Looking at the sources of your stress, the sources of your angst, anxiety, and fear, what is it that makes you feel overwhelmed?
For most, there are components of life that are just overwhelming. It may be a financial hurdle to overcome, a health issue for you or someone you love, or fear of the unknown. Or you may be someone who believes that the only thing to fear is fear itself–but for most of us, that\’s a nicety but not reality.
Webster defines overwhelmed as being; \”completely overcome or overpowered by thought or feeling.\” How often have you felt like this, especially recently?
How have you let your mind wander to places where you have to catastrophize the future without being intentional about being the air traffic controller of your mind?
I ask this because oftentimes, when we are overwhelmed, feel stuck, or feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders, we can leave logic and reasoning at the door as we enter that space.
Being that margin is focused on personal finance, let\’s get more specific. When was the last time you felt overwhelmed by a financial decision you\’ve made in the past or a big financial decision you think you need to make in the future? For those of you that have heard of Dave Ramsey, he often uses the example that when people get fearful, they often get stupid. When people feel like they have no options or are cornered, they often don\’t make the best decisions.
So what are you overwhelmed about that you need to slow down, step back, and breathe before making a decision on?
If you still can\’t think of the \’what\’ in regards to the thing that may be overwhelming you, I found a resource that refers to the tell signs in an article called \”How To Tell When You Are Overwhelmed By Life? 17 Signs\” by the Centers of Psychiatric Excellence.
- Tension Headaches
- You Isolate Yourself
- Feeling Angry, Irritated, Annoyed, or Frustrated
- Negative Self Talk
- You Act Like a Jerk
- You\’re Eating More or Less Than You Normally Do
- Odd Sleep Patterns
- Trouble Saying \”No\”
- Confused Appearance
- Feeling Under the Weather
- Easily Agitated
- Increase in Mistakes
- Stay in Bed
- Put Things Off
- Avoidance or Tuning Out
- Emotional Shifts
- Lack of Focus and Motivation
Now, how many of these are you feeling regularly, as this may help determine how you are doing from the standpoint of being overwhelmed?
CTA: My call to action is to look at this list, see how many apply, and divide that by 17. This can help provide a quick indicator of how heightened your state of being overwhelmed is.
