Overwhelm: Practical Strategies for Women Over 50
Show Notes:
Summary:
In this episode of "Aging with Grace and Style," Valerie dives into feeling overwhelmed, a common experience for many women over 50. Valerie shares her struggles with overwhelm and provides practical tips and strategies to help listeners navigate this challenging stage of life. She discusses the signs and causes of overwhelm and the importance of identifying the source, prioritizing tasks, setting boundaries, asking for help, and scheduling downtime. Valerie also offers valuable insights on using mindfulness apps, digital detox, and breathing exercises to manage overwhelm and stay organized amidst life's demands.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introducing the concept of overwhelm
01:25 Defining what overwhelm feels like and its causes
02:25 Recognizing signs of overwhelm and sharing a personal story
04:33 Strategies for tackling overwhelm: identifying the source and prioritizing tasks
06:54 More strategies: setting boundaries, asking for help, and taking breaks
08:12 Additional tools and apps to help manage overwhelm
10:39 Changing mindset and overcoming overwhelm
11:41 Finding comfort in knowing you're not alone in feeling overwhelmed
12:38 Encouraging sharing of personal stories and tips
13:21 Closing remarks and call to action for sharing the episode
Key Takeaways:
- Recognize the signs and causes of overwhelm and acknowledge when you're feeling swamped.
- Identify the sources of overwhelm and prioritize tasks to manage responsibilities effectively.
- Set boundaries and learn to say no when necessary to avoid adding to your stress.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help or delegate tasks to alleviate the burden of overwhelming responsibilities.
- Schedule downtime and utilize mindfulness techniques and digital detox to recharge and stay focused during overwhelming times.
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Transcript
Hey girl. Welcome back today. I want
Speaker:to talk about something that a lot of us struggle
Speaker:with feeling overwhelmed. Honestly,
Speaker:I'm feeling it myself big time
Speaker:between travel home projects,
Speaker:work. Everything feels like way too much
Speaker:right now. I know I'm not alone in this. It's
Speaker:like a tidal wave of task, responsibilities
Speaker:and changes crashing over us, but don't
Speaker:worry, we're in this together. And by the end
Speaker:of our time today, I hope that you and me
Speaker:both will feel more equipped to navigate these
Speaker:waters. So let's dive in.
Speaker:What is overwhelm? You know,
Speaker:that feeling when there's so much to do
Speaker:so many decisions swirling in your head, that it
Speaker:feels like you could just short circuit.
Speaker:That's overwhelm. It's not just about the to do
Speaker:list, but how it makes us feel
Speaker:panicked, exhausted. Maybe even like
Speaker:you want to give up. It's that sense
Speaker:of being swamped by everything you need to do
Speaker:so much so that you can't figure out where to start.
Speaker:It's like being caught in a storm
Speaker:of to dos, expectations, and changes.
Speaker:It might come from work, from home renovations,
Speaker:which I'm currently up to my neck in family
Speaker:commitments or even just the daily
Speaker:grind. So why does overwhelm
Speaker:happen? Sometimes it's clear.
Speaker:Maybe you've got way too much on your plate, like taking on
Speaker:new projects at work or volunteering for stuff.
Speaker:And, oh, yeah, Deciding to remodel your kitchen.
Speaker:Sometimes it's sneaky. Like when you have a bunch
Speaker:of smaller tasks that pile up,
Speaker:but they weigh on you just as much.
Speaker:So what are some signs of overwhelm? Well, again, it can
Speaker:sneak up on us signs like being snappier
Speaker:than usual, forgetting things, or
Speaker:you find yourself, I don't know, just staring into space,
Speaker:trying to figure out what to do first,
Speaker:or maybe you're procrastinating, avoiding
Speaker:all the things that you should be doing, or
Speaker:maybe there's sleep troubles. And for me
Speaker:skipping workouts, because I just can't fit them
Speaker:in. Does this sound familiar?
Speaker:These are all signs that
Speaker:overwhelm might be getting the best of you.
Speaker:So here's a little story from my own life. Currently
Speaker:recently I've been traveling for work, overseeing
Speaker:a remodel at home and helping with renovations at
Speaker:our church. It's been a whirlwind.
Speaker:I felt like I was losing control
Speaker:and that's a tough pill to swallow for someone who
Speaker:likes to be in control. But it got me
Speaker:thinking I can't be the only one who's
Speaker:feeling this way. And that's why we're here
Speaker:today. So sharing this isn't just
Speaker:cathartic for me. It's a reminder that
Speaker:none of us are alone in these feelings.
Speaker:So how do we tackle this beast
Speaker:called overwhelm? Here are tips that have helped
Speaker:me, and I hope that they help you too. 1st is
Speaker:identify the source. So take a moment to list
Speaker:what's making you feel overwhelmed. Once you
Speaker:know, what's causing the stress, then you can
Speaker:start to prioritize and to plan
Speaker:next would be to prioritize your task, write
Speaker:down everything and decide what needs
Speaker:your attention. 1st, try the
Speaker:135 rule. So that's pick
Speaker:1 big thing, 3
Speaker:medium tasks, and
Speaker:5 small tasks to tackle today. I know that
Speaker:sounds a lot, but think about it. Only one of them is big.
Speaker:And then, like I said, 3 medium and 5 small.
Speaker:It makes things feel maybe more manageable.
Speaker:Not everything is urgent. And I have to remind myself that of
Speaker:that quite often, everything is not an
Speaker:emergency. A to do list can
Speaker:really be your best friend.
Speaker:Number 3 would be to set boundaries. It's okay to say
Speaker:no. It's okay to turn down requests or
Speaker:invitations. If they're going to add to your stress,
Speaker:your well-being, it comes first, remember
Speaker:time and energy are precious
Speaker:and 4 ask for help
Speaker:or delegate. So whether it's at
Speaker:work at home in volunteer
Speaker:activities, don't be afraid to ask for help or
Speaker:to delegate tasks to others. This is the
Speaker:hardest, probably of everything we're taught we've talked about and we'll talk
Speaker:about. This is the hardest one for me. And I can't tell you why
Speaker:for whatever reason I don't ask for help. I try
Speaker:to do it all myself and that's not a good thing because then I
Speaker:get mad that I'm doing it all myself. So it was
Speaker:important to ask for help. We don't
Speaker:have to do it all. Next would be to
Speaker:take breaks or to schedule downtime. This
Speaker:might seem counterintuitive when you're swamped,
Speaker:but stepping away, even if it's just for a few
Speaker:minutes can drastically improve your
Speaker:focus and your energy. It's not selfish
Speaker:it's necessary. So So I give you an example. I mentioned this whole
Speaker:remodel thing, and the most recent thing we did was
Speaker:have my office repainted, which, you know, that means taking everything out
Speaker:and then putting everything in. It's taken me a few days to get
Speaker:it put back together. But most evenings say about
Speaker:7. I'm like, I have had enough.
Speaker:I am drained because I will have worked all day. Then
Speaker:got off work, done some other things, and then start putting the office back together,
Speaker:that mentally, I just can't take it anymore. I can't couldn't
Speaker:even look at the box and decide where things went.
Speaker:So every night I would just step away and say, I got to
Speaker:come back to it the next day. So it really
Speaker:is necessary to do so.
Speaker:Then it's breathe and believe. So
Speaker:take a few slow deep breaths.
Speaker:I know it sounds simple. But
Speaker:deep breathing lowers your stress response.
Speaker:Remind yourself that this feeling is temporary.
Speaker:And I mean, you'll get through it, stay
Speaker:organized, use tools and
Speaker:apps to keep track of task and appointments. A
Speaker:little organization goes a long way in reducing stress.
Speaker:And speaking of tools, here are a few that have
Speaker:helped me keep the overwhelm at bay.
Speaker:So there are some task management apps like
Speaker:Trello and Asana, And
Speaker:I think I've mentioned before that I use this structured
Speaker:app, which is good for like time boxing. And
Speaker:then I use the to do is app,
Speaker:which is a good to do list. So I use the to
Speaker:do list digital app, but I am still
Speaker:about old fashioned. Got to write down the to do list and
Speaker:scratch it out off. So I'll make a master to do
Speaker:list. And then I will take some things from
Speaker:it and put it in my app. So that could be duplication of
Speaker:effort, but it works for me. It helps you
Speaker:to visualize what your workload is.
Speaker:Then there are mindfulness apps such as Headspace
Speaker:or calm, or even the one that I
Speaker:use most often is insight timer. And they
Speaker:can guide you through meditations that help
Speaker:to clear your mind. Then there's
Speaker:the digital detox. So occasionally
Speaker:step away from digital devices. I know today,
Speaker:almost everything we do is on a digital device,
Speaker:but it's important to step away. The world is
Speaker:going to keep spinning and it's going to keep going. I promise.
Speaker:So overcoming over overwhelm, you
Speaker:know, we can't control everything. Trust
Speaker:me. I am definitely still learning this,
Speaker:but with projects like our bookstore remodel,
Speaker:I had to learn to let go and just focus on the
Speaker:things that I can directly influence.
Speaker:Our mindset can play a big part in overcoming
Speaker:overwhelm. Instead of seeing everything as a
Speaker:massive hurdle view, each task as
Speaker:a step toward your goal, It might feel like
Speaker:a lot right now, but you're strong and
Speaker:you're capable of far more than you think. Don't
Speaker:be afraid to ask for support and trust that those small
Speaker:steps will add up to big progress.
Speaker:And if all else fails, girl, go up, grab
Speaker:a good glass of wine or a giant piece of
Speaker:chocolate. Those never hurt anybody as long
Speaker:it's as it's alongside the healthier coping
Speaker:strategies, right? Seriously though, you
Speaker:are not alone and feeling overwhelmed. And that in
Speaker:itself can be kind of comforting. Sometimes
Speaker:it's okay to not be okay.
Speaker:And there you have it. We all get a little overwhelmed.
Speaker:Sometimes it happens, but it's temporary
Speaker:and you can get through this. Remember that
Speaker:feeling overwhelmed is a signal, not a sentence.
Speaker:It's a part of life, but it doesn't define us.
Speaker:It's your body and mind telling you to
Speaker:pause, to reassess and to
Speaker:adjust. We can navigate it. We can
Speaker:learn from it and emerge stronger. Remember,
Speaker:be kind to yourself, take it step by step and
Speaker:don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
Speaker:If you've got a good story of overcoming overwhelm
Speaker:or maybe a tip that works for you, leave me a
Speaker:voice message at pod.agingwithgraceandstyle.com,
Speaker:and we might share it on the next episode.
