Does everyone experience overwhelm from time to time? Absolutely, yes. But not everyone chooses to actively reduce and separate themselves from overwhelm. Human beings were not designed to have overwhelm be our default. But here we are. Everywhere you turn, someone is trying to sell you something. Then, we’re being pulled every which way by friends, family, so-called leaders, influencers, and total strangers with a virtual bully pulpit of one form or another. We don’t recognize the danger The major downside to the instant, constant connectivity of our smartphones, the bombardment of messages in our environments, coupled with the need for acceptance and human interaction is a potent brew that, unchecked, ferments to overwhelm. According to Gallup, as of 2022, 72% of people have their mobile phone with them when they sleep. And 64% of people check it first thing in the morning, whether it was with them in the night or not. We’ve been increasingly indoctrinated to not recognize the danger. We just accept half a dozen billboards back-to-back-to-back, advertising on busses, music in bars and restaurants, and the propaganda of the “new normal”, until we’re so overwhelmed that we lose perspective, lose awareness, and have no idea how we got here. You can recognize overwhelm in yourself The only person in your head, heart, and soul, is you. Nobody else can think, feel, intend, or act for you. If you don’t work it, nobody else can or will. When you stop and consider all the data you are absorbing daily – passively and actively, subconsciously and consciously – it becomes apparent that it’s a lot. But you can recognize this. That, then, empowers you to do something about it. The choice is yours You live in this world with all the messages constantly scrabbling for your attention. Thus, you get to decide if you allow them to reach you, impact you, and sink into your psyche passively or actively, subconsciously or consciously. The choice in this is whether you allow it to settle in and be your norm. Or not. You can mindfully take steps and various actions to reduce, lessen, and fix the impact of overwhelm. But it’s not passive, it’s only achievable via active choices. This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool: Overwhelm reduction tools Each of these can help you reduce overwhelm in your life. I’ve employed all of these myself and found them to be quite helpful. Put away your smartphone Put your smartphone/tablet/laptop down and walk away. Go to nature or out on the water Go somewhere without the constant advertisements and messages. Journal therapy Journal. Write down what’s overwhelming you. The vessel of overwhelm A visualization tool my therapist taught me. Find a place you can have privacy for at least 5 minutes. Take a deep breath. Visualize a container of some sort. Visualize opening the container. Once it’s open, take everything that’s currently having an impact on you – mentally, emotionally, physically, and/or spiritually – and place it, item by item, in the vessel. Take all the pains, fears, discomforts, annoyances, and all else you don’t desire to deal with now, or that you recognize you have zero control over, and put it in the vessel. Once done, seal it up. Feel free to visualize locking it tight, placing it in a safe, or otherwise setting it somewhere secure and away. Take a few deep breaths in and out, staying with the visual of those things you removed and placed in the vessel. Welcome back. How do you feel? Author Website Email Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok Blogs: titaniumdon.com and mjblehart.medium.com Cover artist Fe Mahoney: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaliasInspirations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices