#242| How Delusional Optimism Can Help You Beat Overwhelm: Overwhelm, Productivity, Time Management & People Pleasing

What if the real reason you feel overwhelmed has nothing to do with your to-do list, and everything to do with your thinking?

If you’re constantly juggling too much, overthinking decisions, or trying to keep everyone happy, it’s easy to blame your schedule or circumstances. But what if the root cause of your overwhelm is actually the thoughts running through your mind? In this episode, you’ll discover how your thinking patterns are quietly fueling your stress—and how a simple shift can change everything.

In this episode, you will:

•  Learn how to instantly calm your brain when overwhelm hits 
•  Discover a powerful mindset shift that helps you think clearly and take better action 
•  Understand how to use “delusional optimism” in a practical way that actually works 

Press play now to learn how to break free from overwhelm and start thinking in a way that finally works for you.

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Download Michelle's delusional optimism mantra wallpapers!

Wondering why you're overwhelmed? Take my "why am I overwhelmed" quiz to find out the source of your overwhelm, and what to do about it. 

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Life can be overwhelming, but on this podcast, you'll discover practical strategies to overcome overwhelm, imposter syndrome, and negative self-talk, manage time effectively, set boundaries, and stay productive in high-stress jobs—all while learning how to say no and prioritize self-care on the Overwhelmed Worki...

Transcript

Welcome And Show Promise

Michelle Gauthier 0:00

Everything is always working out for me.

Michelle Gauthier 0:06

You're listening to Overwhelmed Working Woman, the podcast that helps you be more calm and more productive by doing less. I'm your host, Michelle Gauthier, a former Overwhelmed Working Woman and current life coach. On this show, we unpack the stress and pressure that today's Working Woman experiences. And in each episode, you'll get a strategy to bring more calm, ease, and relaxation to your life. Hi, friend. Thanks

The Case For Delusional Optimism

Michelle Gauthier 0:35

for joining today. Today I'm going to make a case for something a little unconventional, and that is delusionally optimistic thinking. Why would she recommend delusionally optimistic thinking, you might wonder? Well, when you listen today, here's what you'll learn. Why your thinking is the root cause of overwhelm. How one simple thought can instantly calm your brain and shift it out of overwhelm, and how to use delusional optimism in a way that helps you take better action.

Why Thoughts Create Overwhelm

Michelle Gauthier 1:05

On this podcast, we talk about a lot of different causes of overwhelm. You might be a people pleaser, you might struggle with time management or being productive, you might have negative self-talk or imposter syndrome, you might have way too much on your to-do list. But if we go one lever level deeper on all of those things that I just mentioned, underneath all of that is the way that you're thinking about that particular problem. So if you have too much to do, your thinking is probably telling you, I need to get this all done today. If you're a people pleaser, your thinking is probably telling you, I need to make sure other people are happy first. Nobody can be mad at me. So at the root, root, root of overwhelm is the way that you're thinking. And if you've been listening to this podcast for a while, you already know this. But if you're new, welcome. Thanks for joining us. And I'm here to tell you that you can change your own thinking. No matter what your brain throws out, we can't control the thoughts that our brain just drops into our head. But you have the ability to put some space between yourself and that thought and decide, do I want to believe it or do I want to think a different thought? And this is where the power of delusionally optimistic thinking can really help.

The Deer Crash Reframe

Michelle Gauthier 2:22

My son is 18. He loves cars, he's been through many cars already. The other night he was driving home and he hit a deer. And if you're thinking, oh wait, you already told that story on the podcast. Nope, nope, I haven't. Different deer, different car, same son. He's fine. Even the deer was fine. The car is not that fine, but it's drivable, so it's pretty much fine. But immediately my brain went into overwhelm. When are we gonna get this fixed? We've had so many insurance claims. How did this happen? How fast was he going? Why didn't I just have him stay home that night? Just into a full spiral of overwhelm. So I take a deep breath, I look at my phone, and my screensaver pops up that I have intentionally put there as the wallpaper on my phone, and it says, the plot thickens in my favor. And I just started laughing because what if this deer situation isn't a problem? What if I can reframe it to think of it as an interesting plot twist in this story of my week that's somehow going to work out in my favor? Immediately my thinking shifted. I realized I don't even own this car. His dad owns this car. I don't actually have to do anything with this situation. I don't have to deal with fixing it. My son is fine. He could have gotten hurt. Even the deer is fine. And maybe he'll learn something from this. And just like that, the overwhelm was gone. Nothing about the situation changed, but everything about my thinking did. And it was that delusionally optimistic thought. As soon as I saw that thought, my brain started looking for evidence for how that could be true.

Why Negative Thinking Feels Safer

Michelle Gauthier 3:56

Now, being an optimist, I have gotten plenty of feedback that thinking like this is not helpful. Why not try to think as positively as possible? Let's actually ask ourselves this question. Some people think, and someone who I love dearly told me that this type of thinking is dangerous. So let's look at that. A lot of people also believe that thinking negatively somehow keeps you safe. So if you expect the worst, you'll be prepared and you won't be as disappointed if something goes wrong. And I can see how that feels true because when my son hit the deer, my brain immediately went there. I started thinking, how are we going to deal with this? What's this gonna cost? Why did this happen? But in the moment, thinking negatively like that didn't make me more prepared. It just made me more overwhelmed. Nothing about that kind of thinking helped me solve anything faster. And had I pre-worried about the situation, pre-worried about him hitting a deer, it wouldn't have changed the situation. It would have just made me feel worse up until the point when it actually happened. So, in my opinion, optimistic thinking isn't dangerous. It's really just about choosing a thought that helps you feel better so that you can think more clearly and then take intentional action towards the problem. Now, if you think, okay, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna quit my job and then I'm gonna sit on my couch and I'm gonna believe that a million dollars is coming to me. That's not the kind of delusional optimism I'm talking about. I'm talking about the delusional optimism that makes you have clear thinking so you can take the necessary action on the problem.

How To Practice Optimism

Michelle Gauthier 5:37

Let's say you're thinking, ah, what could it hurt? I'm gonna give this a whirl, which I highly recommend. Here's how to actually do this. First, you have to notice when you're overwhelmed. So for me, it feels like a spitting sensation, like I can't think straight. I get almost like a staticky feeling in my chest. And you probably know what overwhelm feels like for you. So as soon as you experience it, pause and ask, how can I be delusionally optimistic about this? Then choose a thought. Some of my favorites, which I have on rotation on my phone. I have a whole mantra collection. Every time I lock my phone, it pulls up a new one for me. I believe that they show up for me exactly when I need them. Some of my favorites are everything is always working out for me. The plot thickens in my favor. Of course, this is going to work out. And you don't even have to fully believe it, but just be willing to consider it. And when you do that, your brain starts to calm down. You can think more clearly, you can decide what actually needs to be done.

A Traffic Test With Teens

Michelle Gauthier 6:35

Just the other day, I was driving my daughter and her friend to wrestling practice, and we drive a long way for it, and there was a lot of traffic, and they were supposed to be there at five. And according to my phone, we were going to get there at 4.59. Neither one of these two girls like to be late. So they were very stressed about this. And I was like, oh gosh, you guys, I think it's gonna be okay. I look down at my phone, and what do I see as my wallpaper? I have the best luck. So I said to the girls, oh my gosh, you guys, don't even worry about it. I have the best luck. Look, my phone just told me I have the best luck. We're totally gonna make it on time. And we did. So, what did it hurt in that moment to believe that I had the best luck and that we are actually going to get there on time? Nothing. Made us all laugh, and we made it on time. So I suggest that you do just give this a whirl, think with delusional optimism and see what impact it has on

Download The Mantras And Try It

Michelle Gauthier 7:28

your life. If you want to borrow some of my thoughts, we'll put the link in the show notes. But you can just go and download nine of my favorite delusionally optimistic thoughts, save them to your phone, and make them your rotating wallpaper and just see how it impacts your day to think with delusional optimism. I'd love to hear how this goes for you. Have a great week.

Website And Sign Off

Michelle Gauthier 7:56

Thank you for listening to the Overwhelmed Working Woman podcast. If you want to learn more about my work, head over to my website at MichelleGauthier.com. See you next week.