The 21st century with all of its technological discoveries has engendered a new disorder called Overwhelm. Grammatically speaking, “overwhelm” is a verb, not a noun.  But the case is strong for making it a noun as well.

If overwhelm were a noun, I would define it as an excessive amount of emotional and psychological input creating the feeling that one is being buried under it. (I welcome your definition.)

With that definition in mind, how can we deal with overwhelm?  Here are a few tips that have helped me:

1) Spend time with God every day seeking His will and direction for your life. Years ago, when I was struggling with overwhelm, our Lord said this to me: “You always have enough time to do what I have called you to do.”  Our Lord’s words made me realize that I was involved in some good activities that He had not called me to be involved in.  So, if you have too much on your plate, you are doing some things that God does not want you to do. Eliminate them.

2) Streamline your environment. Get rid of everything that is contributing to your overwhelm. Recently, I cleared out hundreds of books from my library, books that I will never read again and that will provide benefit to others. Not only did I clear out my house, but I also cleared out my mind.

3) Take time to regroup each day. Sometimes we experience overwhelm simply because we do not take the time to nurture ourselves. Women are especially guilty of this. So give yourself the gift of ten minutes a day just for you to do something you love to do.

Remember that you can control overwhelm. By following the three simple steps above, you will find yourself breathing freely again.
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Copyright by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA.  All Rights Reserved.