Four Ways to Take Care of Yourself When You Feel Overwhelmed
Dear friend,
I know how hard it can be to grapple with the fact that you have reached your breaking point and feel on the brink of breaking down due to overwhelming factors and commitments taking over your life.
Overwhelm is part of life. It’s true. And most of us deal with some version of being overwhelmed multiple times a week.
Not everyone allows themselves to get sucked into the responsibilities and elements of life that can be overwhelming. But if you’re anything like me, you know that the cycle of staying on track, focused, and productive can often get out of control, and the overwhelming elements of life can take over, causing anxiety and depression.
Feeling overwhelmed is a version of stress, and stress affects us all. In fact, over 75% of people in the United States report feeling moderate to high levels of each month – leading to overwhelm and anxiety.
This may be news to you, but I’m guessing it’s not. And maybe you have your own tactics for dealing with those moments when you feel overwhelmed to help you move through and beyond them. But if not, here are four helpful ways I’ve learned to decrease my moments of complete burnout and feelings of overwhelm and help me move forward in a healthy and positive way.
Stop and Step Away
There’s a thing that happens when I get too caught up in all of the things I’ve committed to doing that begin to pile up and feel unattainable, I stop being productive, and I become paralyzed. Enter overwhelm.
Over time, and through some invaluable advice, I’ve learned that when these feelings start to creep in and the road ahead feels unclear and unattainable, I need to step back and step away.
That means, even if I’m working on a deadline or only have two hours to prepare for a meeting or event, I still make myself put it down and go do something else unrelated to my work, task, or responsibility. Even a 20-minute pause helps. And, if I can get outside for some fresh air, it’s even more beneficial.
Release the Big Picture
If you’re a productive worker or ambitious person, you know that it’s critical to success to keep the big picture in mind. But that mindset can start to bite you in the you-know-what when life becomes increasingly difficult, and your list keeps growing.
When the big picture starts to feel like a monstrous mountain of responsibility that there’s no way you will ever reach or achieve, it’s time to follow step number one (stop and walk away), then instead of focusing on the big picture come back and concentrate on the next indicated step.
That means only working toward achieving the next step or goal. It can be as simple as, “Today, I will just send an email to investors,” or “Today, I just need to call my boss and set up a time to talk.” That’s it.
The rest will still be there, ready to crush tomorrow!
Write it Out
Sometimes the best thing to do is write out all the things inside your brain so that you can release the responsibility and put it out of your thought process. Everyone has their own way of doing this, but here are a few ways I like to get out my feelings of overwhelm on paper so they stop knocking around inside my head – at least for a little while.
Make a list - of the things that need to be accomplished in a) one day, b) one week, and/or c) one month.
Journal - If you’re not a list person, or even if you are and just need another tactic to get rid of stress and feeling overwhelmed, start journaling. Create a new entry and just write down everything you are worried about. It’s amazing how much getting things out on paper can help.
Ask for Help
Needing help is okay. Doing everything yourself is not always possible or encouraged. It can lead to feelings of loneliness, isolation, and being overwhelmed. And I know what you’re thinking. “It’s just too hard to ask someone to do it for me. It takes too much time, and they don’t do it correctly.”
I hear you. Working with others and asking for help make you vulnerable, and maybe they won’t get things done exactly how you want or would have done them, but that’s okay!
If you don’t feel comfortable allowing someone to help you with your to-do list, then simply talking to a friend or family member about how you are feeling and seeking their insight might be the best place to start.
No matter what, remember. You are doing amazing things. You may not see it or feel it now, but this moment will pass. You’ll look back and realize how many much you accomplished and feel proud. So take a breath, remind yourself that you will be okay, and try one of the four things we just talked about to relieve your feelings of stress and overwhelm.
xo 🤍
