Do you want to conquer overwhelm as a highly sensitive person? In this article, guest writer Diana Himes shares 7 ways in which self-love can help to conquer feelings of overwhelm.
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Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Imagine this scenario…you get up, get yourself dressed, wake up the kids and get them dressed, make breakfast and lunches, and rush out the door to get everyone where they need to be. Hopefully, you’ve made it on time! Are you feeling overwhelmed yet?
After dropping the kids off, you walk into the office and it’s non-stop this or that for the next 8 hours. You’ve barely had time to breathe let alone eat a nice, relaxing lunch or taken a break to find a little peace. What about now, are you feeling overwhelmed?
After your workday, you get to rush home to make dinner, help the kids with their homework, clean the kitchen, and get the kids ready for bed. You tidy up the house and finally get a moment to relax.
How are those feelings of overwhelm now? What are you going to do about them? Do you crawl into bed hoping things will be better tomorrow? Or do you intentionally do something to find peace and conquer those feelings of overwhelm?
Here’s What You’ll Learn:
You Get To Choose What Happens Next
As highly sensitive people, we’re no strangers to feelings of overwhelm. Before I learned how to make myself a priority in my life, I was the one crawling into bed hoping things would get better.
I’d toss and turn thinking about all of the things I had to do, so even during sleep I was overwhelmed. Only to wake up exhausted and not ready to face the day ahead.
Then I discovered a few simple ways I could show myself some love by making a different choice. Change can be difficult especially when it involves doing things differently in your life. Being willing to make small changes helps you conquer overwhelm and find peace within. And it all starts with a little self-love!
When you choose to show yourself some love, you’ll gain more confidence and positively impact your life. Showing up for yourself, even if it’s for only 10 minutes a day, gives you the strength to conquer feelings of overwhelm in the moment. It only takes a minute (or maybe 10) to feel peace and calm. In those few minutes, you’ll gain a new perspective and make decisions from a calm place. I call it responding instead of reacting!
Here’s What Helped Me Conquer Overwhelm
While these may seem simple, they require a willingness to change how you’ve done things in the past. And that’s not always easy! I promise that if you keep an open mind, you’ll discover how simple they can be with practice.
You don’t need to do all of these to be successful, just choose the ones that work for you. Therefore, I encourage you to try them all and don’t be too hard on yourself if they seem awkward! Keep going, it’s about progress NOT perfection!
The key is to consistently practice what you learn. This isn’t a race, it’s an opportunity to intentionally take care of you! Your peaceful life is knocking, so answer the door. You’ll be glad you did!
#1 Make A Commitment To Yourself
Say this out loud…”I’m committed to showing myself some love every day! I realize it’ll take time and patience. But I’m determined to succeed.“ Keep saying it every day until it’s second nature to you. After a while, you’ll notice that it helps you to conquer feelings of intense overwhelm.
#2 Find Amazing Role Models
Role models have a way of teaching us things we can’t or won’t learn from someone else, especially family. They’re living a life we want for ourselves and make it look so easy.
It’s important to remember that before they became a role model, they struggled in some way or another. They also learned a lesson or two along the way and that’s what they can share with you.
#3 Practice Meditation Every Day To Conquer Overwhelm
Another way to conquer overwhelm is to meditate daily. Guided meditation is a great place to start. You may be thinking to yourself “I can’t turn my mind off, how can I meditate?” I thought the exact same thing! That’s why it helps to have someone guide you. When your mind goes off on a tangent, their voice brings your focus back to the present moment.
There’s no such thing as perfection in meditation, that’s why you practice it. The more you practice, the easier it gets. Even if you start with 1 minute of deep breathing, that’s enough time to refocus your mind. Search “guided meditations” on YouTube to get started!
Here is a great guided meditation for highly sensitive people:
#4 Write Your Thoughts And Feelings In A Journal
Journaling is one of the BEST ways to release negative thoughts, identify your strengths, and learn more about who you really are. It’s something you should do every day!
Not sure what to write? Start now with 3 things you’re grateful for and why. Other ideas include what you dream about, who’s pissed you off, what frustrates you the most, and the best thing that happened today.
#5 Find A Group Of Like-Minded People
Change is hard enough, there’s no need to do it alone. Find your tribe. That group of like-minded people who understand what you’re going through. They face similar challenges with different perspectives and have creative solutions to overcome them.
Whatever your interests are, I’m sure there’s a group (in person or online) that’ll support you. Most groups are meant to inspire, motivate, or brainstorm ideas. This makes them a great resource for you no matter what you’re looking for. Maybe some of the people you’ll meet have already managed to conquer overwhelm and are willing to share their tips with you.
#6 Express Gratitude For What You Have
Gratitude for what you have has the power to make you feel joy every day! Without gratitude, you’ll find yourself lacking the excitement or energy to get through the day.
When you establish a daily practice of being grateful for what you have, you’ll feel better (physically and mentally), build meaningful relationships, and feel more joy. Additionally, you’ll smile more, hold your head higher, feel more confident, and have an overall sense of peace.
#7 Remember It’s OK To Ask For Help To Conquer Overwhelm
If you’re like me, one of the toughest things to do is ask for help. Wanting to do everything yourself is perfectionism. Instead of asking for help, you might say ”I can get it done faster” or “It’ll take them too long to learn how.”
Most people are willing to offer their assistance when you ask. So just ask! If you get a no, ask someone else. Keep asking for help when you need it and eventually, it’ll become like second nature to you.
Good Luck With Conquering Overwhelm As A Highly Sensitive Person
When you remember that you are the only one in your life that can change your life, is the day your life changes. Once I began practicing these things, the happier and less overwhelmed I became. Moreover, I found a strength within I never knew I had and now live a life filled with love, intention, and purpose.
Nothing in life worth having is easy! If you feel stuck and unable to move forward, you’re not alone. You have a choice to either stay where you are or become who you’re meant to be. It’s up to you!
In her book, Everything is Figureoutable, Marie Forleo explains that ”there are two kinds of people in the world: those with reasons and those with results.”
Which one are you? I’m assuming that since you’re reading this article, you’re one of those focused on results. When you practice any of these things on a regular basis, I promise you’ll be happy with the results you achieve!
To learn more about how self-love helps you conquer feelings of overwhelm, grab your FREE copy of Showing Yourself Some Love quick start guide.
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