Welcome to the Stop Sabotaging Your Success Podcast, episode ninety-two. I’m your host, Cindy Esliger. This is the podcast focusing on what we can do today to take control of our careers and overcome the inevitable barriers to success that we encounter along the way. 

Deciding to set goals is one thing, but actually achieving them is another. This is an ongoing battle between our never-ending to-do list and the finite amount of time that we have to do everything that needs to get done. This can leave many of us feeling overwhelmed. 

In this episode, we dive into this feeling of overwhelm that is a common experience for many these days. It’s that sense of being overcome by an intense emotion that something is too challenging for us to manage. It can feel all consuming and it can then be difficult to think or act rationally, causing us to fall into unproductive default habits that tend to prevent us from getting anything done, followed by a sense of shame for not having completed what we set out to do. 

The feeling of overwhelm is characterized by a feeling of being overburdened, stressed, and unable to cope with the demands of life. Overwhelm can be caused by a variety of factors, including work-related stress, family and relationship issues, financial concerns, health problems, social pressures, as well as a lack of direction.

When someone is overwhelmed, they may experience physical symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, or difficulty sleeping. They may also experience emotional symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and irritability. Overwhelm can have a significant impact on a person’s mental and physical health as well as their ability to achieve their goals. 

In the workplace, overwhelm can manifest as a feeling of being constantly behind or unable to keep up with the demands of the job. This can lead to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, with a sense of job satisfaction all but disappearing. Over time, feeling overwhelmed can lead to burnout, which can have serious consequences for both the individual and the organization. 

Furthermore, overwhelm can hold people back from achieving their career goals by creating a sense of paralysis and hindering progress. When a person feels overwhelmed, they may find it difficult to prioritize tasks, make decisions, or take action. This can lead to a sense of stagnation and the inability to move forward in one’s career. 

For example, imagine a professional who is overwhelmed with the work tasks and responsibilities. They may find themselves spending a lot of time on tasks that are not the most important or urgent, while neglecting tasks that are critical to their career progression. They may also find it difficult to focus and concentrate, which can lead to mistakes and errors. Then, after a while, people might start questioning their ability to do their job. 

Feeling overwhelmed can also lead to a lack of confidence and self-doubt. When a person is constantly feeling stressed and unable to cope, they may begin to doubt their own abilities and question whether they are capable of achieving their career goals. This can lead to a decrease in self-esteem and a reluctance to take on new challenges or opportunities. As you can imagine, this can be just the beginning of a terrible downward spiral. 

In order to overcome overwhelm and achieve career success, it’s important to develop coping strategies and tools. This may include prioritizing tasks, setting realistic goals, delegating responsibilities, seeking support from colleagues or a mentor, and taking time for self-care activities such as exercise or meditation. It may be helpful to reframe your mindset and focus on the positive aspects of your career rather than dwelling on the challenges and obstacles. 

Overwhelm can be defined as a feeling of being overburdened or unable to cope with the demands of life. It can manifest in different areas of life and can affect people in various ways.

Here are some examples of how overwhelm can manifest in three key areas: 

1. Work: Feeling overwhelmed at work is common and can be caused by a variety of factors, including excessive workload, tight deadlines, a lack of resources, or a difficult work environment. When someone feels overwhelmed at work, they may also feel stressed, anxious, or exhausted. This can lead to decreased productivity, difficulty focusing, and that sense of being constantly behind on things. 
2. Relationships: When someone is overwhelmed in their relationships, they may feel like they don’t have enough time and energy to devote to the people they care about. This can lead to feelings of guilt, frustration, and a sense of being pulled in too many directions at once.
3. Goals: Overwhelm can also impact a person’s ability to pursue their personal and professional goals, where they may struggle to prioritize tasks involved, make decisions, or take action. This can lead to a sense of paralysis and the inability to move forward. Additionally, feeling overwhelmed can lead to self-doubt and a lack of confidence in their ability to achieve those goals.

Understanding how overwhelm manifests in different areas can help us identify areas where we may need to develop coping strategies and tools. The best way to break through overwhelm is to take action. While this can be easier said than done, depending on the person, taking action is key to overcoming overwhelm and achieving what we want in life. 

We are all juggling many responsibilities, rushing to make appointments and meet deadlines. Sometimes, it feels like it’s coming from all directions. Here are some common causes of overwhelm that maybe you can relate to: 

• Poor time management
• Unclear priorities
• Perfectionism
• Lack of support
• Life transitions
• Financial concerns
• Health problems
• Relationship challenges

These stressors can be difficult to manage and may require significant effort to overcome. Identifying the causes of your overwhelm can help you develop effective coping strategies and tools to manage your stress and achieve your goals.

Here are four practical tips to get rid of the unpleasant feeling of being overwhelmed: 

1. Get it out of your head: Write down everything you need to do. Take a few minutes to brain dump everything so you know it’s captured and won’t get forgotten. 
2. Prioritize: Determine what really needs to be done right now, today. Choose one or two things that, if taken off your plate, would alleviate 80% of the stress you are feeling right now. Although you may still be responsible for these items and they can’t actually be taken off your plate, this exercise can still help you identify a significant source of your stress and what you need to focus on first in order to have the greatest impact. 
3. Break tasks into smaller, manageable steps: When facing a large or complex task, it can be helpful to break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces. This can make the task feel less overwhelming and help you focus on one step at a time. You can also set realistic deadlines for each step to keep yourself on track. 
4. Simplify your environment: A cluttered environment can contribute to feelings of overwhelm. Simplify your workspace or living space by decluttering and organizing your belongings. This can help you feel more in control and reduce distractions.

Self-care is essential for overcoming overwhelm as it helps to reduce stress, improve mental health, and boost overall well-being. Here are four tips for taking good care of yourself: 

1. Rest: Getting enough rest is crucial for managing stress and reducing overwhelm. Aim to get the right amount of sleep each night so that you feel more alert and focused during the day.
2. Exercise: Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and improve your mood. Aim to exercise most days of the week, even if it’s just taking a brisk walk during your lunch break. 
3. Nutrition: Eating a healthy diet can help support your overall well-being and reduce stress. Avoid skipping meals and relying on caffeine or sugary snacks to get through the day.
4. Boundaries: Setting healthy boundaries is an important aspect of self-care. This might mean learning to say no when things are starting to feel too hectic or taking steps to limit your exposure to negative or stressful situations or people. 

Seeking support from others can provide a range of benefits when dealing with challenges related to work or other areas of life. It can be a good way to help you gain new perspectives on the challenges you’re facing. Friends and family members can provide support and empathy, while career coaches and mental health professionals can provide more specialized guidance and advice. 

You may also benefit from developing or improving your coping skills and strategies for managing stress and anxiety. Talking through your feelings and experiences with others experiencing something similar can help reduce stress and anxiety. Sometimes, simply having someone to listen and provide emotional support can help you feel more grounded and less overwhelmed. This could also help you build resilience and develop the skills you need to overcome future challenges. 

Recognizing and overcoming overwhelm is not just important for achieving your short-term goals, but also for long-term success and overall well-being. While it’s easy to think of overwhelm as a temporary state that can be overcome with a few simple strategies such as time management or prioritization, the reality is that chronic overwhelm can have damaging long-term effects on your mental and physical health, as well as erode our confidence in our ability to achieve our goals over time. 

Chronic stress and overwhelm can contribute to burnout where it’s difficult to stay motivated and achieve our goals over the long term. Recognizing and addressing overwhelm, then, is not just a matter of improving our productivity or reducing stress in the moment, but rather a key component of improving our overall quality of life. By learning to manage overwhelm effectively, we can cultivate the resilience, motivation, and focus we need to achieve our goals over time while also safeguarding our mental and physical health for the future. 

Every person has different stress level thresholds based on our history and our experiences. We are all triggered by different factors and respond to them in our own unique ways. To effectively overcome overwhelm, we need to take a multifaceted approach that includes a variety of strategies for improving our time management, prioritization, self-care, and stress management. 

Find what works for you to manage your overwhelm effectively. Cultivate the resilience, motivation, and focus you need to achieve your goals while also safeguarding your mental and physical health for the future, because burnout can take a real toll if it’s left unchecked.

And that’s it for this episode of Stop Sabotaging Your Success. Remember to download your Guide to Recognizing Overwhelm at cindyesliger.com/podcast, episode ninety-two.

Thank you to our producer, Alex Hochhausen and everyone at Astronomic Audio. Get in touch, I’m on Instagram @cindyesliger and my email address is info@cindyesliger.com.

If you enjoy listening to this podcast, you have to come check out The Confidence Collective. It’s my monthly coaching program where we dig a little deeper into what’s holding you back in your career, and we find the workarounds. We help you overcome the barriers and create the career you want. Join me over at cindyesliger.com/join. I’d love to have you join me in The Confidence Collective. 

Until next week, I’m Cindy Esliger. Thanks for listening.