Feeling Overwhelmed

How To Deal With Overwhelm

Today on Pretty Spiritual Podcast, we’re talking about what it's like to be stuck in a state of anxious overwhelm when it comes to daily life.

Feeling overwhelmed with yours? Firstly, we want to say that you’re not alone! We all have times where we are caught up in obsessive thinking or we’re barely coping with anxiety. Secondly, we want to spread the good news. We can get through it together. To start, let's look ay the ways overwhelm shows up in our lives, both emotional and physical.

Often overwhelm looks like the monkey mind, spinning around on all the things we need to do (hello, looming to-do list), all the things we haven’t accomplished, and why we’re never going to be quite enough to get it all done. 

The story overwhelm and anxiety tell us is that the solution to this problem is “getting things done” or “getting ourselves together” or “getting control of our life.” And yes, of course, these can be healthy ways to engage with our lives and take responsibility for what is ours to do.

On the other hand, and as far as the chronic state of overwhelm goes, these beliefs can actually keep us trapped. So what happens if we engage with overwhelm in a new way? Instead of getting hooked by the story and trying to control life by getting things done, what happens when we look underneath or beyond the anxiety of feeling overwhelmed? 

What Is Anxiety Trying To Tell Us?

That's why we want to use this episode as a chance to invite overwhelm in for a nice cup of coffee with gingerbread eggnog creamer (shoutout Kitu!). That is to say, we want to see what it has to show us or share with us about ourselves. For example, we'll ask ourselves questions like these:

• Why is overwhelm here right now? 
• What caused or created this feeling? 
• How has this served me in the past? 
• What are the causes and conditions in my life that are giving rise to this emotional state?
• What am I believing about myself that’s creating this?

For instance, many of us experience overwhelm as a natural result of growing into adulthood with leftover anxiety from our childhood. Those broken core beliefs often hide inside us. As a result, we might feel compelled to stay one step ahead of life and try to control the outcomes. These old coping mechanisms helped us to find safety in unsafe situations as children. But chances are, they're no longer serving us as adults. 

Certainly, big life changes can also carry a heavy dose of overwhelm. When things feel too big to manage, fear can take over and we can get stuck in overwhelm.

Tools For Anxiety And Overwhelm 

Finally, it's time for tools. We're so grateful to have spiritual tools and practical tips to help us navigate the overwhelming parts of life! Ella, Annie and Lindsay Poni (aka your spiritual best friends) talk about what we're doing to move through overwhelm. Maybe even with a little grace. In other words, we'll talk routines, how to even notice if you’re stuck in overwhelm, meditation as a tool for overwhelm, and so much more. 

Above all, we hope you join our conversation! As with all of our topics, we’re constantly learning new things and changing as we go. And we bet you are, too. If you get inspired, we’d love to hear from you. 

In conclusion, we want to know what tools and strategies work for you you're feeling overwhelmed? Please share your experiences and tools with us. Find us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Insight Timer, Google Play, Spotify, Soundcloud, Podbean, and Stitcher (or our Contact page) and share your feelings, thoughts, and anything else! Thanks for listening to our spiritual podcasts. We love ya!