Show Notes:

Summary:

In this episode of "Aging with Grace and Style," Valerie dives into feeling overwhelmed, a common experience for many women over 50. Valerie shares her struggles with overwhelm and provides practical tips and strategies to help listeners navigate this challenging stage of life. She discusses the signs and causes of overwhelm and the importance of identifying the source, prioritizing tasks, setting boundaries, asking for help, and scheduling downtime. Valerie also offers valuable insights on using mindfulness apps, digital detox, and breathing exercises to manage overwhelm and stay organized amidst life's demands.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introducing the concept of overwhelm

01:25 Defining what overwhelm feels like and its causes

02:25 Recognizing signs of overwhelm and sharing a personal story

04:33 Strategies for tackling overwhelm: identifying the source and prioritizing tasks

06:54 More strategies: setting boundaries, asking for help, and taking breaks

08:12 Additional tools and apps to help manage overwhelm

10:39 Changing mindset and overcoming overwhelm

11:41 Finding comfort in knowing you're not alone in feeling overwhelmed

12:38 Encouraging sharing of personal stories and tips

13:21 Closing remarks and call to action for sharing the episode

Key Takeaways:

• Recognize the signs and causes of overwhelm and acknowledge when you're feeling swamped.
• Identify the sources of overwhelm and prioritize tasks to manage responsibilities effectively.
• Set boundaries and learn to say no when necessary to avoid adding to your stress.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help or delegate tasks to alleviate the burden of overwhelming responsibilities.
• Schedule downtime and utilize mindfulness techniques and digital detox to recharge and stay focused during overwhelming times.

 Connect with Valerie:

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Let's connect on social:

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Stay tuned for more inspiring chats, tips, and stories about the midlife journey.

See you soon! Let's continue to age with grace, style, and a touch of sass.

Hey girl. Welcome back today. I want

to talk about something that a lot of us struggle

with feeling overwhelmed. Honestly,

I'm feeling it myself big time

between travel home projects,

work. Everything feels like way too much

right now. I know I'm not alone in this. It's

like a tidal wave of task, responsibilities

and changes crashing over us, but don't

worry, we're in this together. And by the end

of our time today, I hope that you and me

both will feel more equipped to navigate these

waters. So let's dive in.

What is overwhelm? You know,

that feeling when there's so much to do

so many decisions swirling in your head, that it

feels like you could just short circuit.

That's overwhelm. It's not just about the to do

list, but how it makes us feel

panicked, exhausted. Maybe even like

you want to give up. It's that sense

of being swamped by everything you need to do

so much so that you can't figure out where to start.

It's like being caught in a storm

of to dos, expectations, and changes.

It might come from work, from home renovations,

which I'm currently up to my neck in family

commitments or even just the daily

grind. So why does overwhelm

happen? Sometimes it's clear.

Maybe you've got way too much on your plate, like taking on

new projects at work or volunteering for stuff.

And, oh, yeah, Deciding to remodel your kitchen.

Sometimes it's sneaky. Like when you have a bunch

of smaller tasks that pile up,

but they weigh on you just as much.

So what are some signs of overwhelm? Well, again, it can

sneak up on us signs like being snappier

than usual, forgetting things, or

you find yourself, I don't know, just staring into space,

trying to figure out what to do first,

or maybe you're procrastinating, avoiding

all the things that you should be doing, or

maybe there's sleep troubles. And for me

skipping workouts, because I just can't fit them

in. Does this sound familiar?

These are all signs that

overwhelm might be getting the best of you.

So here's a little story from my own life. Currently

recently I've been traveling for work, overseeing

a remodel at home and helping with renovations at

our church. It's been a whirlwind.

I felt like I was losing control

and that's a tough pill to swallow for someone who

likes to be in control. But it got me

thinking I can't be the only one who's

feeling this way. And that's why we're here

today. So sharing this isn't just

cathartic for me. It's a reminder that

none of us are alone in these feelings.

So how do we tackle this beast

called overwhelm? Here are tips that have helped

me, and I hope that they help you too. 1st is

identify the source. So take a moment to list

what's making you feel overwhelmed. Once you

know, what's causing the stress, then you can

start to prioritize and to plan

next would be to prioritize your task, write

down everything and decide what needs

your attention. 1st, try the

135 rule. So that's pick

1 big thing, 3

medium tasks, and

5 small tasks to tackle today. I know that

sounds a lot, but think about it. Only one of them is big.

And then, like I said, 3 medium and 5 small.

It makes things feel maybe more manageable.

Not everything is urgent. And I have to remind myself that of

that quite often, everything is not an

emergency. A to do list can

really be your best friend.

Number 3 would be to set boundaries. It's okay to say

no. It's okay to turn down requests or

invitations. If they're going to add to your stress,

your well-being, it comes first, remember

time and energy are precious

and 4 ask for help

or delegate. So whether it's at

work at home in volunteer

activities, don't be afraid to ask for help or

to delegate tasks to others. This is the

hardest, probably of everything we're taught we've talked about and we'll talk

about. This is the hardest one for me. And I can't tell you why

for whatever reason I don't ask for help. I try

to do it all myself and that's not a good thing because then I

get mad that I'm doing it all myself. So it was

important to ask for help. We don't

have to do it all. Next would be to

take breaks or to schedule downtime. This

might seem counterintuitive when you're swamped,

but stepping away, even if it's just for a few

minutes can drastically improve your

focus and your energy. It's not selfish

it's necessary. So So I give you an example. I mentioned this whole

remodel thing, and the most recent thing we did was

have my office repainted, which, you know, that means taking everything out

and then putting everything in. It's taken me a few days to get

it put back together. But most evenings say about

7. I'm like, I have had enough.

I am drained because I will have worked all day. Then

got off work, done some other things, and then start putting the office back together,

that mentally, I just can't take it anymore. I can't couldn't

even look at the box and decide where things went.

So every night I would just step away and say, I got to

come back to it the next day. So it really

is necessary to do so.

Then it's breathe and believe. So

take a few slow deep breaths.

I know it sounds simple. But

deep breathing lowers your stress response.

Remind yourself that this feeling is temporary.

And I mean, you'll get through it, stay

organized, use tools and

apps to keep track of task and appointments. A

little organization goes a long way in reducing stress.

And speaking of tools, here are a few that have

helped me keep the overwhelm at bay.

So there are some task management apps like

Trello and Asana, And

I think I've mentioned before that I use this structured

app, which is good for like time boxing. And

then I use the to do is app,

which is a good to do list. So I use the to

do list digital app, but I am still

about old fashioned. Got to write down the to do list and

scratch it out off. So I'll make a master to do

list. And then I will take some things from

it and put it in my app. So that could be duplication of

effort, but it works for me. It helps you

to visualize what your workload is.

Then there are mindfulness apps such as Headspace

or calm, or even the one that I

use most often is insight timer. And they

can guide you through meditations that help

to clear your mind. Then there's

the digital detox. So occasionally

step away from digital devices. I know today,

almost everything we do is on a digital device,

but it's important to step away. The world is

going to keep spinning and it's going to keep going. I promise.

So overcoming over overwhelm, you

know, we can't control everything. Trust

me. I am definitely still learning this,

but with projects like our bookstore remodel,

I had to learn to let go and just focus on the

things that I can directly influence.

Our mindset can play a big part in overcoming

overwhelm. Instead of seeing everything as a

massive hurdle view, each task as

a step toward your goal, It might feel like

a lot right now, but you're strong and

you're capable of far more than you think. Don't

be afraid to ask for support and trust that those small

steps will add up to big progress.

And if all else fails, girl, go up, grab

a good glass of wine or a giant piece of

chocolate. Those never hurt anybody as long

it's as it's alongside the healthier coping

strategies, right? Seriously though, you

are not alone and feeling overwhelmed. And that in

itself can be kind of comforting. Sometimes

it's okay to not be okay.

And there you have it. We all get a little overwhelmed.

Sometimes it happens, but it's temporary

and you can get through this. Remember that

feeling overwhelmed is a signal, not a sentence.

It's a part of life, but it doesn't define us.

It's your body and mind telling you to

pause, to reassess and to

adjust. We can navigate it. We can

learn from it and emerge stronger. Remember,

be kind to yourself, take it step by step and

don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

If you've got a good story of overcoming overwhelm

or maybe a tip that works for you, leave me a

voice message at pod.agingwithgraceandstyle.com,

and we might share it on the next episode.