that will help you to get things done most productively.

✅ Haven’t taken the time to define your personal boundaries of time and space.

✅ Are afraid to give up control by delegating responsibility to others.

✅ There is just too much clutter around you.

✅ Are simply not willing to say no to other people’s requests.

I’ll never get this done.

I can’t handle this.

This is just too much.

I can’t do this myself.

. . . are the typical thought processes when experiencing overwhelm.

And many folks I meet (too many!) live in a chronic state of overwhelm which, although they claim to hate it, they actually hide behind it. Like a shield. So they can have another excuse as to why they can’t, won’t and don’t deal with their weight and health issues.

If you balance your time and take baby steps along the way, you will always feel in control. With control will come a sense of satisfaction that you can, and will, get things done.

It’s like moving into a new house and seeing countless number of boxes all over the place, piled floor to ceiling in every room of the house. You look at it, and you just don’t know how or where to begin. Then, slowly, just one box at a time, even if it is ONLY one box at a time, one day at a time, the days and weeks pass, and one day you wake up, take a look around, exhale and go, “Aaaaah.” Everything is away. Everything found its place. You can see the floors. You can see all the counter space in your kitchen, etc. and so forth. It’s a great feeling. And, like our minds, when we get rid of the clutter, we feel “cleansed.”

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret to getting started is breaking your overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” ~ Mark Twain

Focus on what is in your direct control and start tackling one small task at a time.  As you build momentum you will feel a sense of hope that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.