Overwhelm - 3 Tips How To Banish New Year Overwhelm

The start of a New Year brings with it the dreams and hopes of better things ahead. However, once the celebrations are over, the real work of making those dreams come true begins, and a sense of overwhelm can dampen the enthusiasm we felt when the clock struck midnight.

Overwhelm is a mindset that decides to inhabit our brain, just when we need it most to deal with the challenges all entrepreneurs face growing a successful business. Overwhelm holds us back from taking action because of uncertainty about what to do, or feeling there is just too much to do.

When a person feels overwhelmed, anxiety levels increase, confusion often sets in, and they become unsure about how to solve a problem or situation that faces them. Overwhelm ignites the uncomfortable and emotional feelings of uncertainty, doubt, and even fear.

It is important to quickly recognize when you are feeling overwhelmed, so that you can take decisive action, and banish it as quickly as possible, so you become productive and can make forward progress in your business.

To dispel feelings of overwhelm, it is useful to first understand what causes overwhelm in the first place. A person may feel overwhelmed because they are:

1.Doing something new, that they've never done before

2.Unsure of where to start, what to do first, second, or third to address a situation

3.Trying to do too much themselves

Overwhelm is an unconscious acceptance of limitations. The truth is each of us has an unlimited number of ways to solve complex situations. There are some easy actions you can take that will help you dispel overwhelm, and quickly get you onto a path of forward movement. Following is a three-step strategy you can use to banish overwhelm.

1. Emotionally detach yourself from the problem or situation

To temper the emotions you are feeling, distance yourself from them. Ask yourself, "If someone other than me were doing this, or had this problem, what would they need to do first?" Doing this places you in a position of "being on the outside looking in," which is like you helping another person solve the situation.

Also, by removing yourself and taking a step back, you will be able to detach emotionally, which gives you perspective several yards away from the problem, making it easier to solve.

2. Decide

Ask yourself what you need to make a decision about. Many times, overwhelm is fueled by indecision, or the delay tactic 'procrastination.' By constantly pushing off a decision you need to make, you will increase anxiety, and potentially make the situation more difficult to deal with successfully.

When you feel you are delaying a decision that makes you feel overwhelmed, recognize you are doing this and ask yourself, "What do I need to decide upon?" Once you take that step and make a decision you've been delaying, overwhelm quickly disappears.

3. Take action

Once you have made a decision, write down all the steps you need to do to address the situation, and take action! It is very important to get help with the tasks you don't know how to do yourself. Otherwise, you'll go back to feeling overwhelmed, and get stuck.

Use these strategies to nip overwhelm in the bud when you feel tinges of it surfacing, and then celebrate success!

Do you have any strategies you use to get rid of overwhelm? If so, please share them with by making a comment!

Copyright 2010, Bonita Richter