Feeling Overwhelmed? Try The H.A.L.T. Method For Quick Relief

Let me ask you a question…When you start feeling that sense of overload or overwhelm during the day, what do you do about it?  Maybe your team is underperforming by missing deadlines or allowing differences of opinions to become their focus?  Do you turn a blind eye and hope that the stress of handling these unwelcomed situations will simply go away? 

If you’re like most people, you’re going to try and push though it or avoid it and make up some excuse like, “We’ve all got a lot going on.”  But the problem with that is that you’re not as effective in the work that’s right in front of you or with that person who you’re having a conversation with. 

There’s a powerful tool called H.A.L.T.  The H.A.L.T. technique is used in therapy to help people identify their stressors, and then be able to make immediate changes, if possible, so they can be at their best in the next moment.  The H.A.L.T. method can also apply to the business world. 

Here’s a breakdown of the acronym:

“H” stands for hunger, or are you hungry.  We all know that our bodies take a tremendous amount of energy, especially when we’re trying to focus on something.  Being hungry can lead to making poor decisions and make it easier to give in to stress.  I practice intermittent fasting in the morning.  However, if there are days where I feel those hunger pains really coming on, I don’t push them aside.  I go and grab something healthy to eat so I can be fully present in the moment and get my work done. 

“A” stands for anger, or are you angry.  Stop to think if it’s the stress that’s causing you to be angry.  What are the reasons for your anger?  Is there something you could work through to better understand it and to resolve it so you can get back to the task at hand?  Is your anger slow building?  Do you notice things that should be at a level 1 annoyance, like an interruption from a coworker asking a question, jumps right up to a level 10?  As stated in the article, How To Manage Your Anger At Work, the slow dripping of anger moments can build up over time, turning small annoyances into weighted anger.     

…the sustained level of stress and fear you experience every day when you’re under pressure depletes your emotional resources, making you much more likely to get mad, even at minor provocations. – Harvard Business Review

Addressing anger and discovering the causes behind it, are reasons behind why Drs. Redford Williams and Virginia Williams, authors of Anger Kills, developed 12 Strategies for Controlling Anger.  The strategies include acknowledging the problem, interrupting the anger cycle, forgiving and forgetting and more. 

“L” is for lonely, or afraid.  Who of us these days doesn’t have those moments where we feel lonely, or disconnected or isolated from other people?  Whether you work remotely or in an office setting, the feelings of loneliness can separate you from others.  According to an article from Calm Business, loneliness goes much deeper than simply feeling isolated at work.  The cost to employers is high.

Loneliness can reduce creativity, erode performance, and leave employees emotionally exhausted. An employee who feels lonely is up to five times more likely to miss work due to stress and twice as likely to consider quitting.  A lonely worker can cost employers up to $4,200 a year in lost workdays. - Calm Business

But the good news is there are techniques that one can put into place to help combat the feelings of loneliness.  Calm Business outlines 10 strategies in their article on How To Combat Workplace Loneliness.  These techniques include training managers on empathy, designing teams to be enduring, adopting preventative mental health solutions and more. 

“T” stands for tired.  We all seem to be experiencing that these days!  With extra-long work hours, and high demands being part of our jobs, being tired seemingly comes with the territory.  But sometimes we get that sense of overwhelm because we don’t have the physical, mental or emotional energy because we’ve not gotten enough rest, or we’ve not taken the time for ourselves to renew our energy.  According to the Sleep Foundation, the average adult needs 7 or more hours of sleep a night.  The Sleep Foundation also created 20 Tips For How To Sleep Better including the proper thermostat setting and the importance of a 20 minute nap. 

The next time you’re deciding to “push through” a stressful situation, feeling overloaded and weighed down, take a moment for some self-evaluation.  The struggles the H.A.L.T. technique outlines addresses some of the most common areas your stressors could be coming from.  Being aware of them (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) gives one the opportunity to immediately make necessary changes for a more favorable outcome.