Let’s face it sometimes we just hand over the script of our lives to the situations and circumstances that surround us trading the lead role for a bit part or that of a background extra and as the action unfolds we find ourselves at best stuck in a rut and at worst sitting at the bottom of a dark or dimly lit hole.
It seems like these unsettling feelings of overwhelm just sit and wait for their chance to catch you off your guard or off balance. Then just like a thief in the night, when you are at your most vulnerable they pounce and overpower you.
Overwhelm has one mission and that’s simply to confuse and confound you, looking to shut you down and paralyse your ability to cope. You are immediately overrun with a profound sense of self-doubt and start questioning yourself and your abilities. And just when you need to believe in yourself the most, it feels as though your self-reliance has completely deserted you.
If you are one of the rare individuals that hasn’t experienced anything like this I salute you and humbly ask that you share your expertise with the rest of us who become unfortunate victims (yes I did use that word) from time to time. But for the rest of us there is no shame in passing through that ‘victim’ place, so instead of berating yourself for being in that position (again) stop!
Whilst you may be a product of your situation or circumstance it is important to remember you are not your situation or circumstance and the key to overcoming your feelings of overwhelm is simply to control your thoughts and your emotions. It’s simple, just don’t allow negative feelings of any sort to gain a foothold in your life.
Okay simple to say but much harder to do!
By choosing to deny those self-doubts and focus instead on finding the needed solutions, you’ll be surprised that the answers you need will come knocking at your door. It’s true you can overcome any feelings of overwhelm simply by controlling the way you feel. There is no question that feeling self assured and self-confident is a powerful weapon in the battle against the feeling of overwhelm.
But how do you control your feelings
Good question and one that can only be answered when you are in safe harbour and the feelings of overwhelm have passed or are at least abated for the moment.
The answer lies in your ‘Self-belief Cover’
Self-belief cover’ is a unique blend of first aid and personal insurance policy, which once in place will help to manage feelings of overwhelm and either prevent it from happening so often or shorten the time you dwell in the land of overwhelm.
Here are seven things you can do to form the basis of your ‘Self belief cover’. Make sure you add your individual stamp to make it truly personal.
- Create your dream team. Identify people in your life that can act as a buffer for your feelings and help you to rebuild your self-esteem.
- Choose a song(s) that help to lift your spirit and lighten the mood. Add to music that make you feel like dancing and do just that get to your feet and dance!
- Get yourself a journal and use it to release what you are experiencing. Just write, don’t reread it is simply to be used as your dumping ground.
- Create your Mountain Top Journal. Every time you experience a high, or learn a new lesson record it – write, draw, include a picture – it will be a useful distraction when those moments of overwhelm try to invade your mind.
- Seek advice. Identify your favourite people either living or dead and write down what they would say to you to help you to move towards a positive frame of mind.
- Use affirmations. Review or renew your affirmations and make sure that you have at least three that you repeat to yourself everyday
- Watch DVDs(videos if you are still from the old school) Buy, borrow or record things that make you laugh and help you to escape from the challenges of the moment.
Assemble the components of your ‘Self belief Cover’ now and at the first sign of overwhelm knocking at your door, use the components and channel all of your energy on making good things happen remembering that your mind really is the most powerful tool at your disposal and it can cut effortlessly through those feelings of overwhelm