5 Tips for Calming Overwhelm
Our day to day lives can become pretty overwhelming, can’t they?
To do lists coming out of our ears, the expectation that we should always be ‘busy’ or ‘productive’, pings and beeps coming from so many devices vying for our attention, noisy places, hustle and bustle. It can leave us feeling like we might just explode!
Perhaps its the overstimulation, where our senses are overloaded with info, and our brains find that tricky to process. In this state over overstimulation, we find ourselves in fight or flight mode (sympathetic nervous system). Of course there are benefits to this state, throwback to the olden days - it would kick into action when we needed to run away from a bear… These days it kicks in when we receive a slightly grumpy email.
The key to soothing our overwhelmed, overstimulated brain is learning the tools to downregulate our nervous system into rest and digest (parasympathetic nervous system). We could get into the nitty gritty of the science behind this, as it is fascinating. I recommend spending some time learning about the nervous system and vagus nerve (this podcast is a great place to start). But I was hoping this post could equip you with a few helpful tools to try when you need.
1. Helpful reminders.
“Be where your feet are”, a simple quote, but a powerful one.
When our mind is swirling with different things on our to-do list, messages we haven’t responded to, a pile of washing that looks a little threatening. We struggle to do one task without our minds wandering off to the other task that we feel we should also be doing.
For example, whilst I’m sitting writing this journal entry - my mind is reminding me that I should in fact be cooking dinner or responding to enquiries or posting something on Instagram or planning my classes for later.
This quote gives us permission to do one thing at a time. Be where your feet are. Look at what is in front of you and give it your full attention to the best of your ability. A reminder to be present.
2. The power of the breath.
Breathwork is an enormous part of the yoga practice. It is incredibly powerful in many ways, our constant companion and a free tool to utilise. A technique that has worked for me (and many cayc students) has been the 4-2-5-2 breathing pattern.
Inhale for four counts
Hold for two
Exhale for five counts
Hold for two
This technique works by gently extending our exhalations.When our exhalations are longer than our inhalations, our heart rate begins to slow down, increasing our feelings of calm.
It is also a great option for busy minds as you are internally counting the breath, which gives your brain something to focus on.
Give it a go and modify as needed to suit your unique breathing capacity.
3. Gentle inversions, hips higher than heart and heart higher than head.
This one you may not be able to wack out in the middle of Oxford Circus, but it is a perfect option for some pre-sleep TLC. When we gently invert the body, the increase of blood flow to the brain signals a response to slow the heart down - bringing us down to the rest and digest space.
Some options for this are:
Legs up a wall, with gentle support beneath your hips (a few cushions will do)
Supported bridge pose, placing books beneath your sacrum.
Child's pose
That’s right, inversions don’t need to be headstands / handstands - they can be soft, simple and very effective.
4.Get inspired by animals
By this I am mainly speaking about my dog, Otis. Whenever he has had a slightly overwhelming situation, he shakes his whole body. Otis has taught me far more than I could ever teach him. Listening to instinct, knowing how to regulate in that moment, learning how to be present.
Many animals shake when they have had a tense moment, as there is so much research to support that we should too! Shaking our body helps flush out stimulating hormones adrenaline and cortisol, down regulating our nervous system and restoring balance.
So, in a moment of stress or overwhelm - try shaking it out. Put on a feel good song, have a dance, wiggle and release some excess energy.
5. Take a look at your evening rituals
I am guilty of scrolling through my phone moments before I drop off to sleep, or heading to bed almost immediately when I arrive home from late classes at the club, without effectively allowing myself to land and release into relaxation.
A gentle rejig of our nighttime rituals can make all the difference. Reading rather than scrolling, low lighting, an essential oil blend that brings you calm, herbal tea, maybe even a restorative playlist and a few gentle poses?
I call these ‘rituals’ rather than a ‘routine’ as routine feels too rigid, doesn’t it? Many of us aren’t able to follow a routine (work schedules, young children etc etc), but we can weave in some nurturing rituals that feel loving, something we can look forward to and help make our journey down into a sleepy town a little easier.
We are constantly learning new ways to take care of ourselves and those around us. There is no one size fits all, these are just a few suggestions that have helped myself and the CAYC community over the years.
What would you add to this list?