The Psychology of Overwhelm Part One

Buckle up because I’m about to overwhelm you all with strategies... on handling overwhelm! 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. Overwhelm happens when we feel like we have to do more than what we can do. It’s a paradox because we end up trying to make it possible to do more! Well, you need to stop. Stop pushing yourself to try to do everything. Stop getting lost in the need to be perfect. Here are the 6 Ts that overwhelm us: TOO MUCH to do Not enough TIME Problematic TRIGGERS THREATS of incoming consequences Setting TARGETS that are too high Stressful THOUGHTS Identify what’s making you overwhelmed. Accept what you can’t change. Focus on what you can control. How to deal with too many tasks? Write down everything. Sort them into different categories. Break them into manageable chunks. Analyze each task and then connect it to your overall goal. Finally, prioritize the ones that matter the most. Recognize how arbitrary your deadlines are to you. Learn to be patient and realize that, even if you miss a deadline, you’re going to be okay. Links/Resources: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman Lisa Feldman Barrett’s website Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Subscribe to the Changing Minds Podcast!