Overwhelm can be described as a ‘too much going on’ or a state of feeling so full of options that you don’t know where to start. That there are so many things dependent on you or asked of you that you feel unable to make a step towards the right direction. You may not be able to see this direction in the first place.

It can feel disorientating, and what may be perceived as lack of clarity can keep you stuck in the inaction for a while. Inaction is the main cause of lack of progress. The more you feel overwhelmed and ruminate over what to do next, the less you act which means staying in a rut and perpetuating the cycle adding to the existing overwhelm.

Phhheeeewww..I know, it’s not easy to be in this place. But know that there is a way out, and you can do this.

Where does overwhelm come from

What is really going on here is that your inner critical voice is so strong that it has taken over. Expectations we put on ourselves for the way we should be achieving things right now, the extent of our progress and all the things we should’ve been successful in by now according to what the culture says success is…all these expectations are taking over.

In turn these constant thoughts flooding the mind about what you should have achieved or should be achieving by now, are causing difficult emotions. You could be feeling like you’re not good enough because ‘you’re not where you should be’, or you may be feeling afraid that ‘you’re never going to get there’.

These emotions when triggered, lead to more overwhelm, more thinking, and in the end we find ourselves stuck in the wheel of the mind, unable to take action and make actual progress.

What does it mean to bend time

A consequence of being stuck in the mind, going over these thoughts and emotions, is the subsequent perception of time that is created because of this.

Time is perception, it doesn’t really exist except as a construct of the collective mind that us humans have all agreed or accepted to view in the same way. Right?

When we are in the thinking mind (beta brain waves) time seems slow. This is when we are analysing things, when we are worrying, when we are trying to figure out the future using our past experiences and the beliefs we formed as a result as a reference. Using the brain in this way is very energy-taxing; we expend a lot of our energy when we are in this state. This explains why you feel exhausted sometimes even if you haven’t necessarily done much to justify it (like physical labor or even having produced something like a piece of writing or another creation to show the fruits of your effort).

Alternatively, when we are not in the thinking mind and we are more ‘in the moment’ (more into the alpha range of brain waves), time seems to disappear altogether. You know the feeling when you find yourself doing something you really enjoy, and you end up ‘losing yourself’ in the activity. This sense of loss of self, is basically the loss of the ego, or the thinking mind, which under normal circumstances is dominating your experience. You must have noticed, that after such an activity you felt full and peaceful, as if the time was well spent. This is because the energy spent here by the brain was much less, in such a way that this time spent was actually nourishing and restful.

Time spent here in the alpha brain waves is also extremely creative and it is in this state that we are more in touch with our intuitive mind, where we connect to our innate intelligence, our soul if you like. Receiving messages, inspiration, ideas, all is downloading here in this state.

How to overcome overwhelm and bend time

The more we are able to befriend our inner critical voice, manage our emotions and consciously go from the thinking mind into the intuitive mind, the more we can feel less overwhelm, and change our perception of time.

Here are some key elements to make this happen:

Have a vision for what you want with goals to work towards

Having a direction for where you want to be in life is crucial in cultivating a sense of progress and trust that things are working out as they should. From this vision you then identify specific goals you need to work towards to make your vision a reality. Take care to not let the goals define you though, as this will cause you to lose touch with the bigger picture. Focusing on your vision regularly and remembering why you do what you do will feed your motivation and propel you forward as a result.

Structure structure structure

To excel in anything you need to establish a strong foundation of structure, from which you can allow for creativity to emerge. When working towards goals this means having a plan to follow that will help you keep going in the right direction.

It’s common to set goals but then fail to actually make a plan about how you’re going to go about achieving them. Especially when we talk about complex goals, like starting a business, creating something from scratch or making a big change to realise a dream (something that may seem completely impossible until you actually put your mind on it and make a plan of action) you need to keep planning your time with the actions you’re going to take.

Planning the days, weeks, months and year ahead is crucial in reaching complex goals. You need the tools, and the right mindset to keep planning diligently, even when the plan has to change frequently to account for the current reality.

Discipline the mind

An undisciplined mind will fluctuate, a lot. We know this when we stop for one second to meditate and a million thoughts come in one after the other. When this happens in every moment of the waking state it makes it hard to focus on something. To reach goals and get things done you need to be able to focus on the task at hand, and a fluctuating mind is just going to make things hard for you.

Daily focus training is key here. Meditation is a clear way to do this, but don’t forget there are more tools to help you ease into meditation like the breath, and your body, which are directly linked to your mind. You can hack your mind into peaceful meditation through breathing techniques and embodied practices, like yoga and conscious movement.

Tapping into Creativity regularly

To access the intuitive mind and open the flood gates for inspiration and ideas, and lose track of time while nourishing your mind and spirit you need to allow the brain to lower it’s frequency into the alpha range and do some activity that awakens the creative parts of the brain. Things like drawing, playing music, making something with your hands - the key here is not the outcome of what you’re creating, but the process of creating itself.

Small consistent steps lead to big change

Any big goal consists of many many small steps that need to be taken. Focus on one thing at a time, track your progress daily, weekly, monthly, celebrate your wins, from the very small to the very big, every day. Keep positive and the negative mind chatter at bay.

Surround yourself with supportive people

You need to have people around you who are ideally in similar life trajectories. If for example you are working hard on starting a business right now, and the only people you socialise with have steady jobs, it’s impossible for them to understand what you’re going through. Find yourself a group that understands your challenges and can hold space for you. For women entrepreneurs and creators you can join my private facebook group.

For more on creating the right mindset, managing emotions and other tools on how to create the life and business you crave, subscribe to my newsletter to stay informed on my weekly posts.

Follow along on instagram and facebook.

Join my private women’s FB group where I’m going live weekly on Thursdays at 7pm CET. This week I will talk about overcoming overwhelm and bending time, and I will guide a practice to let go of expectations and ground in the present moment so that you can focus on your next steps and keep the flow going.

If you need support and discuss a coaching journey together, you can reach out to me here.