Overwhelmed

By Esther Cohen

Many of us know only too well that feeling of being overwhelmed by circumstances that lead to overthinking which chips away at our peace of mind.

Life’s challenges and experiences can bring a sense of drowning beneath masses of all-consuming emotions and pressures that steers us towards feeling as if we are adrift with no direction or power.

Telling ourselves to “get a grip” when we are overwhelmed can only make us feel more inadequate. I bet most of us would be incredibly kinder to someone else going through our situation.

A friend once said that sometimes we need to ‘put our brain in the freezer’ and stop overthinking, knowing that no challenge lasts forever.

But how to do that?

a.     Develop an awareness of when you are becoming trapped in a loop of fear and worries which feed negative thinking. It begins at the point when you start to feel bad about yourself. Sometimes such techniques need to be learned from an expert.

b.     Commend yourself, as you would a friend, for managing the best way you can

c.     Give yourself permission to handle one thought at a time, one task at a time, one hour at a time

d.     Practice gratitude. Be grateful for the tiny little things as well as the big things. Be grateful for anything!

e.     Keep reminding yourself how well you are doing, even if initially you don’t believe it.

Keep moving forward – Kadimah!

Remember: Navigating challenges one minute at a time, an hour at a time, a day at a time, will lead you towards stability and joy.

Trust me, it is worth persevering.