Managing Overwhelm in Overwhelming Times

by Cheryl Marks Young

It’s been a rough two years. Even if everything in your personal and professional life was moving along just swimmingly, pandemic-related lockdowns, restrictions, and concerns have added at least some measure of stress. If you’re like most of us, of course, that pandemic-related stress was layered on top of other everyday tensions that we typically manage with a range of aplomb and finesse (or not.)

As we roll into another year of COVID headlines, among a litany of other stressors, the feeling of overwhelm may be rising, and learning to manage that overwhelm should make your short-term list of 2022 goals.

What Does it Look Like?

Are you having trouble getting a full, good night of sleep? Are you forgetful or feeling unable to focus? Do you have less patience than you used to? Are you feeling a physical tension in your muscles? Do you stare at your to-do list wondering how to add hours to your day in order to get it all done? Are you feeling more cynical or pessimistic? Are you more apt to get annoyed? Is work (or something else) constantly on your mind? These can be symptoms of overwhelm.

If you’ve read this far thinking, “I’m fine. I’m not stressed,” you might be right. You might be juggling current events, work, and life well. You’ve…