When I hit a roadblock in my career and didn’t know what to do, I felt completely confused and overwhelmed.
I couldn’t see my future clearly and I was unhappy doing many of the day-to-day tasks to get through my work. I felt conflicted. Why did I no longer see the promising future I had always envisioned for myself? Why was my heart no longer in it? Or even more truthful (and confusing!): why was my heart half in it, and the other half not? Why was my gut telling me there was something else out there for me, something that was more in alignment with what I wanted for my future?
How our brains are wired
Our brains are wired to make connections and to create narratives to make sense of how we feel. My mind created all sorts of stories that I now see were not true. I didn’t know what to think. So I disconnected, I became less engaged in my life, and I didn’t pay attention to what was happening emotionally for me.
I can tell I’m neck-deep in overwhelm and confusion when I do the minimum required to get through the day. My mind thinks so many different thoughts at one time that my brain simply shuts down.
Are you in a state of overwhelm and confusion?
- Is your mind thinking fifty different thoughts at once?
- Do you feel stressed and burned out?
- Do you feel exhausted, disconnected, or even numb?
- Are you pretending you’re okay?
Living in a state of overwhelm and confusion is living without a clear intention.
When you don’t know what to do, you don’t do anything.
It’s typical to try numbing yourself with something that gives you temporary pleasure like eating, drinking, shopping, social media or anything that “takes the edge off” the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings you’re experiencing. It’s common to buffer, to do something in excess in order to avoid your emotions and feelings.
I indulged in overwhelm and confusion by buffering with overeating, over drinking, over shopping, and staying up late and obsessing about making things “perfect,” thoughts that truly rob us of our happiness! 🙁
It got worse before it got better.
The turning point?
I asked for help. I wanted change and I was in a perpetual holding pattern, so I found a coach (who was a designer too!) and she helped me gain new insights and perspectives on my situation and life overall.
