Affiliate Links - Sponsored Post

This post may contain affiliate links. We only suggest products and services that we have used and that we feel are valuable resources. We may also write a sponsored post for brands that we love. Please read our disclaimer for more info a

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FEEL OVERWHELMED WHEN LEARNING OR CREATING

IS THAT HOW THAT HAPPENED?

As a visual creative who went back to school for leadership and business; spanning across government, history, humanities, forprofit, nonprofit, ethics, international studies, and communications. It can be overwhelming when learning or creating something new.

I can honestly say it was a brain-stretching experience, especially since I prefer to express feelings, thoughts, and ideas on paper through imagery. That was a lot learning to use written words to explain many complex concepts and ideas. It’s been one heck of a ride for sure.

As you can imagine, it was a daunting but rewarding degree to pursue. It has improved my ability to express myself in writing too. Yay!!

It also gave me the missing puzzle pieces I need to dream, plan and do more fully.

WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS?

So why am

Why am I telling you all of this? Because I want you to fully understand that even though we have never met, I care about your success, your stumbling blocks, and how to get past them. And I also completely understand how uncomfortable it is to try or pursue something new or outside of one’s comfort zone.

I am a sharing kind of person, and I want you to succeed. I believe there is enough success to go around for everyone if they want it and have the right tools for the job.

I also wanted you to understand a little more about me so you have a clearer picture in your mind of how deeply and painfully I do understand from experience how overwhelming learning and creating can feel.

Especially while being mentally and emotionally stretched in while learning areas you believe are not your strong suit.

When learning or working on projects, you are more than likely using this process:

 

    • First, in learning mode
    • Then daydreaming
    • Researching
    • Brainstorming
    • Research some more
    • After that is the planning mode
    • THEN we go into doing mode.

 

Just know when you’re learning or doing, it is ok to ask questions, feel uncomfortable, and be uncertain. This is normal.

This is where most people quit.

But we are different because we have already mentally moved past these obstacles. After all, they are more mental and emotional distractions, not actual roadblocks.

 

WE GOT THIS!

WHATEVER YOU DO JUST DO NOT QUIT

Instead, when you are feeling overwhelmed, just take a break, do something that helps you rebalance.

Sometimes when I am overwhelmed with a creative project or learning something new, I work on something else to give my mind some time to relax to start connecting dots with other information and experiences; Which helps me learn with less stress on my brain and body.

YOUR MIND NEEDS TIME TO WORK IT ALL OUT WITH THE DISTRACTION OF YOU OBSESSING FROM STRESS

It sounds strange, but it gives the subconscious mind time to work things out. The new education learning style is more hands-on with projects that help us experience the learning material.

THE NEW LEARNING METHODS USUALLY WORKS SOMETHING LIKE THIS:

  • Learning in-depth, valuable, enriching information through reading, hearing and watching,
  • Your research for even deeper information (deep dive)
  • Test
  • Hands-on project
  • Test
  • Deeper learning of knowledge through reading, listening and watching
  • more in-depth project may build weekly to create the whole project so you can learn to chunk timing and project parts.
  • Outcome: learned how to be a self-directed learner, who knows how to dream, think, plan, do and hit deadlines.
  • Plus, midterms and finals

VALUABLE SKILL SETS YOU AGAIN FROM HANDS-ON PROJECTS.

PROJECT PROCESS AND SKILLSETS GAINED:

    1. Learning
    2. Brainstorming
    3. Sketching
    4. Outlining
    5. Research 
    6. Self-directed Learner
    7. Critical Thinking
    8. Synthensising information
    9. Connecting dots some further than others
    10. Then doing
    11. Adding bells and whistles
    12. Rechecking
    13. Readjusting
    14. Final look
    15. Get a second opinion
    16. Make corrections
    17. Second final look
    18. Then another second opinion
    19. Decide what to do
    20. Make changes
    21. 3rd final look
    22. Then turn it in.

    You can use the same format for self-learning without the test if you like. You can also use this format for your creative projects.

    DIG DEEPER INTO RESEARCHING YOUR TOPICS

    Research online to find out how others have solved similar problems or approached the same material.

    Google scholar can be helpful. Check if the library has access to college databases and see if the local colleges and universities allow visitors to use their research databases in the library.

    YouTube, Pinterest, Udemy, Courses and experts, and other resources are great for learning tech, design, and almost any topic or discipline you can think of; the key is to pick to understand courses with a great deal of value.

    WORDS OF CAUTION

    IF YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF:

    • On the wrong road.
    • Feeling derailed.
    • Held back.
    • Treated illy.
    • Unnecessarily frustrated.
    • Without proper training support.
    • Sabotaged.
    • Robbed.
    • Gaslighted.
    • Taken advantage of.

    Then it is perfectly ok to readjust look for another job, school, club, education program, volunteer opportunity, internship, project, software, and whatever else.

    “An Ounce of Prevention is Worth A Pound Of Cure.

    -Benjamin Franklin-

    SHAPE YOUR ENVIRONMENT THE BEST YOU CAN.

    You want to be in a healthy environment where you can thrive. No, nothing is perfect. However, some domains are designed to help you fail, give you bad habits, strip down your hope, take your resources, leaving you emotionally and mentally destitute.

    I don’t want that for you.

    Nothing beats a person down faster than being taken advantage of or set up to fail.

    If this happens to you? Just cut your loss, and move on, find a place where it is mutually beneficial, a good fit. Where you are getting what you need, treated right, learning new things, and can contribute without being taken advantage of if you can get credit on your resume even better!

    The point is it is ok to leave a bad situationYou DO have choices; you can quit or readjust when you need to, change directions if you realize you would rather be somewhere else if the situation is not a good fit or you want to do something else.

    By walking away from unhealthy pursuits, you can refocus on the things that are important and will help you pursue your “BIG PICTURE” aspirations.

     

    Save your GRIT for the real things to pursue.

    YOU MAY BE WONDERING

    You may wonder why the title says how I deal with overwhelm and then head over into learning and when to cut your losses. I wrote this article in this way because it has been my experience that most of my overwhelming experiences have come from or corrected by the above advice.

    Sometimes we get overwhelmed because we are learning something new; our brain makes connections and creates new pathways. Yes, your brain is creating pathways and connections. We procrastinate because we do not understand or are not sure what to ask.

    We lack support in our programs etc. we take too much on and need to delegate when appropriate plus, other issues. We procrastinate when the information is lacking, not in-depth enough, poor communication, or ill advice.

    We need to permit ourselves to:

     

    • Learn
    • Make safe mistakes
    • Daydream
    • Do
    • Cut our losses when it is wise too.

    Use common and business sense—more on those topics in future postings.

    I WANT YOU TO SUCCEED

    I want you to succeed in life and learn as much as you want or feel you need to in any area you want to succeed in.

    In a nutshell, I want you to feel limitless in your ability to learn, plan, and create beautiful things. 

     

    You got this, and you can do it.

    Want to continue on your journey and read more encouraging posts on how to succeed and create a growth mindset then:

     

    Curvedlines.co - Cheers, Elizabeth aka Lisa E. McGrath

    Next Post In This Series is Growth Mindset

    Curvedlines.co - arrow to next page your right
    WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FEEL OVERWHELMED WHEN LEARNING OR CREATING
    Contact Me