Overwhelm & Work/Life Balance

Take it from someone who is all too familiar with people-pleasing and overthinking: the brain is a fascinating place.

I get it - life is busy, and it often feels like there's so much to do and so little time to do it, right? Your mind is on overdrive and suddenly filled with stress hormones, and the overwhelm sets in. When you’re in the moment, it can be hard to take a breath and remember that we can only do so much, and there’s only so much that’s in our control.

But there are ways to change that!

A huge part of my work as a life coach involves asking great questions. And one of the things I love helping my clients to do is learn to ask themselves deeper questions and start to approach problems and decisions in different ways.

So, what is overwhelm and what causes it?

• Physical overwhelm occurs when your body is under too much stress, isn’t getting the nutrients or rest needed to recover, or simply can’t keep up with the amount of energy you’re using every day. This can be caused by things like having too much on your plate, physical/medical issues, lack of boundaries, or lack of support.

• Mental overwhelm is when whatever you’re facing seems too big to handle, you are stuck in negative thought loops, or when you feel completely overcome by intense thoughts and feelings and can’t seem to move past them. Mental overwhelm can sometimes cause physical symptoms in your body as well.

• Emotional overwhelm is similar to mental overwhelm but is particularly relevant if you’re an empath or Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). It occurs when you feel overwhelmed by intense emotions and struggle to move past them or recover. Empaths often absorb the emotions and energy of others, so experiencing emotional overwhelm can be a common challenge, because not only do they experience strong emotions themselves, they also take on strong emotion from those in their environment. Emotional overwhelm can cause physical systems as well, such as anxiety or feeling drained and depleted.

Regardless of the type of overwhelm you’re experiencing, there are several ways to reduce the effects and make changes so that it doesn’t feel so debilitating. It’s absolutely possible to have better work/life balance and less stress, and your environment, mindset, boundaries, and self-awareness all play a large part in managing feelings of overwhelm.

Some things we have the power to change, and some things we don’t. With coaching, you can learn to make changes in your life and to switch your thinking from dread to curiosity. You can go from feeling like a victim, to feeling confident and empowered.

I’m here to help you manage the things that you can control, and help you change how you respond to the things you can’t.