“Overwhelm is the ABUNDANCE of what you asked for” ~ Jasmine Star

Whoa. Overwhelm is the abundance of what you asked for.
That statement hit me like a ton of bricks the other day when I was listening the the Jasmine Star Show podcast. I have been feeling overwhelmed for many different reasons for the past few years (and really, HAVEN’T WE ALL especially this past year). But most recently my reason for feeling overwhelm was starting this new endeavor into coaching. I’ve been helping friends for quite a while, so when I started really putting my mind towards actually opening a coaching business I immediately felt OVERWHELMED. And scared. And nervous. And so many other what if’s. Where do I start? How do I start from day 1…again??? Will anyone want to work with me?! You get the picture.

One thing that I knew for sure - moving forward was the only way out of the hamster wheel of overwhelm and, inevitably, imposter syndrome. And imposter syndrome is something I’ll cover in another blog post because that is an equally crazy monster that all business owners experience at some point. I knew that I needed to set myself up in the best ways possible in order to get back to “work” and start reaching more people. I have a gift and I am ready to give it out!

Ok but first…HOW in the world is overwhelm the abundance of what you asked for?!?!?!
Especially if it’s that kind of nervous overwhelm (the am-I-going-to-make-enough-money-to-pay-rent-this-month?!?!? kind of nervous…oh yes, I’ve been there)??

Well, think about it like this - there are probably at least 2 if not 20 people who would give ANYTHING to be exactly where you are right now. And when I first thought about it, I was kind of like, “oh yea right…who wants to be sitting with an empty yoga studio?!?!” well, the fact that I HAVE that yoga studio to begin with is someone else’s DREAM, I see that everyday in some of the groups I’m in. The fact that I own multiple businesses WAS MY DREAM not all that long ago. And here I am - on my own, without a corporate paycheck - making it work. It might take a bit of handy work and finesse to make it work - but it is working.

My number one tip on combatting overwhelm - STOP and BREATHE!

Think about it like this…when you’re stuck in a state of mindless mental spinning, what are you NOT doing?? Chances are you’re not breathing.

Taking a moment to center yourself and bring a slow to the hamster wheel of crazy is essential. If there’s one thing that I learned over the last 7+ years of practicing and teaching yoga it’s that taking a breath can bring calm to chaos almost instantly. Specifically breathing in and out through your nose. Breathing in and out through the nose activates your Vagus Nerve which in turn helps to bring you OUT of flight or fight (aka hamster wheel thinking) and into a more calm thought process. Now I’m not going to say that this will calm ALL of your problems BUT it WILL help you sort through them in a more rational manner.

How do I know this?? Because I’ve used it and can tell you that ANYTIME I am in that “I don’t know I feel overwhelmed” state, taking a few deep breaths always allows me to tap into my critical thinking side and refocus on the tasks at hand.

My second tip set a timer (5-10 min works) and write down everything that’s on your mind. Everything - from work tasks to home tasks to things that are bothering you or that’s on your mind (cold weather and it’s raining have appeared on my lists so often!).

Third set your timer again for 5 minutes, go through your list and cross of things you can’t change (ahem…weather…) and LABEL things you can change! I like to number things that need my attention. So if I have laundry on that list I might label that 1 or 2 because it’s something that I can start while I also take on another task like writing emails/invoices.

Four get started on your task list! And cross things off as you go along. Then throw that dang list away when you’re done with it. The act of crossing things off is a visual representation of the fact that you CAN accomplish things and that can help to calm overwhelm.

If you’re feeling this kind of overwhelm - schedule a FREE discovery session with me! I’d love to chat through your pain points, hear about your successes and provide a road map for success! I know you can continue on this amazing journey as a business owner! CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE!

How do you combat overwhelm?? Have you ever thought of overwhelm as an abundance of what you asked for??

I turned these steps into a short FREE downloadable pdf!! Click the link below to grab your worksheet!

Download this FREEBIE worksheet to help you combat your overwhelm!