Ep 132 Overwhelm at Work

 In Podcast

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 

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:

  1.  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!

 

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