Feeling Overwhelmed? Try Non-Doing to Relieve Anxiety
I know, you know, that managing life is challenging enough during the rest of the year.
When we add in holiday season "stuff"some of us may begin to feel overwhelmed.
➡️ Let's talk about why we feel overwhelm, and then offer some solutions.
woman covering face with hands, feeling overwhelmed
in Atlas of the Heart Dr. Brené Brown writes...
“Regardless of how strongly our body responds to stress (increases in heart rate and cortisol), our emotional reaction is more tied to our cognitive assessment of whether we can cope with the situation than to how our body is reacting... My emotions are responding to my “thinking” assessment of how well I can handle something.”
➡️ We begin to feel overwhelmed when we think we can't handle all the things we need to manage.
➡️ Our nervous system is overloaded and we may have trouble making wise decisions, or telling someone what we need if they ask how they can help.
In her recent newsletter Brown goes on to explain that the best antidote for feeling overwhelmed is to step back and take a "non-doing" break.
*️⃣ Ways to take a "Non-Doing" Break and Relieve Overwhelm in 10 - 20 Min.
go outside your office and take a walk around the block or parking lot
if you're at home, take a walk down the street or step outside and use all your senses to fully experience your surroundings
find a quiet place and practice the 60 Second Stress Slayer breathing pattern, attempting to slow the pacing, deepen each breath cycle and extend the inhale a couple of seconds longer than the inhale
simply sit in a warm sunny spot indoors and observe what you can see and hear out your window
if you can, lie down and practice this guided relaxation yoga nidra a form of deeply relaxing, nervous system rebalancing, dynamic rest.
woman walking toward lake through woods, in sunshine
Three important points to remember:
➡️ Find the types of "non-doing" that soothe you, and as soon as you notice that feeling of overwhelm coming on, pick one and do your "non-doing" thing. 😁. Releasing stress in this way first, helps you think more clearly to find solutions.
➡️ Trust that you CAN bring yourself back into an emotionally balanced state, using self awareness to recognize you need a break, using your breath to calm your nervous system, and allowing yourself to feel and release your emotions - without trying to problem solve until after your break.
➡️ Allow yourself that 10 - 20 min. non-doing break so you can get back in balance, and better handle the tasks ahead of you.
When you feel overwhelmed, now you have some healthy ways to feel more in control again.
And in case you need to hear it today, you got this!
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P.S. For access to more of my stress relieving meditations, breath work and yoga practices, anytime you want them, subscribe to my on demand library.
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