Feeling Overwhelmed

My life has a way of filling up.  From about mid-May until now, I’ve felt a bit like I’m treading water and just trying to keep up with the current.  No matter how much I do, there seems to be way more left undone.  I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed with all that I’ve agreed to do recently and this state of overwhelm is not a great feeling.  I find that I’m forgetting things that I normally wouldn’t forget.  I can’t seem to get a grasp on everything because life is going in so many directions at once.  Yep, I’m in a state of overwhelm.

This relates to my stop & go life that I was describing last week.  I find myself in such a state of doing that all I want to do is stop.  But, I can’t because I feel committed to each and every thing that I’ve agreed to do.  Oh the pressure that I put on myself sometimes…

What’s the solution?  Well, I’ve been thinking about this in the small amounts of downtime that I’ve had in the past few weeks.  My solution is to take a look at what is really important to me right now in this part of my life.  Whatever that is, then that is what I really want to focus my attention upon.   What truly matters will get done.  What isn’t really important, doesn’t really need to be done or can just wait another few days or weeks.

It comes down to my way of thinking.  I’m doing the best that I can.  Really, I am.  Some days its pretty good.  Other days its great.  And there are those days where it’s pretty yucky and I wouldn’t want anyone to look at what I’ve done/said.  (Yes, we all have those days!)  I find this state of overwhelm can be made a bit better by giving myself a little bit of space to have those days that just don’t go as I want and are just yucky.  I know that those days will happen and that they will pass.  I also know that those amazing days will happen as well.  So, by allowing myself to accept both the good, great and not so great days, my thinking doesn’t get stuck on the fact that I actually have those not so great days.

I’m only human.  I tell myself that a lot.  I have lots of things that interest me and that’s how I end up with so much on my proverbial plate.  I’m only human and can only do as much as is possible in a 24 hour day.  Some days that means that not everything will get done.  A part of me will be a bit disappointed, but another part of me knows that I gave it my all.  Whether it was a good or not so good day, as long as I can say that I did my best to do the things that needed doing, then I’m doing alright.

Thinking this through helps to lessen my sense of overwhelm.  I realize that I’m doing what I can and that maybe I can cut back on some things.  I also realize that this too will pass just like every other season in my life.  I’ve set myself up for this by agreeing to so many things.  I’ll also get myself out of this overwhelm by a bit of hard work and by reevaluating my priorities.

How do you deal with overwhelm?  Do you give yourself a little grace to be the best you that you can?  What helps you to cope?  I’d love to hear what works for you.  It might be something that can help me during these times as well. Leave a comment and share with others how you handle that sense of overwhelm.