7 Steps to Follow When You Are Feeling Overwhelmed

Do you feel you have too much to do with too little time to do it in? Are things not going quite as you had planned? Is life in general getting on top of you? Then stop right there, and read the following tips on what to do when you are feeling overwhelmed.

1. Do Nothing

woman daydreaming

That’s right. The very first thing you need to do when you are feeling overwhelmed is to do nothing.  It may seem contradictory, but doing nothing is a very important first step that you need to take to bring clarity to your situation.

You need to take some time out, even if it is just a few moments of ’me time’, and use this time to totally clear your head.

You may want to take a walk, go for a swim, meditate or do some yoga.

Perhaps you could grab 15 minutes in the morning, before the children are awake or before work. Whenever it is, it is very important that you make this time for yourself.

Trust that during these moments of meditative downtime and relaxation, your subconscious mind will provide clarity to your situation and more often than not provide you with a solution.

However, first you have to give your subconscious a chance to do this.

This is why the phrase ’I will sleep on it’ is so important, as we are literally giving our minds a chance to provide clarity to the situations we find ourselves in.

2. Adopt a dog’s mindset

It is a well-known fact that dogs live in the now and from moment to moment.   They don’t stress about what is happening the next day or the next week.

It is important that we stop worrying so much about what might happen, because worrying doesn’t solve anything.

Most of what we worry about never happens anyway.

We can exhaust ourselves with constant worrying, not to mention make ourselves ill.

Being sensible and planning for the future is not the same as panicking and worrying about it.

If we don’t live in the now, we will miss all the magical moments of the present.

So what if you are running late for work, at least you got to see the amazing sunrise. So what if one of the kids dropped ice cream on your new blouse, is it really the end of the world?

All these things are unimportant in the great big scheme of things.

So live in the now and enjoy each moment.

3. Be realistic

Bored unhappy young  business woman at desk in office

Sometimes we take things on in life because we feel others are judging us. We may feel that if we don’t act like superwoman then we are falling short of other people’s expectations, or that we are somehow a bad person, a bad mother or a bad work colleague.

Well that is a load of old baloney.

It’s true; some people do seem to juggle their lives to an extraordinary degree.  But if you look at their lives a bit closer, you will realize that most successful people delegate to others.

They have to.

Because no one can do everything, it’s just not possible.

It’s time to be honest with yourself.  Are you the type of person who likes to bite off more than you can chew?  If so then you are going to have to come up with smart ways of managing this.  Learn to say no and realize that this behavior is harmful to yourself and most probably others around you.

That extra task you took on may mean that you have spent less quality time with a loved one.  These are moments you will never get back.

4. Declutter

And I don’t mean just your wardrobe or your garage.  You also need to declutter your mind.  Start clearing spaces both physically and mentally. Review some of the tasks and chores you have taken on; are they really necessary?

These ’tasks’ can also be of an emotional nature.

Do you have someone in your life who is an energy drainer, perhaps they spend their whole time offloading all their negativity on to you?  Well, you don’t need that thought garbage in your life, do yourself a favor and get rid.

Clear the shelves and have a good spring clean.

You will feel so much better for it.

5. Prioritize

business woman thinking 9

If you are feeling overwhelmed, then it is a sign that you have not prioritized well, because if you had, all the other stuff would just fall away in terms of importance.

Life is made up of the decisions we make. That decision to stay on at work a bit longer to finish off  an ’important’ project in lieu of a friend’s birthday drinks may well alter the course of your life.

Ask yourself this; in five years’ time will the boss even remember you stayed?

Maybe, maybe not; but your friend will remember.

So make sure your choices are right choices.

6. Take one step at a time

Once you have been honest with yourself and clarified where changes need to be made, you don’t have to change everything straight away.

There is no rush, you don’t have to go steaming in there and turn your life on its head, after all it was this kind of thinking which most probably got you where you are in the first place.

Take your time, but do take action, even if it is just a small step toward the desired outcome.

Before you know it you will have reached your goal.

7. Carry on regardless

Businessman and woman working on computers

You are on life’s wonderful journey so you need to continue on your way, but this time with a smile and an indestructible positive attitude.

Remember, you can always enlist the help of others.

You don’t have to do everything by yourself.  No man (or woman) is an island.  We all need the help and support of others, no matter who we are.

Learn to enjoy the challenges you face, it is possible to have fun with it all. Just don’t take life so seriously. It will all be over in the blink of an eye, so you may as well enjoy the ride.

Keep on going; you will get there in the end.

About the author

Eleanor Goold

As well as being an avid reader, Eleanor is also a big time animal lover; especially of dogs. If you have a tail, four legs and you bark…. you’re in! In her spare time she enjoys swimming, and vegetable gardening… but not at the same time (it can get a bit messy).

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