When there are too many things going on it leaves me feeling overwhelmed. I find the current popular phrase “I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with that” a fitting description for those times.
The “bandwidth” I’m talking about is not just the ability to manage our time, but also the capacity to process what’s going on around us. Dealing with the affairs takes its toll on you mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Your ability to cope can be drained out of you by all kinds of things. Stress over money problems, too little sleep, conflict with others. The list goes on and on.
During those times, the emotional and mental resources for coping are not at full strength. I can’t think straight and simultaneously, my emotions are pulling me in several directions at once. At those times, I feel overwhelmed and confused.
The good thing is that those episodes only happen occasionally. It’s also fortunate that they are of a limited duration. They do not last forever.
Some of the times that I’ve faced those moments included a thwarted terrorist attack, Hurricane Rita evacuation, Hurricane Ike, driving through the ‘Blizzard of the Century’ and surviving a 500-year Texas Hill Country flood. Each challenge had its own unique twists. As typical of crises, when each of these happened, there were other issues going on as well.
Natural disasters can be handled. It’s when they happen in conjunction with relationship, legal, financial and other crisis that the confusion and overwhelm hit.
So when overwhelm and confusion hit, my challenge is finding a way through them. I have to work at not complicating things more than necessary.
If you have to make a decision about something, don’t let the overwhelm and confusion prevent you from doing that now. Try to avoid making decisions when those emotions are at their peak.
The first thing I do is write down what I’m feeling and what challenge I’m facing.
As simple as it sounds, just writing those things down starts the change process. Although there are other steps, the first is writing things down.
One of the benefits in writing things down is validation. Having a name to put on the challenge and the emotions helps. It starts reducing the confusion about what I’m dealing with.
I go into the other steps you need in getting out of the confusion in the video ‘Overcoming Affair Trauma’. The video also explains the other healing benefits that come with writing.
You can know what the next step is and what needs to be done by watching the video. Start your healing and begin ending the confusion by ordering your copy today.
Keeping It Real,
Jeff
