If you're feeling overwhelmed what other words could you use to describe how you're feeling? I’m thinking that using overwhelm as a description is unhelpful because it doesn't help you identify things you can do to ease your overwhelm.

Some suggestions to use instead of the word overwhelm might be

⭐️ distracted
⭐️ unfocused
⭐️ unmotivated
⭐️ vision or goal less
⭐️ tired or exhausted
And so on

With each of these words helping you more easily identify actions you can take to ease your overwhelm.

Another word you can look to find more helpful alternatives for is stress with the HSE suggesting there's 6 areas that can lead to stress at work - use of each of these (demands, control, support, relationships, role or change) would help you more easily identify an action plan to ease the stress you're feeling.

Words have power so how can subtle changes in the words you’re using help you find different perspectives to the situation you’re overwhelmed, stressed or struggling with?

Here's the video on the subject - with other recent blogs sharing different perspectives to help ease the overwhelm - picking the right time to ease your overwhelm, using a cup of tea as a metaphor, using winter as a metaphor, and feeling like a fish out of water (and a reminder in this blog of the three hidden costs of ignoring your overwhelm)

My name is Alison Smith and for 25 years I’ve used nature and metaphor to help you see the wood for the trees, get out of the rut, stop going round in circles, turn a corner and shift from not knowing to knowing what to do.

There’s posts, poems, blogs, Landscaping Your Life YouTube channel, Landscaping Your Life with Alison smith podcast episodes (my own and as a guest), a Landscaping Your Life newsletter, ezine, pdfs (there’s even one on helping you see the wood for the trees), two books (Can't see the wood for the trees - landscaping your life to get back on track and Your Prescription for Wellbeing Journal) all sharing insight to help you when you’re overwhelmed, stuck or lost.