‘Tis the season to be overwhelmed with all that’s going on in life! I mean, I think as real estate investors we are often feeling overwhelmed because, the truth is, we have a lot going on!! All the time! And it can be debilitating!
So, first of all I want to explain what’s happening when you are feeling overwhelmed.
Here’s the deal:
You’re doing life and then you start to run through all the things you have to do….it starts running in your mind, and then you think of one more thing and one more thing and one more thing and then all of a sudden……you get this awful sinking feeling inside! It’s overwhelming, you feel super stressed, like there’s no way you can accomplish it all and then you either give up and just walk away OR you keep on going with that thought process and dive into the tasks, feeling super stressed, heart is pounding, you might be rude or impatient to anyone who comes into your presence but you tackle this list in a stressed state. It feels awful!
Can you relate?
Which one are you? Do you start to get overwhelmed and then just throw the towel in and walk away pretending the list doesn’t exist?
Or do you keep on that stressed out path, keep forging forward with a pounding chest and maybe even spew that stress onto anyone who comes into your space?
Well, either way you aren’t alone! It feels awful when we get into this state! But we’re human and it happens!
The reason it feels so awful is this – when you start thinking of the millions of things that you have to do, running through them, all at the same time – think about it – you are thinking of ALL OF IT AT THE SAME TIME. That, in and of itself is overwhelming!
And, when we do that, our brain releases chemicals to our body that cause a physiological response – a literal physical response that causes our heart rate to increase, our blood pressure to increase, our heart to pound. It is an awful, physical feeling! This is how the brain works. You think about something and your brain releases chemicals to your body that creates how you feel! It’s that simple (and not!)
Okay so, that’s great to know why it feels so terrible. But more importantly, what can you do about it?
Well, you might be able to release some of the tasks from your list (by delegating or hiring an amazing EA like I have or who knows!), but here’s one thing for sure!
As Einstein says, “You cannot solve a problem from the same mind that created it”
Here are some very simple steps you can take to change your mindset, which changes the chemicals that are being released to your body so that you are in a better state of mind to deal with all you have on your plate. Maybe it’s delegating. Maybe it’s prioritizing. BUT STEP NUMBER ONE IS ALWAYS SHIFTING YOUR MINDSET TO SUPPORT YOU IN ACHIEVING WHAT YOU WANT WITH MORE EASE!
Follow these steps when you’re feeling overwhelmed:
- BREATH
- Focus on your breathing. Deep breath in…..and out. Or maybe you’ve heard of box breathing? Any type of breathing and as simple as it sounds, it actually has a huge, very fast impact on how you feel inside and puts you in a more resourceful state. So, take a deep breath my friend…….
- BRAIN DUMP
- It’s important to get all of “the things” out of your mind and down on paper so that you don’t have to hold onto it all at the same time. Get it out. ALL of it, so that you can let go of holding on to it and know it’s all going to get taken care of. Literally get a pen and paper and brain dump it all out! And notice as you do that, how much better you feel!
- PRIORITIZE
- Now that you’re in a calmer state of mind and it’s out of your head and down on paper, begin to prioritize in a way that works for you, whether it’s time blocking or delegating or grouping into categories. The important thing is that of the big huge list you’ve created, it becomes clear where to start and it’s no longer living in your head.
- TUNE IN
- Tune in to your body and pay attention – when you start to get that feeling again, STOP, breath, get yourself into a more resourceful state and then proceed.
I think the biggest takeaway from this should be, YOU ARE CREATING THE OVERWHELM BY HOW YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT IT. You are the one swirling it all around in your head, which is actually great news! Because if you are the one creating that feeling, then you can change it!! I’m not saying there isn’t a reality to how much you have going on, I’m just saying that you cannot find a solution if you are operating at a high stressed inner world. You will not be resourceful. You will likely not be kind to yourself or those around you. And you will not get the results you want to get. It doesn’t work!
You might feel you’re too busy to stop and breath! And I’m telling you that you that you’re too busy not to! It takes literally one minute of your life – and makes you a hundred times more capable of dealing with the tasks at hand. Trust me. I’ve got your back! Give it a shot my friend. You deserve it! You just have to make the choice to pay attention.