8.10am Valentines Day
I’d been up all night arranging roses for delivery and I was exhausted! As I opened our shop for business, I noticed large flakes of snow swirling in the wind and starting to settle.
It was the last straw!
I felt so overwhelmed; such a bleak feeling of powerlessness and despair. I can still remember how it felt, more than 20 years later. 😞
There were just so many deliveries to get through, and the freak weather threatened to grind everything to a halt.
The looming prospect of not getting through the busiest day of the year, of having to deal with disappointed customers and the financial consequences of it all, knocked the rest of the stuffing out of me.
Wondering why I’m telling this story now?
I want to share with you what I learned from my experience of overwhelm.
What I learned from feeling overwhelmed
💡 I did manage to get through the day because the situation wasn’t as bleak as I’d first imagined. I was able to take a breath, get it all in proportion, and take it step by step. I remember asking for directions when I’d almost completely lost my voice; that was hard! All the deliveries eventually got done despite the icy roads. It was challenging, but the whole team rallied round: it wasn’t all on me. Having support is so important!
💡 It was a wake-up call! I later realised it wasn’t just this one day that was a problem. I could now see the amount of daily stress running our shop was having on me. We often go through life sticking to a routine, pushing ourselves because that’s maybe all we’ve ever done; until something like this happens and it gives an opportunity to reflect. We had two businesses and a young family. The price wasn’t worth paying. It wasn’t fun anymore.
💡 Once I had realised this, it made real sense to take action to simplify life and stop feeling the need to push myself all the time! It felt so right to sell the business. I had no regrets in doing so. It’s okay to quit; health and wellbeing come first!
Are you experiencing overwhelm?
If you’re experiencing overwhelm in your life right now, how you deal with it will depend on your unique situation. I made the choice that was right for me. Perhaps in your case you don’t feel you can quit your job, and that’s okay because there are other ways of coping too. I’m going to be writing a blog about that soon.
What is important is that you listen and take notice if you are experiencing overwhelm. It’s a mistake to ignore it and try to push through.
It’s telling you something important; something needs to change.
The threat of burnout is real and your health is paramount!
Counselling for Overwhelm
I’ve worked therapeutically with many clients to deal with the causes of overwhelm and stress in their lives, and find more calm and balance. Watch out for future blogs on this topic.
If you’re trying to make sense of overwhelm in your life and are wondering how I can help, feel free to reach out to me through my contact page. Or book an introductory session to find out more about working with me to address the effects of stress, overwhelm and burnout on your well-being. I offer counselling in Bradford on Avon and online.
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