Open When, the new book from the bestselling author of Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, builds on the revolutionary approach of its predecessor to provide invaluable tools for coping with life's challenges. In this exclusive piece, Dr Julie Smith shares her top tips for when you feel overwhelmed.
In those moments when it all feels too much and its hard to think straight or see a way through, the natural tendency is to start asking, what is wrong with me? But overwhelm is not something that is wrong with you. And it says nothing about your ability to move through this. But it does say that everything you are currently dealing with is no joke and needs to be taken seriously. It also says that it is time to listen to your body as it tries to tell you what it needs. When you are willing to look at that with curiosity, the answers can be simple.
In Open When I have written a letter to you for those moments of overwhelm to guide your through and out the other side. But until you have the book in your hands, here are a few quick tips to get you started:
1. Resist the temptation to judge or condemn yourself for this. It is not who you are. It is an experience; a set of sensations that each offer information about what you need.
2. When overwhelmed, don’t let that rapid thought process influence your state without going unchecked. What narrative are you buying into that could be serving to keep you stuck in overwhelm? What alternative script would you need to write for yourself to recalibrate and be ready to move forward?
3. Don’t fear the feelings. They are uncomfortable but not dangerous. If you fear the feelings, you can create panic and will almost certainly miss what they have to say. Instead, allow the feelings to wash over you naturally and focus on soothing yourself through.
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