The Overwhelm Epidemic: Why Resilience Begins with You

The overwhelm is overwhelming


More and more frequently I’m seeing and hearing an ever-expanding feeling of overwhelm. People have so much to do and not enough time. There’s nothing new with the phenomena of not enough time to do what needs to be done, but today it’s different. Today, it’s unique because this feeling of overwhelm has been continuously expanding since early 2020 as we experienced the pandemic. We’re being overwhelmed to an extent most people are not experienced to deal with.



For you in operational resilience, I believe self-care is more critical now than it has ever been. You are only able to help your clients and their systems be resilient to the extent you are taking care of yourself and are resilient.

The common sense solution doesn’t work


As workloads pile up and obstacles escalate, I like to ask leaders is, “How are you going to deal with this challenge? How are you going to manage your way through it?”



Most say something like, “I’m going to double down and focus on this. I’m going to work harder and spend as much time as needed, even if it means cutting into my already precious personal time.”

They think working harder is the best approach, but here’s the thing—they are wrong.



When you are operating at high-stress levels, introducing more stress by doubling down and working harder, actually reduces your output. At this point, the harder you work, the less you produce. Elite athletes know this which is why they don’t constantly operate at extreme levels of stress.



An idea that works

Elite athlete or elite resilience professional—both must have a systematic way to rejuvenate their energy so they can thrive and operate at the highest level possible. To sustainably thrive at the elite level, you must have the proper:

• Amount of sleep

• Nutrition

• Amount of movement

• Mindset


In this article, we’re going to focus on just one of these four areas, and it will begin to ripple into the other three areas naturally. I believe this area is the most important to strengthen, and that area is mindset.



You need to take time each day to work on your mindset—think of it as a mini retreat.



The key to a thriving, elite mindset


Mindset is a compilation of all your attitudes and beliefs – and it is your mindset that determines how you make sense of every moment of the day. Your mindset shapes your behaviors, your words, how others trust you, the quality of your relationships and more.



Bottom line, a thriving, elite mindset is the foundation of personal wellbeing and professional success. 



Turning to positive psychology, underlying Martin Seligman‘s model for human flourishing, are 24 positive character strengths. While more research is still needed, the research to date has concluded that of the 24, the best predictor of living a flourishing, thriving life (which reflects a thriving mindset) is gratitude.

Gratitude shapes your mindset. Remember, your mindset isn’t fixed—you’re either strengthening your mindset or it is naturally decaying.



Over the past 25 years, the science of gratitude has rapidly exploded and because of all the benefits associated with gratitude, science is now expanding into the workplace. There are many compelling reasons to build a grateful mindset. For example, grateful people:

• Are more like to achieve important life goals
• Are more productive

• Have reduced stress
• Greater resilience
• Have more social connections

• Have boosted immune systems

• Exercise more regularly

• Sleep more soundly

• Are more generous

• Are more optimistic

• Have higher levels of life satisfaction
• Are less likely to gossip
• Are less likely to ostracize others
• Report higher levels of job autonomy
• Are more likely to go the extra mile and put in more effort

• Live longer

• And more … just search “the personal and professional benefits of gratitude”


Finally – just do this (this is important)


There is three-minute tweak you can incorporate into your day (everyone can find three minutes) that will have a massive impact on your personal wellbeing, resilience and ability to effectively deal with the relentless sense of overwhelm.

If you want a thriving, elite mindset, create a daily gratitude habit. Here’s how:


• Find a time and a place where you can step back for just three minutes
  • It doesn’t matter what time of day but keep the same time every day.
• Give thanks for the present moment and reflect on the past 24 hours:
  • What stood out to you?Where did you see good?Who were the people who supported you?
  • What did you learn from the challenges you faced?

• Record (on paper or electronically) a list of the things for which you are grateful.

Rinse and repeat. Give it 30 days, by which time the benefits of your newfound habit will be self-evident to you too. I guarantee it will be a game changer for you!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steve Foran

Founder of Gratitude at Work, Steve Foran helps organizations build happier, more productive workplaces through gratitude. Author of “Surviving to Thriving,” a must-read on grateful leadership, Foran is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP™) and award-winning advisor working with leaders globally to inspire lasting cultural change.