4 tips for when you are feeling overwhelmed
It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed when life throws a hundred different things at you all at once. However, just because it may be an expected feeling, that doesn’t mean that it is good for you.
The feeling of being overwhelmed is a response to stress that feels too difficult to manage. This stress might be due to having endless work emails to answer, young children demanding your constant attention or caring for elderly family members. Each of the different stressors in your life can add up over time, leading to anxiety, fatigue or even burnout.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, there are a few things that you can do to help reduce your stress and calm your mind. The goal is to help yourself to take a pause so that you can reset and put into place strategies to make responsibilities more manageable over time. Here are five tips to help support you when you feel overwhelmed.
Take some deep breaths
When you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed-out, simply taking a few deep breaths can sometimes do the trick to calm your nerves and bring you back to a more relaxed state.
Deep breaths activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is associated with a more calming state of mind. By activating this branch of your nervous system, you may be able to reduce your feelings of stress that you are feeling at the moment.
Journal
Journalling can be an incredible tool for supporting mental health. When your head is filled with different thoughts, and you’re feeling overwhelmed, writing about them in a journal can help clear your mind. It can help give voice to what you are feeling, allow you to look for triggers and even support problem solving.
Keep a journal on your work desk or somewhere close by in your home so that you can write down your thoughts when the stressful feelings start to creep in.
Practice self-care
When life is busy it can sometimes leave very little room to take a step back and look after your own health. However, self-care is extremely important for both your physical and mental wellbeing.
Try to spend some time every day practicing self-care, even if it is just for a few minutes. This might involve journaling, meditating, exercising, or taking a lovely hot bath. You might even consider scheduling it at the same time each day to help make it a habit and something to look forward to. By taking this downtime, you can help calm your mind and may reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Learn to say no
Sometimes, feeling overwhelmed happens when we take on too many tasks. Saying no to something can be difficult for many reasons. You may be concerned about missing out, disappointing someone or worrying that someone might think less of you. However, it is important to respect yourself and your needs. You might want to write out your reasons for saying no beforehand so that you feel more confident. Many people will be understanding when we say no, particularly when we do so politely and with respect.