Ever go through periods of absolute overwhelm, where you wake up every day in panic mode? Your to-do list is longer than your arm, and some of the items involve the dreaded learning curve. There’s one calming method that never fails, yet you’ve probably never come across it before.
I’m prompted to write this article because I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by all my to-do’s as I make a big transition to creating online courses so I can better serve introverted womanpreneurs who define “success” as being in spiritual, personal, and financial alignment.
I applied the overwhelm antidote today, and now I’m good to go. And I’m ready to share it with you. Next time you feel completely overwhelmed, and your usual calming methods aren’t working — deep breathing, Rescue Remedy in your water, taking a walk, saying affirmations — do this:
- Notice that your feelings of overwhelm are an emotional reaction to an internal visual “fantasy-story” you’re telling yourself.
- Now bring God — in whatever form is meaningful to you — into the fantasy. Observe the Beloved looking over your impossibly long to-do list and lovingly handling all those details, perhaps crossing off some nonessentials, arranging for the right people to help you, or simply gazing at you with unconditional love and promising to help you.
The details of what you imagine the Beloved doing don’t really matter. Simply bringing God into the fantasy-story does the trick. What happens when we’re in overwhelm is that the limbic (emotional) system in our brain gets triggered big-time. I call it “freakout mode.” The limbic system is known as “the ‘feeling and reacting brain’ that is interposed between the ‘thinking brain’ and the output mechanisms of the nervous system.” https://www.dartmouth.edu/~rswenson/NeuroSci/chapter_9.html
When we bring God into the limbic emotional storm, the negative “feeling and reacting” process calms down, and we feel more positive emotions. We now have access to sane, rational thinking again. We can view our tasks from a higher perspective. We can impose higher order thinking on the tasks. We’re open to inspired ideas for how to proceed.
And we’ve deepened our connection to God. Too bad it often takes a limbic emotional storm to remind us to practice the presence of God in our daily lives!
Today when I awoke with a feeling of panic, I applied this antidote and felt immediate peace. Then I composed this article in my mind before I even got out of bed! I’d love to hear how this antidote works for you.
Announcement: My newsletters may become a bit sporadic during my transition to online courses. I appreciate your support and promise to continue serving you with helpful tips and insights. Let me know what issues you’d like me to address in future newsletters.
Question for you: How does this possible course title resonate with you: “Create Meaningful Success from INSIDE Your Comfort Zone”?