“There are less than a handful of people I consider my safe spaces…”
On this week’s feature, we asked Michelle Dede “How she stays positive when she feels overwhelmed” and here is what she said;
“As someone who has anxiety, staying positive when I feel overwhelmed depends on where I am, what I’m doing, who I’m with, if I’m alone, or the reason for feeling overwhelmed. When I’m at work I’m so hyper focused on giving 110%, that I’m either centered on the character I’m playing, the event, or TV show I’m hosting and nothing else. I will usually say a silent prayer, thanking God for bringing me to the job and asking him not to let me embarrass him or myself. This method may not be ideal, yet it has worked over the years.
There was only one instance, when I was on a particular film set, where myself and two other cast mates all had meltdowns. Each of us ended up in tears from frustration and exhaustion. It was an extremely disorganised production. When I’m with family or friends, I tend to just breath, calm down and focus on being present with them. Reminding myself to enjoy the moments and memories being made, rather than thinking about whatever is making me feel overwhelmed. There are less than a handful of people I consider my safe spaces. If I’m overwhelmed and we are talking, I openly share my feelings with them.
If another person is the reason why I feel overwhelmed, I set boundaries. I’ve do not overextend myself, I say no more often, and avoid people who I believe are toxic. I stay away from those whose presence leaves me feeling drained or anxious.
When I’m alone, it’s usually one of three things. I either; cry profusely to release all that I’m feeling. Pray, asking God to take control of everything, or I sit with my emotions, “feel the feelings”, then question why I’m feeling a particular way. I’ve always been a very introspective person, and as a result I always ask myself a lot of questions. A friend of mine once told me that I extend grace to others freely, but not to myself. Over the past few years I learnt to give myself grace too. Extending grace towards ourselves, can be one of the best ways to deal with feeling overwhelmed.”
You could leave a comment below to let us know how you stay postive when feeling overwhelmed. We would be looking forward to hear from you!
