Feeling Overwhelmed? Ask Yourself 'What is' and then 'What if'

Often plans, goals and wishes can be overwhelming. Overwhelming in that they might be fabulous thoughts and ideas however in reality you are not there yet and not even sure how to get there!

Feeling overwhelmed due to lack of time, outside pressures, demands, lack of clarity and a lack of energy can easily happen.

A good approach is to first consider what the reality is in the moment, now/today and only then explore the 'what ifs' - potential outcomes and consequences of the plan or goal.
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Taking the time to connect with the present i.e. ‘what is’ will allow you to ground yourself. With this you can approach the feeling of overwhelm with both feet on the ground. 

Removing the emotions i.e. feeling of overwhelm, allows you to think more clearly. This has been proven by neuroscience: when emotions are present (have been triggered) the first thing to go are your cognitive abilities. This means you are emotional and not thinking clearly – you are emotional not rational.

To explore all the consequences of ‘what if’ is easier with a clear rational head.

Exploring all the possible ‘what ifs’ is necessary to break the goal, wish or desire down into small actionable steps.
If a change of your mindset/perspective is necessary, this shift could have occurred during the process of the 'what is' exploration.

One way or another you will gain some clarity by taking the time to do this.

At times this is easier said than done. The best approach can be to  simply start! 
Plan some time. 10 minutes will do. If you do not even start you will remain overwhelmed by it all. 
​Once you have taken one step, even a small one, you will feel it.
"One small step at a time will get you to the top of the ladder" ​

by Suzie Doscher, Executive Coach focusing on Personal Development, Self help Author since 2014
Photo credit: Unsplash

Listen to the audiobook version of:
​How to Break an Action Plan Down into Smaller Steps