About Dealing With Overwhelm

There's so much going on in the world today. And there's so much going on in just your own life. It's easy to experience overwhelm. To feel like there's just too much going on. And that can make you feel anxious and tense and overwhelmed. Join me for this meditation.
Music by Chris Collins. #111

Transcript

Welcome,

And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.

Today I want to talk a little bit about overwhelm.

There's so much going on in the world today,

And there's so much going on in just your own life.

It's easy to experience overwhelm,

And this meditation is based on a live session I did recently.

But it's easy to feel that there's just too much going on,

And that can make you feel anxious,

And tense,

And overwhelmed.

You've heard me say before more than once that we really can't control the majority of the things that happen in our lives,

But what we can positively control is how we react to the things in our lives,

And that includes overwhelm and letting things overwhelm us.

I know that there are conflicts going on around the world.

There's unrest in some areas.

There's poverty and hunger,

And in the United States there's just insanity,

Craziness going on every single day.

And I know that sometimes it seems like we just aren't going to be able to get through it,

But in fact we will get through it.

It may not be easy,

But we will get through it.

And often when I feel overwhelmed,

I pause to think about my parents.

They went through the Great Depression,

And surviving that they went through World War II.

They went through periods of time when they had very little to eat,

And during the war things were rationed.

They went through loved ones going away to war,

And oftentimes not coming back.

Japanese citizens were put in internment camps.

There was hardship,

And heartache,

And hunger,

And deaths all over the world,

And yet they got through it,

And we'll get through this period of time.

And I know all too well that sometimes it seems like we won't,

But that's when you have to have faith,

When you have to believe in yourself,

When you have to believe that this too shall pass,

Because it will.

It always has,

And it always will.

So the best thing that you can do right now is to slow down and focus.

Dealing with overwhelm can be challenging,

But here are a few strategies to help you manage it.

Prioritize your tasks.

Break things down into smaller,

More manageable steps,

And focus on one at a time.

Practicing mindfulness is probably one of the best things that you can do to help with being overwhelmed.

Deep breathing,

Meditation,

Yoga,

Things that will calm your mind and reduce stress.

Allow yourself to take regular breaks throughout the day to recharge.

Set boundaries and learn to say no.

And control your environment.

I only read the news once a day.

Turn off your notifications from social media sites and news sites and that kind of thing.

No one needs to hear about this stuff multiple times a day.

Remember,

In the United States at least,

They want us scattered,

So focus is our resistance.

Use planners and to-do lists and digital apps to keep track of your tasks.

And if you need to,

Look for support.

Talking about your feelings can help alleviate some of the stress.

Exercise.

Physical activity can help reduce stress and improve your mood.

Even a short walk can make a huge difference.

And make time for activities that you enjoy.

Be kind to yourself.

Read,

Relax,

Listen to music,

Take a long,

Slow bath.

Whatever it is that makes you feel relaxed.

And stay positive.

Focus on the positive aspects of your life and practice gratitude.

And be sure to get enough sleep.

Most importantly,

You have to stay positive because eventually everything will get better.

Let's close our eyes now and begin to get in touch with our breath.

And it doesn't matter if you're sitting,

Standing,

Lying down,

Or kicked back in your favorite recliner.

The only thing that truly matters when you meditate is that you're comfortable and alert.

So let's begin to focus on our breath.

Breathing in and breathing out,

One breath at a time.

Let's scan our body.

Relax your face.

Unfurl your brow and unclench your jaw.

And relax your neck.

Relax your shoulders.

These are places of tension in today's world.

Relax your arms and your hands.

Wiggle your fingers.

Let your hands drop.

Look for any tension in your chest and belly.

Relax your legs and your feet.

And as we begin to relax,

Let's focus even more on our breath.

You don't need to fix anything right now.

Just be here.

Let this be a pause in your day.

A soft landing.

Just follow your breath.

Our breath is our anchor.

It's here for us in all moments.

When we're happy,

When we're sad,

When we're frustrated,

And when we're overwhelmed.

And if you have thoughts,

Just let them go.

And the same goes for any sounds you might hear.

Just acknowledge them and let them be.

Now I'd like you to gently bring your attention to the feeling of overwhelm.

You don't need to dive into it.

Just notice the sensation.

Where does it live in your body?

Is it a tightness?

A buzzing?

A heaviness?

I'd like you to say quietly to yourself,

Overwhelm is here and I am here with it.

I'll say that again.

Overwhelm is here and I am here with it.

Remember,

You are not the storm.

You are the sky that holds it.

Now let's go back and focus more on our breath.

Breathing in and breathing out.

One breath at a time.

And I'd like you to imagine each breath as a tide.

Inhaling,

You gather calm.

And exhaling,

You release tension.

And if it helps,

Place a hand over your chest or your belly and just feel the rhythm of your breath.

This life-giving breath that we do so thoughtlessly all day and all night.

Feel the rhythm.

And let it remind you that you are safe.

You are steady and you are here.

And if you feel willing,

Picture this overwhelm as a tangled ball of string.

There's no need to yank or force it.

But just imagine it softening,

Loosening with each breath.

One breath at a time.

The ball of string begins to loosen and fall and falls to the ground.

Or you could see your overwhelm as a dense fog.

At first you can't see through it at all.

But with each breath,

The light begins to filter through.

And the fog begins to lift.

And clarity returns.

Not all at once,

But gradually.

We're just breathing.

Notice your breath,

A cool sensation in your nose as you breathe in.

Or the movement of your chest and belly as you breathe in and breathe out.

Now if you're willing,

I'd like you to just imagine a spacious field within you.

It's wide,

It's open,

And it's quiet.

This is your inner refuge,

Deep inside you.

Overwhelm may visit,

But it does not own this space.

You do.

Feel your feet on this ground.

Feel the breath in your body.

You are here and you are whole.

And as we near the end of this meditation,

Offer yourself a phrase of kindness.

We'll do some positive affirmations and you can say these out loud or to yourself.

And I'll say each one twice.

I am allowed to pause.

I am allowed to pause.

I am allowed to feel.

I am allowed to feel.

And last one.

I am allowed to begin again.

I am allowed to begin again.

Now take one final deep breath in.

And slowly let it out through your mouth,

Letting out a sigh.

As we come to a close,

Open your eyes and come back into the room.

Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive.

How good it is to be in this moment.

Meditating and breathing with so many others.

I hope this has been a beneficial session for each of you.

Times can be hard and sometimes we feel overwhelmed.

But we have the power within us by being kind to ourselves,

By being organized,

By taking breaks,

By using planners and other things,

And by getting in touch with our breath.

Breathing in and breathing out,

One breath at a time.

These times and these things will pass.

There's no doubt in my mind.

Till next time.

Reviews

Very supportive meditation 💞
Adding it to my playlist a definite keeper🙏
Thank you 😊

This is really helpful. My escape from overwhelm is quilting and listening to music or audible books. Thank you, Michael.

Great as always. Will leave detailed review after next time I listen.

Another amazing meditation, so grateful to be able to hear your beautiful, calming thoughts.

Thank you for this great meditation it’s a good reminder

Absolutely amazing, thank you for your brilliance & resonant words, will definitely be revisiting this meditation often 🫶