More ideas than you could ever find time to write? Coming up with lists of things to do like updates to your author website, marketing tactics, or sites to check out to see if they can help you promote your book? The tumble of ideas can turn into a torrent if you’re an author with ADHD or AuDHD, and it can feel overwhelming. That overwhelm builds until you become paralyzed with so much to do and not enough time to do it, and just the thought of that makes your anxiety spike through the roof.
Sound familiar?
Autistic overhwelm often happens when you feel too much stimuli coming at you at all once. It could be shopping in a store with overhead music blaring, too bright lights, and too many people. Or if someone is trying to talk to you while you’re watching a television program or playing your favorite video game while the neighbor’s dog is barking its head off. It all becomes TOO MUCH.
For ADHD and AuDHD authors, this overhwelm can also be caused by our own thoughts and ideas. Our minds get to going a mile a minute with great new story ideas or projects, not to mention different things we want to do, and all of a sudden we feel as if a weight is settling on our chest and is crushing is down.
So how do you deal? How do you keep up with the conflicting demands of being an author without stressing yourself out or causing overhwelm, which leads quite rapidly into burnout if it isn’t addressed?
Tips to Combat Overwhelm
If you have a to do list/app, don’t try to eat it all in one bite. If you must think ahead, try to do so for only one or two tasks. “I will finish this, then I will do that.” That’s it. Which leads me to my next tip.
One thing at a time. Remember you can only really work on one task at a time. If you’re multi-tasking, you’re breaking up your attention between tasks and that has shown to not be efficient. Stay in the moment. Try mindfulness to keep yourself focused. Right now I am writing a blog, for example. This is my job in this moment.
Try to tackle smaller projects just to get them done. If there’s a smaller thing on your to do list, try to get it done just to check it off. Alternate bigger projects with smaller ones.
If you have non-computer/non-seated items on your to do list try to do one at least every two hours. Something that helps my mind when it’s buzzing with ADHD energy is that I will go do a small farm chore (for example, check for eggs or fill water troughs) just to get up and get out of my office. Moving around helps dissipate some of that energy and hey, I can check off something on my to do list!
Learn to recognize the signs of overhwelm and be gentle with yourself. I’m learning that a lot of my anxiety symptoms actually are signs that I’m starting to overwhelm myself with trying to do everything all at once and quickly. Recognizing those symptoms allows me to employ my tools (see tips above) as well as simply breathe through it and reassure myself that I will get done what I can get done, and that’s okay. Being gentle with myself has started to take the edge off of overhwelm.
Even after utilizing these tips, overhwelm still happens. The trick is to not let it suck you down into a vortex of stress, but instead, begin to understand how it works in your body so you can support yourself through the storm.
Curious about what your creative nervous system type is? Take our free quiz. Learning what your creative nervous system type is will help you determine the best way to find balance and stay inspired.