33 Comments so far

1. Sparrow on July 8, 2008 7:22 pm

   My biggest tool in combatting overwhelm is prayer. Prayer slows my mind down and focuses it both outside myself and on my beliefs about a source of nurturing for my entire being.

   For those who don’t tend toward a religion that promotes prayer, I would suggest meditation as a possible analog. Both practices - prayer and meditation - take you out of the immediate stress and focus your thoughts someplace else, slowing down the racing of the mind that leads to anxiety.

   I think anyone who is trying to improve the three categories Kevin mentioned - diet, exercise, and attitude - should consider taking up some practice of the mind/spirit (I’ve also heard practitioners of NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) say that they get similar benefits to those found in prayer and meditation. Another possibility for a practice tot ake up might be self-hypnosis.) Any of these techniques have a tendency to “get under the hood” and adjust the attitude from “underneath everything.”

   If nothing else, it can’t hurt to pick one and try it for a while. I’ve seen prayer work wonders in my own life, in my attitude, my motivation, my patience with frustrations, my dedication and commitment, and so much more. And while I, of course, attribute that to a relationship with God I honestly don’t believe that prayer and God are the only ways to attain many of these benefits. You don’t have to be a believer . . . in anything but yourself, that is. Find something that tames your mind and heart and embrace it!

2. crow on July 8, 2008 8:23 pm

   I write when I feel overwhelmed to work out a problem or when to much information is bombarding me at once.

3. Jacqueline Michaud on July 8, 2008 8:30 pm

   Hi Kevin!

   When I feel overwhelmed I meditate…preferably 30 min. or if I don’t have the time 10 or so minutes will do. Hope that bear paw wound is not causing you any other problems!

   Jacqueline

4. Deanna Dean on July 8, 2008 8:33 pm

   Along with prayer/meditation, deep breathing exercises (pranayama)always help me. Changes happen both physically and emotionally when the breath flow is experienced just like when we were babies -bellies out on the inhalation.

5. Lindy on July 8, 2008 8:52 pm

   Yoga and meditation.

6. Lauren on July 8, 2008 9:22 pm

   My coping mechanism isn’t the best–it’s oversleeping. But I consider it progress, since it used to be stress-eating! I cannot bring myself to exercise when I am overwhelmed; I have mini panic attacks if I try to force myself to exercise at times like that.

7. Jos on July 8, 2008 9:36 pm

   When I feel overwhelmed I practice some yoga nidra (guided visualisation technique) and it helps me relax and I feel all renewed after.It is said that half an hour of Yoga Nidra may yield the benefit of up to three hours of standard sleep.

8. Jenn on July 8, 2008 9:41 pm

   Kevin, hope the head is feeling better. Lol don’t you know not to mess with a mother bear when she has 2 cubs with her(even if metal).

   As to the overwhelming it depends on what it is, but my general first reaction is that if I am really feeling that overcome by something to stop, take a step back and regroup before continuing on with what I need to do(could be going for a walk, putting a project away for awhile, or stop reading).

9. Kevin Gianni on July 8, 2008 9:55 pm

   Jenn, LOL! Thanks for sharing guys! I’m not much of a mediation guy, as you likely can tell. Running does it for me. It gets me moving, calms me down, and sparks the creative mind. Win/win/win!

   BTW: Dr. Richard DiCenso has had some really good success with adrenal type hair loss. So if you think this may be you, I’d suggest getting one of his MAP tests and doing the protocol he suggests!

   Kev

10. Arch Richardson on July 8, 2008 9:57 pm

    How I cope when I have a feeling of being overwhelmed, is not to resort to eating junk comfort food, which I did in the past. I have found that it only makes the situation worse, I stick to a healthy regime which helps me get over the situation and the sensation soon disappears.

11. Lauren on July 8, 2008 10:36 pm

    Arch–I think what you’re doing is the best way to cope…have any tips for those of us who literally break down in panic attacks and temporarily lose the ability to make sane choices when under extreme stress? Such as the summer where I worked 60hrs/wk (20/hrs night shift, 40hrs day shift), took two college classes, and kept up with the background work for my music degree, such as preparing for auditions?

12. sarah on July 9, 2008 12:11 am

    my mantra has always been:
    “i worship at the feet of the Goddess Nooverwhelm.”
    & a 20 minute walk, esp if i dont want to.
    & someone to gently goodhumoredly encourage me to take that walk or go with me.
    & i ask my beloved for help and he is pretty good at that.

13. Irina on July 9, 2008 12:22 am

    When I am overwhelmed, I do EFT tapping, especially using the Choice Method by Dr. Pat Carrington, and also prayer. It helps me sort things out and puts everything in perspective… Hope your head is feeling better, Kevin!

14. Anne Reamz on July 9, 2008 1:09 am

    I hope your head gets better!!

    I just cope with overwhelm(ness) by sleeping, because my break downs are usually caused by my lack of sleep with my job shifts.

15. Marion on July 9, 2008 1:20 am

    Good show today. Thanks for the advise about hair loss. Mine is thinning!
    You mentioned to have a good outlook on life. Well, with all the crappy stuff the government is doing I find myself being stressed out almost daily. GMO foods, vaccinations, taxes, and thousands more stuff drives me crazy!

16. Jean on July 9, 2008 8:39 am

    Pray, Slow down take one thing at a time. And Prioratize,Prioratize, Prioratize.

17. jeanette on July 9, 2008 8:55 am

    I, like some others, pray. I remind myself that Jesus is with me and I can depend and lean on Him when living gets bigger than life.

    Kevin and AnnMarie, thank you for being so real. You come across as really wanting to give and help others and I don’t discern that it’s about money for you. Your spirit shines forth through your earthsuit (body). May the Lord bless you in all your efforts.

18. ROB on July 9, 2008 10:30 am

    I sing as loudly and passionately as I can.

19. Lisa on July 9, 2008 10:49 am

    Kevin!

    Since we’re talking about being overwhelmed, watching you lately is like watching replays of some patches of my own life. If my memory serves me correctly, it started with the dryer, then the water-heater, then the car accident, then the lymes disease, then the attack of the bear. :)You’re on a roll and Man, Oh, Man, can we relate! My husband and I call these “seasons” and he always clings to a saying his “gramps” used to tell him, “This too shall pass.” That and the knowlege that “God’s ways are higher than our ways” and He knows what He’s doing even when we’re so clueless or freaked out.
    Prayer definately is my first hope of getting out of panic mode. Being able to trust God brings amazing peace. I also find that going outside and looking up at open sky is tremendously uplifting. It breaks the 4 walls closing in feeling of all your daily pressures and the sunlight, fresh air, and nature in general always lift the spirits.
    Again, I want to tell you how proud I am of you for continuing to think of us and how the info you have to share will help us when your head is bleeding, you’re burning a fever or you’ve been up all night, etc. You’re awesome. Bravo!

20. Andrew Norris on July 9, 2008 11:09 am

    Immediately - lay down in a dark room where possible for 30 mins.

    I also go up a level and simply - I ask does this problem really need to be solved in the first place? I.e. do we really need to be able to do all this work and cope with it. Just arrange less work. That is the simple solution, and the best, and often missed one. We put too much pressure ourselves that we need to take on and achieve various things. Some good social contact now and again and exercise works for most people. Anything else is a bonus, we don’t need to wear ourselves out for it!

21. clare on July 9, 2008 11:45 am

    What I do to overcome overwhelm is I ignore the good opionion of others and listen to my own heart. Have a great day!

22. Linda on July 9, 2008 12:59 pm

    OK, I love you and Annmarie and recognize that I am clearly outside the core group of participants on your wonderful site but I like to respond from time to time to offer a point of view from “the other side”. When I’m stressed, overwhelmed, etc., I like to blast my IPod and “spar” with my heavy bag. It’s a great full body and cardio workout with focused and intensive punching, striking and kicking. (In case of an unfortunate and irretrievably no good, very bad day, this can be followed by a shot of frozen vodka on the deck by the lake.) My wish for you guys is for a long stretch of calm, easy days without bites, bumps, breaks and bruises!

23. Bernadette on July 9, 2008 1:35 pm

    Hi Kevin,

    I agree with Lisa.. you do so much to get these shows out to us, come rain or shine, and now attacked by a bear.

    My favorite thing to do when I am overwhelmed is to take a long hot bath and shut out the world for half an hour. I don’t know what it is with me and water, but it always seems to have a calming affect on me. I must have been a fish in a previous life.. o< When you did the video on exercises in the childrens playground, it brought back memories of my favorite thing to do when I was young. My mom would set up the sprinkler in the back yard and I would run through it, back and forth, for hours… all summer! I remember having wicked sun burns on my shoulders at night and my mom would spread Nivea cream across them before I went to sleep. It was so comforting. Ahh.. those were the days.

24. Andrew Norris on July 9, 2008 2:34 pm

    In addition to politely saying this whole forum is pointless, :O Clare does a make point, we are all different. So what works for one will not work for another. But having said that, come on Clare, it is well worth listening to the ideas of others - to try yourself.

    From my own experience in a high paying yet stressful job to one where I call the shots more, and having more time for friends. Attacking the root cause of the stress is something to think about for sure. And what others said above has reminded me to meditate more, from what I remember it worked for me

25. Andrew Norris on July 9, 2008 2:38 pm

    If I miss-read you there Clare sorry You may not have been talking about us guys :p Could you explain what you meant?

26. Bill Murphy on July 9, 2008 4:52 pm

    Hi Kevin, hope your head is feeling better. Feeling overwhelmed, this happens to me fairly regularly as I love to learn new things and always try to do too much. What I need to do to put everything back into perspective is to go walking, preferably up in the rainforest in the mountains nearby or along the the beach.

    If I can’t get out and go for a walk, then I pop on a CD of Wayne Dyer’s, I find that he sets me straight every time.

    Thanks for your efforts,

    Bill Murphy

27. Cheryl Holt on July 9, 2008 5:14 pm

    WOW!
    Being overwhelmed is just a lot of NEGATIVE WIND.
    When I feel that I am being overwhelmed I try to stop what ever it is that is overwhelming me. If I can, I just take a break to regroup and clear my thoughts/head. I can’t always leave a situation that is giving me those feelings though so my other option for ACUTE OVERWHELMINGNESS is this:

    First realize that I am feeling overwhelmed, accept that and start to concentrate on my breathing.

    I start to time my breaths so that they are deep and regular, taking twice as long to breathe out as I do to breathe in. Once I inhale, I hold my breath for a bit thinking that I am allowing it to circulate through my body before I start to exhale.

    Next, I visualize in my head with the other stuff….cuz it’s usually pretty busy up there at this point in time, that the air is filling up my lungs and my body is using it to oxygenate all the little cells inside me.

    That way of reasoning helps me to feel that I will begin to think clearer with good oxygenation.

    Then I start to think about which parts of my body are tense, make sure my stance is supportive and that I am using good body mechanics, if not I shift my body if able until I am comfortable then start to relax the muscles that are the most tense as I continue to time and take deep breaths.

    I think about my heartbeat, what it feels like to me, if I can actually feel it, and start to drop my shoulders down when I breathe out.

    By that time people around me kinda have an idea about what I am doing, sometimes that helps the situation.

    Next, if I feel more relaxed and my mind and body is starting to quiet I start to prioritize the things that I need to accomplish. I re-establish any plans I can, knowing that I can only do what I can do. I may need to concentrate hard on individual tasks before I can get to the big picture and what are any safe stops I may have available to me where I can get additional help to get out of the situation that was overwhelming me in the first place. Wow, that sounds so complicated but sometimes I can accomplish this in a matter of minutes and most the time less than a minute.

    Later, when all has passed and everything is said and done, I like to do a yoga exercise where I lift my shoulders up as high as possible tensing my shoulders on the inhale and let my shoulders drop as fast as I can without hurting myself as I exhale trying to fully relax. I breathe in and out as fast as I can and this helps to relieve tension in my shoulders and back where I place many of my burdens when things get tense in high stress situations. I do this several times taking breaks before I hyperventilate and start to feel dizzy. I find that it helps to release the burden one takes on sometimes after being overwhelmed.

    For CHRONIC OVERWHELMINGNESS I tend to take some of the other responders advice. It is always a good time to:
    Eat plenty of raw organic plant food.
    Eat things that promote the immune system.
    Exercises, I like to kick bags (kickboxing), sweat in a yoga class, swing a racket (play or drill on a racket ball court) and swim.
    Get plenty of good rest and deep restorative sleep.
    Good rest comes in the way of meditation, deep breathing, massage, sun bathe, or soaking in a warm tub with Epsom salt and essential oils (that promote relaxation or just smell good to you)….if I use around 5 to 6 cups of Epsom salt in the full tub I can float better in the water.

    Thanks for taking the time to read all of this. Is there a limit on the length of the post?
    Love, Light, and Peace,
    Cheryl C. : )

28. Amanda on July 9, 2008 5:37 pm

    Exercise is definitely my choice of activities to overcome being overwhelmed as well. Going for a run, even if it is just a short one usually helps to clear my brain.

    I actually have an unrelated question. I am wondering what you know about the energy drink called “5 hour energy”? I am not one to drink energy drinks, though I do enjoy a cup of coffee. Here is my problem…I have trouble staying awake while driving, especially on long trips. I am taking a long trip this weekend and my husband heard some positive things about the 5 hour energy drink. After researching the ingredients, it does seem to be better than some of the other drinks that I have seen out there but I was just wondering your take…any thoughts?

29. Meri on July 9, 2008 6:58 pm

    Sometimes when I get overwhelmed I try to think about how insignificant my percieved problem of the moment is in relation to the size of the galaxy, the number of galaxies and the size of the universe. It does help!
    Other times I just scream!

    Poor Kevin..hope your bear wound gets better soon! Oh, and any advice for prematurely greying hair? I started going grey at 19 years old. I’m now 25 and there’s a fair bit round the sides. I’ve heard orgone(?) minerals can help but haven’t really looked into it thoroughly yet.

30. sharon on July 10, 2008 1:31 am

    For overwhelm I like to: sleep more (I have a silk, flax seed filled ‘eye bag’ that really helps settle my agitated eyes), read fiction (as opposed to all the negetive ‘facts’ that may be contributing to my overwhelm), take B-complex and C-complex vitamins, get some body work - (a good massage does wonders), meditate, chant, do yoga/exercise, and/or walk near water with my dog.

31. Kathie on July 12, 2008 10:07 pm

    HI kevin

    I love playing with my dogs when the day is going in a wrong direction.
    It relaxes me .
    Yoga would be next .

32. barbara on July 19, 2008 4:33 am

    I used to have very thick hair, but I suffered bulimia which caused my hair to thin over the years. I have been cured now. Thanks to IHT-9-Herbal Hair Regrowth Shampoo, its really a miracle and actually regrowing my hair.

33. venus on August 10, 2008 10:54 am

    isn’t the comment by babara out of the blue!?? and if i am not mistaken, i’ve read the same thing in a different website by barbara abt the IHT 9 herbal shampoo. sounds like someone from the sales dept is writing these reviews to falsely market their products. i’ve written to the company several times and they d not reply their emails. so consumers, beware…it’s getting easy to see now that this product is a scam.