What to do when you’re feeling overwhelmed: Focusing on the spirit

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HOLGRO® was born to nurture people in business throughout regional and remote Australia. Offering a unique combination of community, tools and services that have been developed to eradicate personal overwhelm, promote health and wellness, and to drive success from the inside out.

Stress and overwhelm can take a serious toll on one’s body and spirit. Its effects can filter through to every part of our lives and leave us feeling helpless and hopeless.

Given the events of the past few years and how they’ve impacted those living in regional communities particularly, the HOLGRO team has developed a new article series. This series is aimed at providing practical advice for those in the regional parts of Australia currently struggling with overwhelm.

In the first article of the series, we put overwhelm under the microscope. We explored why the regions have been suffering so much. Next, we shared ways in which someone struggling with feelings of overwhelm can support their mind to ease the burden; before looking at techniques to support the body.

Our last article investigated how to overcome business overwhelm. And now, in our fifth and final blog, we leave on a hopeful note as we unearth ways to strengthen our spirits again.

What to do when you’re feeling overwhelmed: Focusing on the spirit

When we start to examine what to do when you’re feeling overwhelmed in terms of our spirit, we need to first understand what we mean by spirit.

What do we mean by ‘spirit’?

Spirit can mean different things to different people, but the Oxford English Dictionary defines it as ‘the animating or vital principle in man (and animals); that which gives life to the physical organism, in contrast to its purely material elements; the breath of life’. The Collins Dictionary writes that spirit is ‘the part of you that is not physical and that consists of your character and feelings.’

Essentially, spirit is our inner being. It encompasses our emotions, passions, creativity and intellect. Needless to say, the preservation of our spirit is vital to helping us to feel like our true selves.

How can stress affect your spirit?

Stress, overwhelm and trauma can have far-reaching impacts on our minds, bodies and spirits. When it comes to our spirits, these impacts can be:

Losing connection with your true sense of self
Feelings of emptiness
Feeling like life has little or no meaning
Feeling disconnected from the world around you
Questioning one’s own purpose in life
Questioning one’s belief in a greater power or religion, if had previously
No self-confidence or self-worth

Ways to support and strengthen your spirit

When you’re feeling stuck in that deep hole of overwhelm, it can feel impossible to climb back out. But focusing on your spirit may help.

Meditation: This time-honoured practice is great for quieting the mind, which may be helpful for those experiencing overwhelm. There are a variety of different styles, so if one doesn’t suit you, don’t give up.
Mindfulness: Research shows this can help you to be more present and tune in to your feelings. If you’ve been feeling numb and disconnected from your feelings, this could be very beneficial to reconnect with yourself.
Conscious breathing: Breathwork is said to help you process trauma so you can move forward. once again, there are many different styles, so it’s worth searching to find the one that suits you best.
Reconnect to your inner child: Think back to your childhood and what brought you pure joy. Did you love drawing, colouring, swimming, or being in nature? Test these simple pleasures out again – you may surprise yourself.
Re-establish your own self-worth: Practise positive self-talk and invest time in self-care rituals that you love.
Establish boundaries to protect your spirit: Say no to others more often, especially if it comes at a cost to your own values or sense of self. You might even consider quitting social media temporarily or permanently (research shows it hurts our mental health). And try to achieve a healthy work/life balance.
Spend time with friends and family: Research shows that strong social circles lead to less stress and more feelings of happiness and wellbeing.
Invest in you: Signing up for a course to better yourself is a great act of self-love. HOLGRO offers a fantastic one-hour course on Easing Stress and Overwhelm, which is sure to give you plenty of inspiration.

Reach out for help!

As always, if you need help, it’s available. Our expert team can help you with coursework and workshops to help you manage stress and overwhelm. And there are crisis support services available, including:

Lifeline: 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
MensLine Australia: 1300 789 978
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800

Find more mental health resources online here.

How to Cope with Overwhelm and Trauma
What To Do When You’re Overwhelmed with Life: Supporting the Mind
What To Do When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed: Caring for Your Body
How to Cope with Business Overwhelm LINK

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this article should be considered general advice only and professional advice should always be obtained.
If you need to speak to someone, please call:
Lifeline: 131 114
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636