Ep 132 Overwhelm at Work
Episode Notes;
Join me today as I discuss how our job influences our stress, overwhelm, and anxiety. We just completed fiscal year end, have a new management team and reorganization, as well as training new hires to get up to speed as soon as possible – many may say leaving to stress and overwhelm. Listen in as I talk about how that is not the case, and the way you can more powerfully show up everyday.
In This Episode:
- Stress and overwhelm at work
- Reorganizational changes and new leadership
- Reticular activating system and the story you tell
- Finding celebrations at work
- Success and failure as you imagine
- Feeling better at work
- How things work for you
- contact@michellebourquecoaching.com
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Episode Transcript:
Hello hello hello
Welcome back to the podcast friends
How are you doing this week?
I have to tell you
I
am doing much better this week
Last week was a little nutty with fiscal year end close
And
I think I mentioned we have gone through
A reoganization
So district lines were changed
Which means mostly a new manager for me
Again ..lol..
Change
is the constant
I also have a new colleague
And we are working on getting her trained
She’s going to be great
So lots going on
But here’s what I want to talk
It can be very easy
To go into overwhelm
When you are faced with a number of changes
Or a stressful time of year
Maybe a project at work for you
Or a fiscal year end close
And honestly
Parts of the week
I saw myself heading there
I tell you this because I want to share
how crazy our brains can be,
so you can check in with yourself –
and what you can change if it resonates.
I’m going to use a few examples
Of how these different circumstances
Might cause you to think
They are the reason you are so overwhelmed at work
But they are not
It is so fascinating to see
Ok
Let’s start with our fiscal year end
Technically
This past weekend
“should” be
Considered the most relaxing
Because technically
We don’t “own” a number right?
But
I still have a human brain
And for a lot of the weekend
found myself with lots of thoughts about the number
(the number that was, and the number that is coming).
- I was thinking about how I missed the Q4 number (such a bummer)
- I was thinking about how we grew year on year revenue with two less people –
- (which I think is pretty special for this team, especially in the year of Covid).
- I was thinking about how high they will put the quota for next year
- I was thinking about how many new docs we will need to get going
– I was thinking about where I am for the income goal I set for Oct-Oct
The truth is – not much of that matters in this moment right?
The last year is done.
The next year hasn’t started.
And yet – I’m going back and forth on both of them.
My brain sooo wanted to focus on the one quarter miss
And yet
We were up year on year
AND
We have over 400 more units
This year
Vs last
AND
We had 2 less people
In the territory
Do you see what our brain wants to do to us?
It is wired to find the negative
This is like default programming
On your new computer
This is how the overwhelm gets us.
It’s not the job that has us feeling anxious
it’s all the thinking of what was, and what is coming.
And I could see this on many levels
With the discussion in the change of management
Leading up
People were worried about
How it as all going to shake out
One person
Told me she was thinking
She was going to lose her manager
Maybe the rep she worked with
And how she didn’t want that to happen
And it had been going on in her head
As we got closer
Some other co-workers
Heard of the new alignment
And immediately
Went to worse case scenario
Of how far they might have to drive
And can I tell you
What they are worried about
Is like close to
The last possible thing that might happen
But that is immediately
Where there brains went
It’s not the job friends
Its’ us believing
The first story our brain wants to tell us
Because
For example
I could’ve
Felt so amazing all weekend
If I didn’t focus on the one miss
And instead focused on the revenue growth
All year
The helping more patients then ever
The teamwork
All of that
Totally different story
Totally different feeling
The change in management
Story could be
Can’t wait to see what the new manager
Has to offer
This could be a great change
I wonder what new opportunities might open up
Vs
I don’t want to have to start
With another new manager
Who knows what they will be like
Which as I say that
You know
When we think something like that
Who knows what they will be like
Our brain typically has the
Underlying thought
It won’t be good
lol..
right?
Because if we thought
Who knows what they will be like
With the underlying thought
They will be amazing
Well then we wouldn’t feel overhwhelm
If we didn’t let our brains
Go to all the negative
We wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed
And
If you already think the job causes you
Stress and overwhelm
You know what you are most likely
To find?
All the ways you are stressed and overwhelmed
So
Finding the worse case travel situation as an example
Remember
The reticular activating system
Is the brains filter
For finding evidence
Of what you believe to be true
The brain wants to be right
And it will tell you all the ways
The job causes you overwhelm
Can you relate?
It’s totally optional, and there really is no upside.
I want to share some tools for you to try if this happens to you:
- Write down all the thoughts that are going on in that head. Just getting them out can be so helpful vs. continuing the loop of all of it. Awareness is always #1.
2. Be kind to yourself – look at some of those sentences – if its something specific to you – a project you worked on – a quarter close – would you say them out loud to anyone else? How can you re-frame them? Write down what else can be true. A lot of times we think it’s this OR that … when in truth – a lot of life is this AND that
3. Where in the story did you do well – where can you celebrate? This can be challenging because our brain more easily goes to the negative; you have to put it on a mission to find the greatness.
4. And remember Success and failure are what you imagine them to be, and “failure” can often lend a lot of learning.
When you can start to see
All the ways it’s your thinking that is causing you the stress and overwhelm
Well then my friend
You can decide to make the changes you desire
And I don’t mean leave the job
Because you take your brain with you
If you think the job causes you all the stress
My guess is
Unless you change your thinking
The next place you end up
You will also say is what causes you the stress
When you can see it’s your thinking
You are in such a more powerful place
And your mental health
Will be so much better
Which
By the way
Did you know
May is mental health awareness
This is the work
Day to day mental health
It makes all the difference
And if you want help with the day to day
I have a new program
Flexibility coaching
It’s an opportunity
To get coaching daily
Professional goals
Relationship goals
Weight goals
Whatever it is for you
In order to feel less stress and overwhelm in life
So you can do more of what you want
It’s such a great way
To get started in coaching
You can send me a DM on the socials
Michellebourquecoaching
Or email
contact@michellebourquecoaching.com
And let me know you want to learn more
Ok
That s what I have for you today
Lets circle back next week
But for now
Stay safe and
Make it a great day
Take care!