“Four Simple Techniques that Undo Overwhelm”
Hello and welcome to Living Right with Bill Cortright Blog, I am Bill Cortright and today we are going to discuss Undoing Overwhelm. If I had to pinpoint one word that comes up in every coaching interview it would be “Overwhelm.” People seem to be living in this state of fear that causes chronic anxiety and its stealing away their joy and life. People are more stressed out than ever. In the medical clinics, I worked I would estimate at least 80% of the patients we saw were due to stress related illness. Stress and the feeling of overwhelm seem to go hand in hand.
Well I am here to tell you a little-known truth about stress, STRESS IS AN ILLUSION! Yes, that’s right it’s all in your head. The anxiety, worry, and overwhelm that people are experiencing seems to have become the social norm. I have researched and focused on all aspects of stress for over three decades and the truth is stress is nothing but a program. This program was installed into your subconscious mind during the first seven years of your life. You were not born with anxiety, worry, fear or overwhelm, you were programed to have these reactions.
There is a stark difference between stress management and what I teach Stress Mastery. I don’t want to alleviate the symptoms of the stress which is overwhelm. I want to remove the program causing stress. If you remove the overwhelm program you cannot experience overwhelm, this is Stress Mastery.
When addressing stress there are two parts that need to be addressed, first the physiological stress response and second the programs that cause us to get overwhelmed. The physiological stress response is the survival response that determines which part of the nervous system is operating. If the response is managed we operate in the Green Zone which is the parasympathetic nervous system. When in the Green Zone we have clear thinking and we are calm. When the response is not managed, we operate in the Red Zone which is the sympathetic nervous system. In the Red Zone we experience overwhelm, anxiety and worry and our decisions are reactive.
The physical stress response MUST be managed because it is never shut off its always in operation. This response is managed with the first two steps of Stress Mastery, Diet and Exercise. The stress response is responsible for every metabolic process in the body but more important it determines which nervous system we are operating in at any given time. This is a big key in undoing the overwhelm. We get overwhelmed in the Red Zone as it shuts down the reasoning part of the brain and throws us into a reactive state. All self-sabotage and procrastination happens from this place.
The second part of understanding stress and overwhelm is the programs that we carry in the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind and its programs controls the actions that we take (habits) and everything that we attract into our lives. These programs are installed through the process of Tribalization the first seven-years of our lives. These programs carry your beliefs, values, and these make up your self-concept (Ego). The programming is received from our environment and includes what we learned from our parents, TV, the movies, our peers, our teachers, what we read, what we are told from others, and commercials on TV and radio. These programs that are given to us are designed to get us to fit within our tribe it is part of our survival DNA.
So, if you take a moment analysis Tribalization the programs include the beliefs and attitudes we have about our family, our country, our culture, our ethnic background, and our socio-economic status in life, our religions. These programs are designed never to change so most people are trying to build their dream lives with programs from the tribe that they were given during their childhood. Its why when we see adults throw fits they resemble children, screaming and stomping their feet because they didn’t get their way just watch any reality show or political television and you will see this in action. We think it is just a way we run our lives and we accept it that way. We tell ourselves stress is normal, overwhelm is due to this hectic world.
Stress is never an outside job…it’s always from inside. In other words, outside events cannot make YOU overwhelmed. The Seven Steps to Stress Mastery leads you to a place that the outside world no longer effects your inner being which translates to no overwhelm. I tell you those steps are flawless and those that follow me closely hear about them on a regular basis in my lectures and podcasts. For this blog let’s look at some ways we can undo the overwhelm.
Stop Living in the Future
Too much to do and too little time. The most successful people I meet get stuck in overwhelm.
This is the state you are in when you’re living in the future. You get caught up and stressed out about all the things that need to be done in the future. This is the fear energy being aimed toward controlling life and making sure that you don’t disappoint. Plus, it’s the way the Ego stays in control by creating this enormous amount of work that it causes you to shut down.
Worrying and stressing about future events doesn’t get them done. It diverts energy and focus from what’s happening in the present moment, putting you in the Red Zone Energy which impedes your ability to act now.
Stop Living in the Past
You would think that fear of failing a test would make you study harder to make sure you passed. It’s quite the opposite the fear of failing sticks you in the Red Zone so it’s your fear that causes you to procrastinate. This is what created the “all-nighter” that’s happening around colleges every day. This doesn’t just happen in school it also happens in any type of work or project that we ‘must’ do.
The energy of the past will eventually lead us to feeling guilty and ashamed for not doing what we were supposed to do. This is a low state to live our lives in and it’s this state that causes people anxiety and stress related illnesses.
Finding the Now
In the present moment, there’s only what’s in front of you – right here, right now.
There are no future calamities for things not getting done. There’s no lack of time or problems. There’s no worries or overwhelm. You can only do one thing at a time and, eventually, everything worthwhile will get done in its allotted time.
Overwhelm occurs when we try to force our work. We feel we must push it out instead of just sitting and doing what needs to be done. The further we progress toward stress mastery the more we will live in the moment. Its working from here that I call Green Focus Management where we are working from the Green Zone.
The next time you find yourself completely overwhelmed by all that life has thrown at you try these simple tools.
#1. Close your eyes and take a breath. This is the Pause-Plan Principle that puts you in the Green Zone
Stop what you’re doing just stop.
Close your eyes and take at least three deep breaths. Ten count in, hold for a ten count and ten count out.
Focus on the air going in through your nose and out through your nose or mouth
Relax your face, neck, shoulders and arms.
Then go back to the task at hand
#2. Focus on what’s in front of you right now and finish it
Now that you’re feeling a bit more relaxed, finish the one thing you’re working on right now. (Do #1 before this)
Set a timer for 25-minutes and just focus on the task before you until the bell rings.
Don’t do anything else. No phone calls, emails or other distractions. No multi-tasking (BS anyway it doesn’t exist).
Do the one thing, and only that thing, until the timer rings. Then take a 5-minute break and set the timer again for 25-minutes. Do this until the task is completed. (Note, this is a Pomodoro Technique I use in Green Focus Management System which I will be introducing in the next couple of months)
#3. Make a Focus List of the top 5-things you want to complete today.
Create a List of no more than Five Major Tasks you want to do today. Some days this can be one or two but never more than five.
Decide how many Pomodoro’s you are dedicating to each task. (Note this is not busy work. Busy work can be done between the Pomodoro’s.)
The focus list is parts of the projects that need to be done. It can also be several different projects. I can be working on 2-3 businesses a day and I will take a focus item from each of them. This moves all the projects forward.
Prioritize your focus. Do the work that needs to be done when its due to be completed. Discipline is the key here. Write it in your focus list and just follow the focus principles. This one technique alone can erase overwhelm.
#4. Set your Daily Intentions. This is one of the most effective ways to knock overwhelm on its ass. It’s simple and it sets you to start your day in the Green Zone. I end each day setting my intentions for the next day.
What time are you getting up this day?
What personal development are you doing to set the day?
What is your meal plan for the day?
What is your exercise for the day?
What is your focused affirmation you are carrying for the day?
What are you thankful for today?
If you have questions or comments I look forward to hearing from you. You can contact me at my email bill@LivingRightWithBillCortright.com Join me every Monday thru Friday on The Stress Mastery Podcast.
StayInspired
Bill
June 28, 2017
Who is Bill Cortright? Bill is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, high-level coach, wellness specialist and a foremost expert in the field of stress and stress management. Bill’s purpose is to motivate, educate and inspire people to live their most authentic life. Host “The Stress Mastery Podcast”.