Overcoming Overwhelm
I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve been in lately where I’ve noticed the subtle undertones of overwhelm.
Yes, the UNDER tones of OVER whelm. There’s an ironic ring to it isn’t there. If you’ve read any of my other articles you’ll know I’m drawn to the ironic paradoxes of human behaviour and relating.
Overwhelm can of course be overtly obvious at times. But so often it speaks subtly, hiding in plain sight.
Those consistent deep sighs and vague stares, the busy mind that is afraid to rest, the dishes that feel way too hard to tend to, hrs evaporated on tv series, scattered attention or failing memory… and the nervous laugh as we tell ourselves we’re just tired… or the current planetary alignment is ‘intense’ right now.
Thing is that if you’re experiencing overwhelm you probably are tired, in fact you’re probably exhausted. It take a lot of energy to hold that much IN.
As the name may indicate, overwhelm happens when we’re getting full. Over stimulated, inflamed, at capacity, no… more…. space… for… any… thing… else!!
When sensitive receptive beings have taken so much IN but haven’t processed it, the energy can’t continue to flow OUT… and functional feelings stagnate into emotional overload. The pipes get full, and back up and before you know it they’re overflowing… and you’re in a regular state of subtle, dysfunctional overwhelm.
So how to overcome overwhelm? Get to know it… and what it’s made of.
In my experience as a Holistic Counsellor and through my work as a Possibility Management Trainer I have come to know overwhelm as build up of old mixed emotions. The pathway out of overwhelm is to unmix the emotions and create safe spaces to move them through one at a time (not all the same time).
It’s a space clearing exercise but it’s not always as simple as it sounds.
Emotions (simply put) are incomplete feelings. Feelings that came with energy and information that we are conditioned to numb and suppress rather than use for navigating life. We often learn to cope with feelings rather than welcome them in as trusted allies.
From that place many people are walking around with a big load of incomplete feelings that have become unprocessed emotions.
It’s one thing to have big backload of anger but when that anger is also mixed in with a big old swamp of sadness and they’ve been in there for years… or even decades… they become an unidentifiable soup of depression.
Add in a bucket full of emotional fear and even a dash of abandoned joy and mix it all up and you have… states of overwhelm.
These core feelings, anger, sadness, fear and joy all impact our mental and physical bodies in different ways. In their pure and neutral feeling forms they are vital sources of functional energy and information.
When they’ve been relentlessly pushed down, creating emotional charge, it just starts to hurt. First there’s emotional pain, then there’s physical pain, and brain strain and… collapse.
The answer isn’t just about facing it all head on, but to face each emotion one at a time. I support people to unpack, unmix and release these emotions from a safe, centered and connected place. Having support unpacking the ingredients of your overwhelm pie can make it a lot easier to digest.
However, what you can do right now is slowly turn your attention inwards and drop your attention down deep in the depths of our torso, to your physical centre… pause and breath there for a moment. Simply being present with yourself rather than preoccupied with people, thoughts or things is a big step in itself.
From this place you can begin to notice each flavour of emotional energy; the anger, sadness, fear and joy. Each of these energies moves differently in the body and when they’re all mixed up they’re in conflict with each other.
Given separate and clear pathways — they can have their own airtime, can be seen, heard and expressed (as our abandoned parts long to be)… clearing space for your core feelings to show up and do their job of informing you of your next steps for your one precious life.
Stacia
