S03E29 The Psychology of Overwhelm Part One

<p>Buckle up because I’m about to overwhelm you all with strategies... on handling overwhelm!</p> <p>Today, I’m going to talk about the psychology of overwhelm—how it works, how it impacts the brain, and what we can do about it. I will also weigh in on the rise of technology and go over the difference between anxiety, stress, burnout, and overwhelm. This is the first installation of a 2-part excerpt from a presentation that I did on Clubhouse.</p> <p>Overwhelm happens when we feel like we <em>have</em> to do more than what we <em>can</em> do.<br /> It’s a paradox because we end up trying to make it possible to do more!</p> <p>Well, you need to stop.</p> <p>Stop pushing yourself to try to do everything.<br /> Stop getting lost in the need to be perfect.</p> <p>Here are the 6 Ts that overwhelm us:</p> <ul> <li>TOO MUCH to do</li> <li>Not enough TIME</li> <li>Problematic TRIGGERS</li> <li>THREATS of incoming consequences</li> <li>Setting TARGETS that are too high</li> <li>Stressful THOUGHTS</li> </ul> <p>Identify what’s making you overwhelmed.<br /> Accept what you can’t change.<br /> Focus on what you can control.</p> <p>How to deal with too many tasks?<br /> Write down everything.<br /> Sort them into different categories.<br /> Break them into manageable chunks.<br /> Analyze each task and then connect it to your overall goal.<br /> Finally, prioritize the ones that matter the most.</p> <p>Recognize how arbitrary your deadlines are to you.<br /> Learn to be patient and realize that, even if you miss a deadline, you’re going to be okay.</p> <p>Links/Resources:</p> <ul> <li><a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Four-Thousand-Weeks-Management-Mortals/dp/0374159122" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Four Thousand Weeks</a> by Oliver Burkeman</li> <li><a href="https://lisafeldmanbarrett.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">Lisa Feldman Barrett’s website</a></li> <li><a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374533555" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thinking, Fast and Slow</a> by Daniel Kahneman<