Episode 53: Preventing Overwhelm

In past episodes, Shannon and Janine have discussed how to deal with overwhelm. This week we're talking about how to prevent feeling overwhelmed in the first place. Discussion topics include: • Learning to say no • Knowing what is important to you so that you know when to say yes • Janine’s strategies for saying no (she’s getting really good at it) • Recognizing that by saying no to an opportunity, you’re giving someone who wants to do it a chance  • How “busy” isn’t really a badge of honor • The fact that it’s totally okay (even beneficial!) to not be busy • The value of knowing your capacity so you don’t take on more than you can handle • Recognizing that you can’t “make time” to do something • Creating systems to automate things that happen regularly so they don’t become overwhelming • Planning in advance how things could go more smoothly • Writing everything down to free the brain and alleviate overwhelm • Allowing yourself some spaciousness (and giving yourself a moment to catch your breath!) • The paradox of how recognizing you don’t have control makes you feel more in control • The role of self care in preventing overwhelm • How it’s okay to tell someone something they don’t want to hear