Do you have a big project/task that you have been putting off forever? Are you dreading to finish it because it feels too big and overwhelming? If you have adult ADHD, feeling overwhelmed is like drowning in an ocean of things to do and expectations to meet that make you feel like it’s difficult to keep your head above water.
However, there are strategies you can use to deal with the feeling of overwhelm
Step Away – You cannot get away from the feeling overwhelmed from a place of overwhelming uncertainty. You have to step away to be able to see your situation from a different perspective. Try to go to another room, get up from your desk, or go out for a walk. Stepping away from the current situation & changing your physicality can assist you gain clarity & move you away from the overwhelm frame of mind.
What is Most Important? – When we are feeling overwhelmed, our ADHD minds become clouded by the task we are working on, and by the thoughts that is causing us stress in the first place. When you step away, try to ask yourself “what is the most important thing for me? How do I want to feel?” In certain circumstances, we can get so caught up in the doing and we forget why we are doing it. Another technique in figuring out what is important is to ask yourself the question of why are we doing something and following the answer with another why. When you ask yourself why, and follow each answer with another why will lead you to the trail of wisdom and self understanding.
Write in a Journal – Wheneverwe are feeling overwhelmed, most likely there is a lot of mind clutter going on inside our minds. The best thing to do is to get rid of these thoughts by writing out what is on your mind. Grab a piece of paper and a pen or a notebook and start writing down everything that is in your mind. Without editing & write out every thought. If you have bunch of to dos running in your head, list them out. If you have an idea, brain storm it out on paper. Remember not to worry about making it look neat and perfect. This will limit your freedom to dump whatever we want onto the paper, and what is keeping us feeling overwhelmed.
Shut Out the Noise – When we are feeling overwhelmed, it feels comfortable for us to do something mindless to unwind and relax like watching TV, or searching the internet. What we tend to forget is during this time is that extra information that becomes noise can further agitate our overwhelmed state of mind. The best thing you can do for yourself is to leave the TV and computer off, and try to find something that slows down your mind. Try to read something that expands your mind or close your eyes and try to meditate, or sit back and listen to some soothing music.
Parting Ways – Try to treat the feeling of overwhelm as a friend, for it is an indicator to let us know that we have to slow down, and readjust the center of focus on something that makes us feel good. It can be also a reminder that life doesn’t have to be bad, and that we have choices and that we can design our lives and our experiences. No matter how bad our day was or how yesterday may have been, every morning is a new beginning.