How to simplify things

I saw this post on Instagram the other day and I can’t stop thinking about it. 

When we get “stuck” we often have a hard time identifying what we need to feel “unstuck.” 

In comes the swirl. The freak out.

We identify it as one thing — overthink it — it snowballs into a bigger thing. And then we shut down because we’re overwhelmed by what it would take to overcome the large snowball.

But can it be more simple than that?

We’ve been conditioned to believe that there should be a “hack” for everything. But maybe it all just comes down to simple action that can propel us through a “stuck” or challenging feeling. 

Instead of staying in it — could it be as simple as following this equation of “feel this -> do that”?

I’ll take a few small examples:

• When you and your partner get into a disagreement and you’re struggling to see each other’s perspective, it can become increasingly challenging to listen and connect.
  [Insert feeling of frustration.]
  When one partner takes a short walk around the block to separate from it, it can very quickly shift their perspective and calm them down to see things more clearly.
  [Movement being the action and solution here.]

• When I’m overwhelmed by all that I have on my to-do list, the VERY last thing I feel I have time for is to sit down and write about it.
  [Insert feeling of overthinking or feeling burnt out].
  However, if I do take the time to write or even take time off, I’m able to bottom line what’s really important. This ultimately allows me to focus less on all of the other things I’m overthinking and causes me to feel more grounded and focused.
  [Time off + writing to the rescue!]

• When you’re struggling at work to understand what’s expected of you from a new manager or peer, you can feel insecure and confused.
  [Insert feeling of confusion.]
  Instead of trying to do things a million different ways on your own, go directly to this person and ask questions to get guidance and the information you need to be clear. You can save time and spare endless confusion.
  [Asking is our solution here.] 

TLDR: If we take the time to identify and articulate what the root feeling/challenge is, we can often find simple actionable steps to meet it head on. It doesn’t always have to be so complicated.

Sometimes all it takes is a short walk or a simple, direct question to move through it.