How To NOT Feel Overloaded or Shutdown in December

If we’re not aware of our stress levels, it’s easy to become overloaded or shutdown during the month of December. 

Here’s what you might notice if you’re feeling overloaded:

• Clenched
• Hot
• Heart pounding
• Fighting
• Anxious
• Hypervigilant
• Impulsive
• angry/frustrated/annoyed irritable
• Defensive
• Overwhelmed
• Shaking
• Aggressive
• Revved up
• Agitated
• Intense
• Panic
• Antsy
• Wound up
• Stressed
• Tight
• Fidgety
• Jittery
• Trapped
• Excitement (can often feel like anxiety)
• Nervous
• Buzzed
• Tingly
• Jumpy
• Knotted
• Saturated

You may also notice that you:

• want to run away

• have stuck, intrusive negative thoughts

• have heightened awareness

• have trouble sleeping, relaxing, or resting

• can’t concentrate

• sweat

• turn red

• have difficulty making decisions

• have anxiety/panic

• feel agitated

• have a racing heart

• loose focus

• experience digestive issues

• are jumpy or easily angered

• lack an appetite

• have racing, stuck, or intrusive thoughts

• experience distraction

• feel restless

 

Here’s what to try in order to decrease the stress and calm your body:

When you feel this way, rate the number of your stress/activation on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 = non-existent and 10 being unbearable.

Ask yourself: What do I need to do in order to calm my body down and reduce the amount of energy?

Here are some coping strategies to try:

• Exercise
• Breathing
• shaking/bouncing
• Tapping
• tense/release your muscles
• Go outside
• Write down thoughts on paper
• Yell in a pillow
• Punch a pillow
• Lift weights
• Dance
• Play a sport
• Ask for help
• draw/paint/create
• Cross-lateral stimulation
• Meditation
• Laughter
• Read
• Anything mindful that keeps you in the present moment
• Color
• Word search
• Body work like massage or acupuncture
• Yoga
• Silence
• Stillness
• solitude

Here’s what you might notice if you’re feeling shutdown:

• Shut down
• Frozen
• Unmotivated
• Apathetic
• Stuck
• Stagnant
• Confused
• Low energy
• Numb
• Disconnected
• Lethargic
• Withdrawn
• Dissociated
• Flat
• Slow
• Distant
• Foggy
• Tired
• Collapsed
• Fading
• Dissolving
• Out of your body
• Drained
• Emotionally unresponsive
• Empty
• Fatigued
• Depressed
• unfocused

You may also notice that you:

• Don’t want to be with others
• Are leaking energy
• Don’t want to engage or connect
• Want to curl up and hibernate
• Start to withdraw
• Pull away
• Feel fatigued and exhausted
• Struggle to take actions
• Have brain fog
• Feel heavy or sluggish
• Feel frozen
• Are overwhelmed
• Experience hopelessness
• Feel numb or dissociated
• Are in avoidance
• Feel Shame
• Use food, alcohol, or drugs for comfort
• Procrastinate
• Feel immobilized, depressed, and/or numb.

Here’s what to try in order to increase your energy level:

When you feel this way, rate your energy level on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 = no energy and 10 too much energy.

Ask yourself: What do I need to do in order to boost or increase my energy?

Here are some coping strategies to try:

• Focus on the five senses and how they impact your energy:
  • What smells energize me?
    • Experiment with essential oils… peppermint is great for this.
    • candles/incense/soaps/perfumes/lotions
  • What sounds/music energizes me?
    • Create a playlist.
    • Listen to a podcast.
    • Listen to natural sounds on a app.
  • What do I find energizing to look at?
    • Is it something outside?
    • Art?
    • A vision board or Pinterest board?
    • Scrapbooks/photos?
  • What flavors/foods/textures energize me?
    • Spicy?
    • Chewy? Crunchy?
    • Brush your teeth
  • What can I touch?
    • Certain fabrics?
    • Massage
    • hot/cold showers

• Breathwork
• Dancing
• Spending time with a pet
• Seeing friends
• Going for a drive
• Sitting outside
• something else?

Here’s how you’ll know you have a tolerable level of stress:

• Comfortable
• Present
• Calm
• Relaxed
• Rested
• Safe
• Alert
• Grounded
• Mindful
• Engaged
• Energized
• Confident
• Alive
• Bouncy
• Smiling
• Leaning forward
• Chill
• Loose
• Open
• Lounging
• Playful
• Grounded
• connected
• something else?

I invite you to consider these questions:

• When do you notice feeling overloaded during the holiday?
• When do you notice feeling shutdown?
• When do you notice feeling a tolerable, comfortable level of stress?

If you’re ready to curate a deeply fulfulfilling, inspired life yet know you could use some support and accountability, email me to schedule a complimentary happy hour call:

terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com

Thank you for investing your valuable time and energy into listening to the podcast. I’m so very grateful for you. 

If you enjoyed this episode, you can “tip the bartender” by rating and reviewing the podcast. Your review makes it easier for others to find the podcast. 

Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE button to be notified any time I pour out a new episode. 

 

My new book Intentional Intoxication: How To Deliberately Distill The Different Life You Desire, is available on Amazon. You can imbibe on the entire book in one, short, intentionally happier hour:

Intentional Intoxication Book

 

If you’re interested to know about how I can support you in overcoming the habit of escaping or chasing, I invite you to reach out to me by using the email below and we find a time to chat:

terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com

 

For a quick shot of your life’s current level of intoxication, I invite you to complete the 10 Questions on my Intoxication Inventory:

Intoxication Inventory