“I’ll never catch up on my to do list. It’s hopeless.”

This is how Katie started our session today.

Then she explained. Her credit card bill was $9000 instead of its normal $2000. “And I have nothing to show for it,” she said, “just a trip to Milwaukee to see my aunt."

"What’s more, “ she continued, “my room is a mess and I have 401k accounts from every job I have ever been at. I have no idea what they are doing. Some of them probably aren’t earning anything. Maybe they are even losing money.

And I haven’t unpacked and my room is a mess.”

Do you ever feel like Katie? I know I do, sometimes.

Adding to her overwhelm is the fact that her ADHD brain, as she says, requires a “long runway” to get started on tasks. Sometimes it’s really hard for her to find the energy to just get going.

One of the ways that I support Katie is by helping her organize her overwhelm and then break down her to do list to manageable bites.

Today, we started by processing the despair she was feeling over her finances. There was guilt and shame and frustration, all rolled up into one.

Feeling all those feelings was the last thing she wanted to do, but she agreed to try it, and was surprised to find that she was breathing easier after a few minutes of that.

Afterwards, she made her bed while we talked and then we created a strategy for her to move forward. Just the simple act of making her bed and laying down a towel for her suitcase and opening the suitcase gave her relief. The dreaded first three steps were done. They weren’t the hardest, but they required the most energy.

By the end of our session, she was feeling a lot better about herself. She had a plan to move forward, and energy to execute it.

Do you ever need help getting started with overwhelming tasks? You’re not alone. I know I do. It’s part of the human experience, at least if you live in Western culture and have children.

And if you have ADHD or are a single parent, the overwhelm can be all the more daunting.

If you are struggle with overwhelm or beating yourself up on the regular, support can be life changing.  Schedule a free consult (scroll down past sleep coaching to life coaching) and find out how we can get you on the road to conquering your own overwhelm. There’s no sales technique and no pressure to commit. Just an opportunity to see what coaching is all about. I can’t wait to meet you.

PS Here’s what Katie just messaged me two minutes ago, “I'm taking my unused checkbook register that is in my file cabinet where I store my extra checks and I'm writing my current checking account balance in it. And I am going to have to record everything I spend w/ my debit card so I can make sure I have enough to cover whatever I am buying. When I use the Amex card I don't have to keep a close eye, and that is how it's gotten so out of control.”

Can you believe that her mindset switched from “everything is hopeless,” to this in the space of an hour?