Let’s review our last few posts on getting overloaded:
- Identify the stressor
- Figure out your “tumescent type”
- Get the sensation down quickly, if necessary
- Increase your capacity
Now it’s time to turn this tumescence into something positive. That’s right. We’re going to make feeling overwhelmed into a good thing. I mentioned before that what causes you to feel overwhelmed is simply sensation. We get stressed when the sensation goes beyond what we can handle. You can try to numb yourself by perhaps watching useless TV or eating junk food, but that’s not good for you. You can increase how much you can handle by say meditating, but that takes time and is a slow-gain practice. What if you just change how you view the sensation?
The King turned his tumescence into power
Look at stage fright. Imagine a young man who is about to play guitar and sing a song in front of a large crowd for the first time. Butterflies are rock and rolling in his stomach. His voice is trembling. His knees are knocking and he can’t stop his legs from shaking. We call this “stage fright.” Something for kids and inexperienced performers, right? What if I told you I was talking about the great Elvis Presley? That’s right. Elvis was so nervous during his performances that he couldn’t help his legs from shaking. Instead of fighting the fear, he went along with it and creating his signature hip gyration. Many of the greatest performers like Freddie Mercury and Jim Morrison were known for intense stage fright.
They turned “being overwhelmed” into a power. They used their high sensation into beautiful expression. Ok, so maybe you won’t go write a rock opera just because there is work piled on your desk. Maybe you won’t win a Grammy just because your kids keep getting sick. But used can certainly turn anxiety into excitement. All you have to do is go along with it. It’s not as Zen as you think. Stress is a neutral feeling. The difference between distress and eustress is how you perceive it. Next time you feel overwhelmed, just observe yourself. Stop trying to fix it, and just approve of the feeling. You’ll be amazed at how you gyrate. Thank you, thank you very much.