Wow – the number of companies hiring wellness coordinators, Chief People Officers, and community wellbeing advisors & coaches portrays the great need in our communities for addressing multiple layers of overwhelm in the workspace. We are TIRED.
So, I’m making today’s blog short and sweet by asking you one question…
What is the cure to overwhelm?
John Kabat-Zinn says that overwhelm is the state we’re in when our lives are unfolding faster than our nervous system or psyche can manage. Sound familiar? At the beginning of the pandemic, overwhelm manifested as:
- Fear of the unknown
- Shifting to telemedicine
- Pandemic-related illness and death
- Tireless demands for answers
- Distance learning with our kids
- Exhaustion
And now manifests as:
- Medical misinformation
- Vaccine hesitancy
- Unknown variants and the future of the pandemic
- Staffing shortages
- Moral distress
- Unmet mental health needs
The cure to overwhelm? John Kabat-Zinn says you have two choices:
Nothing. Or Play.
Nothing is a wise choice when your “life is unfolding faster than you can manage,” in fact, it may be the only choice. Doing nothing may be for a moment, an hour, half a day or longer. We need to give our brain and our body a chance to catch up with the event that is occurring.
Play – we’re the only mammals who miss opportunities to play. Play might be dance, laughter, joking, active play (throwing a ball, playing a sport, rolling around) or more passive play (cards, games, cuddles). Play says to our nervous system – “You’re OK, it’s safe now.”
So, if you’re in a state of overwhelm, try one of these. And I’m going to offer you a third option.
Connect.
Once we feel in community with another person, overwhelm is lessened and safety is restored. Once one other person says, “I see you,” or “I’ve got you,” or “Me too, you’re not alone,” it’s as if the world suddenly feels less gigantic and lonely.
Nothing.
Play.
Connect.
Try one. Let me know what works best for you when you’re in a state of overwhelm.
In the meantime, I’d love for you to connect with me and your colleagues at our spring retreat – we’ll be in community and it is soul-filling goodness!
With Compassion,
Dr. Amy
