Anyone else feeling overwhelmed by the world right now? How might we best deal with this – and who does overwhelm benefit?
I had a great summer break but this week – my first week back at work – I’ve felt increasingly overwhelmed. It’s nothing to do with my job, which I love, and everything to do with what’s going on in the world.
I followed the U.S. election campaigns extremely closely last year. But this week, I’ve refused to read or watch anything about Trump’s inauguration, only accidentally picking up three ‘highlights’ from email newsletters and a friend’s Facebook page. It’s been hard to avoid seeing the felon’s face even on New Zealand websites, and I feel angry and overwhelmed every time.
I mentioned my overwhelm to a friend who asked me, ‘what is overwhelm, exactly?’. Basically, it’s that many of us are so overwhelmed that we need a noun as well as a verb. The Collins Dictionary says “overwhelm is the fact or feeling of not being able to cope or deal with something”. ‘Overwhelm’ has links to the words deluge and downpour. But where’s our ark?
The State Of Things Right Now
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the current state of the global geo-political landscape. Trump having the nuclear codes, and his almost certain inaction on climate change. The Israel-Palestine conflict. Putin. Ukraine. Russia’s partnership treaties with Iran, China and North Korea. The global shift towards right-wing politics, including in New Zealand. And so much more.
When we feel that everything’s so terrible that nothing we can do will make a difference, this can lead to inaction – even a paralysis of sorts. What if that’s actually the point of overwhelm? Is there a vested interest in citizens being so overwhelmed that we mentally check out? Certainly, naming in a single day 149 projects to be included in the government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill was overwhelming even for political pundits.
Something that can aid political action is to have clear, time-defined steps laid out. For instance, we were presented with two actions to take to help scuttle the Treaty Principles Bill. One was going on the hīkoi, and the other was writing a submission for the select committee. The numbers of those who did so are historic. Tens of thousands took part in the hikoi, and 300,000-plus select-committee submissions is believed to be the highest number ever in New Zealand.
At times like this, I reckon it can be good to get guidance on when and roughly how to do something. I considered this a downside of childhood, but maybe it was kinda an upside? (Depending on the parent.)
How To Deal With Overwhelm
What can we do when overwhelm strikes?
Dr Denise Quinlan, director of the NZ Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience, says “there’s lots to feel catastrophic about – the environment, polarisation of politics, civil unrest, war, the list goes on. So, what can you do to stop yourself from falling into catastrophic thinking, overwhelm, and hopelessness? First of all, you’ve got to notice how you’re thinking. Then you have to do what you can to challenge it.”
“People tend to view the future in one of two ways. The future is either something coming at you – e.g. a tsunami that will overwhelm you – or something you go into and construct. The tsunami view makes us feel powerless and often hopeless. When people view the future as something they go into – it’s a more active perspective that encourages action and hope.”
Small Steps That Can Help
Perhaps the best way to combat overwhelm is to take small, regular steps – whether that’s volunteering for a cause, helping in your community, or taking political action. Joining a political party feels a little overwhelming, but I’ve diarised attending one party’s first meeting of the year. I’m also going to keep restricting my news consumption, particularly when it comes to Trump.
That doesn’t mean I don’t care deeply about what his rule will mean for the state of the world, for democracy, for women wanting reproductive freedom, for immigrants, for trans people, and so many more. It’s just that, to be mindful of my mental health, I must consider what is and isn’t within my control. I’ll try to focus on what I can do in my own country and community. The Collins Dictionary’s example of the use of the noun ‘overwhelm’ was “even in the face of political overwhelm, let’s not forget the fight at home”.
Put Down The Devices
If you find yourself triggered or overwhelmed by scrolling through the news and/or social media, you’re far from alone. Experts suggest putting in place some guidelines or limits for your news consumption: for instance, visiting one trusted news source for 10 minutes in the morning, and another for 10 minutes in the early evening. Maybe down devices by 8pm, or entirely on some evenings.
And we might want to consider limiting our social-media consumption, particularly if we’re getting some of our news and ‘factual’ content this way. Because are we heading into a post-truth world? After all, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced that the social-media company will stop working with third-party fact-checking organisations..
I (half) joke to my friends and family members that I’ll be avoiding news and social media for four years. But I imagine I’ll be back, to some extent, when I feel… less overwhelmed.
