Feeling overwhelmed is common in any field of human endeavour, and particularly for those of us who work in the NFP sector which is often underfunded and under resourced.
We can be so determined to make a difference that it leads to a situation where we experience being overwhelmed.
The indicators of being overwhelmed are many but always include some level of belief that we are not coping, or just hanging on by our fingertips and likely to tip over the edge at any time.
Physiologically we may experience unpleasant, unhelpful physical changes, like being tired but not being able to sleep, eating more or not having an appetite at all, aches and pains or a poorly functioning immune system leaving us open to all sorts of physical maladies. What is clear is that each person will experience being overwhelmed in an individual way.
SO, WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
The simple answer is to take charge of your life. Easier said than done, but necessary if we want to change the negative spiral of overwhelm. We can only truly control one thing in our lives, and that is ourselves, and there are three areas we need to consider:
- Our picture of how we want things to be, this is a picture we created and put in our head. This is the hardest to change because it is what matters most to us. If it is an unrealistic or unachievable picture, we will feel overwhelmed.
- Our perception of how things currently are. Noting that almost everyone thinks how they perceive things is reality and therefore are reluctant to take on alternatives.
- Our behaviours, how we are currently dealing with things. This should be the easiest of the three, but anyone who has made a New Years Eve resolution, only to see it collapse in tears shortly after, knows how challenging it is to change behaviour.
When we change one or all three of these elements to a more accurate, sustainable or successful alternative, we gradually begin to take charge of ourselves and our feelings of being overwhelmed will recede.
Recognising the early feelings of being overwhelmed is a sign of imbalance and choosing to change these areas is the key to regaining control over ourselves and our lives before it becomes debilitating, and our system shuts us down.
The above is from one of our newest network members, Jeff Steedman, a Counsellor in the Gippsland area.
Read more about specialist Jeff Steedman here.
