Everyone experiences overwhelm in their lives at various times, but not everyone moves through the chaos effectively! 

For some, living with chaos feels completely normal, to the point that having calm is a foreign idea. However, when you get completely overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed, you need to have a go-to strategy that will inject your life with instant calm.

In this episode of Dr. Jen and Friend’s Lovecast, we dive into the one thing you can do that will instantly help you hit the pause button and take a big, deep breath of fresh air.  

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What it feels like to live with chaos and overwhelm
• The one thing you can do to help hit the reset button on your busy, chaotic life

Hitting the Reset Button

We operate with 56 tabs open at all times. Our busy lives have us thinking about a million things simultaneously, and somehow we believe we are effectively doing that. The truth is, multitasking is not technically a thing. Our brain only completes one task at a time.

Think about what it’s like to have 56 tabs open on your computer. You toggle between one program and another and another. When you switch between programs, focusing on one task, the other tabs and functions aren’t just paused. They’re running in the background. 

Life operates very much the same. We have a million and one things we’re thinking about, processing, and taking in constantly. The feeling of overwhelm occurs when there becomes too much input, and we’re stuck in a spiral of information overload. 

Single Best Tip to Slow Down

Hit the reset button by intentionally stopping what you’re doing. Shut down your computer, put down your phone, shut off the television, and give yourself just fifteen minutes.

In those fifteen minutes, put on your shoes, open the front door, and walk down the block. You can carry your phone if you feel unsafe, but don’t open it. Don’t start an audiobook. Don’t take anyone with you (and if you do, make sure they know this is a silent walk). 

In your silent walk, think of your feet walking right, left, right, left, right, and left. Do your best to think of nothing except your feet hitting the ground. Step...step...step...step. 

When you get to the end of the block, you can either turn around to walk home or keep walking around the block. Remember, you’ve committed fifteen minutes to walking, so you might as well keep going. 

Don’t worry about your heart rate or breaking a sweat. The important thing here is that you just focus on your steps. You could also focus on one tree in the distance. Or focus on the color and shape of the road—only one thing. 

You’re in nature, which happens to be good for your mental health. You’re breathing in the fresh air, soaking up the sun, listening to the birds, or feeling the breeze.  

Every action you take on your walk is essential, as long as it’s intentional and singularly focused. Meaning, don’t focus on multiple things; focus on just one thing. 

Other Tips for Switching Gears

If, for some reason, you cannot go out the door and walk, think of one of these actions that would be equally effective:

• Sit on the patio and listen to the birds or wind or nothing
• Sit in a comfortable place and just breathe for fifteen minutes
• Focus on the hair on your arms
• ...you get the idea. Do nothing, or at least, minimal.

Next Steps:

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