Do you ever find yourself struggling to manage overwhelm in your life after loss? Do you find yourself procrastinating, distracting, or flat out panicking because you have the thought that there’s just too much to do and not enough time or resources? Today,I have some thoughts to share about that!

So what causes overwhelm in the first place? There are several reasons, and they are especially applicable to our lives without our loved one. They include:

1. Too many responsibilites
2. Perfectionism
3. Lack of support
4. Information overload
5. Negative self-talk

You may find yourself indulging in more than one, if not all of them! The problem is, these reasons for overwhelm are usually running in the background of your mind like a broken record. You need to get in touch with those messages in order to manage them. And how to do you that? Well, here’s an exercise for you today in FINDING the source of your overwhelm so that you can MANAGE your overwhelm.

1. Identify your thoughts: Pay attention to the thoughts that are causing your overwhelm, such as “I have too much to do,” or “I can’t handle this.”
2. Question your thoughts: The next step is to question your thoughts. Ask yourself if they are true, if you have evidence to support them, and if they are helpful. For example, if you’re thinking “I have too much to do,” ask yourself if that’s really true, or if there are things you can prioritize or delegate.
3. Choose a new thought: Once you’ve identified and questioned your thoughts, choose a new thought that is more helpful and supportive. For example, instead of thinking “I can’t handle this,” choose a thought like “I’m capable of handling whatever comes my way.”
4. Take action: Once you’ve chosen a new thought, take action on it. Make a plan and break it down into manageable steps. Take small actions every day to move forward and make progress.
5. Practice self-care: Take care of yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally. Get enough sleep, eat well, exercise, and do things that bring you joy and relaxation.
6. Focus on the present moment: Practice mindfulness and stay focused on the present moment. Avoid ruminating on the past or worrying about the future.

Will this make your feeling of overwhelm disappear? Absolutely not! However, it will give you the tools to manage your overwhelm when you are stuck in the thick of it.

Remember, my purpose is to help you flatten the curve so that you can move through your grief process. It’s me serving the woman I once was; the women who didn’t know how she was going to survive the next five minutes let alone the next five years. If I can do this you can too, and I’m here to help.

Blessings my friend,

Julie

If you’d like to talk about how I can help you manage the overwhelm of your grief, I’m a click away. My link is right here. https://calendly.com/navigatingwidowhood/30min