on overwhelm

Earlier in the summer, I excitedly shared that I am writing a book. It has always been a dream of mine and I was beyond proud when I handed in that first draft. Afterwards, I headed off on vacation to recharge knowing that, even though I had just poured my heart onto the pages, the work in the editing process was just beginning.

I returned from my holiday ready to go. Ready to write again. Ready to refine. Ready to edit. Or, so I thought.

Having received preliminary, high-level feedback from the editorial team, I knew what I needed to do to start turning my 58,285-word first draft into a New York Times bestselling masterpiece (you hear that Universe?!). I had been visualizing holding the finished book in my hands. I had all the tools in front of me to get started again.

Except, I was stuck.

I was desperate to start again but totally overwhelmed. All I could see was the mountain of work ahead of me. I was spinning my wheels. Every time I sat down to write I would stare at the blink, blink, blink of my cursor in a mad combination of frustration and despair. Was I ever going to be able to get back on track?

Spoiler: The wheels are back on the bus. As I write these words things are in motion. With each step forward, with each word on the page I can feel the momentum gaining.

So what did I do to get back on track? Unlike Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, I did not close my eyes and click my heels three times. Can you imagine?! Even though clicking my heels to get started wasn’t an option, there were some things I did that helped me reset, get back on track and calm the overwhelm.

I tidied.

I cleaned up my desk. I swept the floor. I organized the kitchen counters. It didn't take long but was active and settled my mind just by calming the space around me.

I made a list.

I took a pad of paper and dumped everything out of my brain. I didn't worry about putting things into categories. I just got it all out as if I was emptying the junk drawer. Often, when I do a brain dump I find that either I don't have as much to do as I thought or I have a lot to do but seeing it written down makes it less overwhelming.

I moved my body.

I moved my body. When I could feel myself starting to get stuck again I would get up and move around. A workout, a short walk or dancing like a fool in the kitchen worked. Even just short bursts of movement changed my mood and calm my mind.

I asked for help.

I set up a meeting with my publisher to chat about the book. I met with one of the editors and she helped me identify three simple things I could do to get started. I haven't always been good at asking for help but I knew that I would continue to stall if I didn't seek out support.

I hit the reset button.

To get back on track, I stepped away from the big, overwhelming book project and attacked smaller writing projects. After taking a break I was able to come back to the book project with fresh eyes and energy.

I started small.

When I handed in my rough draft at the start of the summer I was writing with ease. A month later I couldn’t focus. So, to start, I set a goal of 250 words at a time. After a few consistent writing sessions, I found my writing muscle was getting strong again. I was in motion and it didn't seem as daunting.

I still have a ton of work to do to get my book across the finish line and into your hands(!). But, as Rich Roll says, "Mood follows action".

I will only get the desired result if I am actively doing something about it.

Calming the space around me, making a list, moving my body, asking for help, hitting reset and starting small are tools that work for me when I am feeling stuck and overwhelmed. There is always a way forward.

Tell me, what do you do when you are feeling overwhelmed? I would love to know.

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