Overwhelm: What it’s Telling You & What To Do About It.
You are not crazy.
The world we are living in is.
What we are all experiencing right now is beyond our nervous system’s capacity to consistently regulate itself.
It doesn’t matter how you see the world, if you are paying attention to how you feel in the world…
You Know That Something is Off.
Whether you are running around with your kids, trying to fit everything in, and also be wanting to be present for your partner, your relationship, and your self;
Or you are feeling the weight of striving to maintain the quality of your life at the standard of living you have worked so hard to create;
Or you are worried that prices of everything are increasing, and your budget hasn’t changed;
Or you are concerned that you will be perceived as an enemy of someone who might hurt you;
Or you are disoriented by listening to your friends and loved ones who seem to be living in a different reality than you are;
Or you just want to live your life in peace and find it elusive…
No Matter What Your Reality is Right Now, There is No Question, We Are All Experiencing:
Too much to do with no time to do it all.
Too much information with no space to process it.
Too much negativity with no time reorient to hope.
Too much confusion with no time to get clarity.
Too much threat without time to find protection.
Too much fear without time to find safety.
And There Is No Reprieve; It Is Relentless.
Your Protector is likely trying to convince you that this should all be manageable and that you are the one with the problem if you can’t cope.
Please Know This:
It’s not you. There is nothing wrong with you.
What is happening around you right now actually has become unmanageable.
This is the problem, not you.
And is literally humanly impossible to keep using the same coping mechanisms to function with such overload.
Our Protectors.
With this amount of overstimulation, our nervous systems are doing what they are programmed to do. Imagine all of our Protector Selves running around frantically trying to keep us alive!
All of our energetic resources are focused on the part of the brain that is designed to keep us safe from danger. This is the human part of us that is basic and primitive.
This is where our Protectors Live.
This part points to the ways we are just like every other animal on the planet.
Our Wise Adult.
When we are running from or fighting the tiger, there is very little energy available for the part of our brain whose function it is to get us to pause, reflect, get clarity, connect with and have compassion for ourselves and others, or to be able to look for better solutions.
Fundamentally, this part of our brain is more developed. This part points to the ways we are more evolved than every animal on the planet.
This is where our Wise Adult lives.
But if we don’t have the inner resources to access this part of our brains, we will keep reacting to both real and perceived danger.
You can’t expect a car to keep running if you have cut off access to its gas tank (or its electrical supply!)
So What To Do? Don’t Lose Hope. Keep Reading.
Yes, we might have to accept that life no longer adheres to the structure of how we understood things when we, or our parents, or our grandparents, were growing up.
Accepting this is really hard in and of itself, I know.
There is a Way To Reorient To What is Within Us No Matter What is Going On Around Us.
For me, the only way I am able to find my inner safety, and make sure I am responding and not reacting, is to use the Relational Life principles we have been exploring lately.
Here are some of them:
Knowing that I am connected to something greater than myself;
Loving myself first with kindness, and compassion;
Practicing tolerating discomfort by regulating my nervous system;
Bringing presence and giving grace to all, knowing we are all doing the best we can;
Using my external and internal boundaries to protect me from others, and others from me;
Understanding how I get stuck in patterns when I am afraid and vulnerable;
Remembering that there is nothing that harshness can do that kindness won’t do better;
Joining with others who understand that we are all connected, and who are also invested in a healthy and vibrant present and future for ourselves, as well for our progeny.
For now, take a deep, conscious breath…and exhale it out through your mouth, gently extending it as you release any tension in your body.
Do this a couple of times. Bring yourself into Presence. Activate your prefrontal cortex and…
Invite Your Wise Adult Back Into The Driver’s Seat.
If you feel that these principles are aligned with your truth, you may be interested in my upcoming monthly Conscious Conversations video series.
Click Here to Learn More About How This Series Might Help You Stay in Alignment.
