May 27

Want to Beat Overwhelm? Follow These 5 Tips

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Do you feel like you have too much on your plate? Are you beginning to wonder how you are going to handle it all? Have you lost your cool more times that you’d care to admit?

The stresses of daily life, the near constant news coverage, work and family responsibilities can all weigh on you and cause you to feel overwhelmed. If you have a special work project, event to plan, a move or other big life event happening at the same time, this can increase your feeling of overwhelm exponentially.

While you may wonder what’s wrong with you that you can’t handle these things that others seem to do naturally and with ease, stop right there. Everyone will feel overwhelmed from time to time. Some are better at hiding it than others. Those who manage it the best are those who have taken purposeful action to learn the skills to help them cope.

If you need help managing your stress and other feelings of overwhelm, take comfort in knowing that there are things you can do to prepare yourself in advance. Learning how to manage your time, stress and emotions can be valuable in allowing you to handle whatever comes at you with grace and ease.

5 Tips for Beating That Overwhelmed Feeling

What happens as you begin to feel overwhelmed? You start to feel stress and anxiety, which can snowball into feelings of negativity and dread. It can even paralyze you from taking any action at all. You fall into a cycle of overwhelm that can keep the feelings going far longer than is healthy or productive. Instead of struggling with these feelings, try out these strategies for beating overwhelm.

Investigate the source of your overwhelm.

The first step is understanding where your feelings are coming from. Have you taken too much on at work? At home? Are you overpromising? Are you committing to things that you don’t want to do? By taking stock of what it is that is causing you to feel overwhelmed, you can get a clearer picture of how to take action.

Prioritize and organize your tasks.

Which items on your list at must-dos? Which items will yield the most results? Which tasks take time and don’t contribute to productivity? Prioritizing your to-do list will help you plan your days and organize yourself around the things that you must do. By taking the time to complete this step, you can help avoid time-wasters and focus only on the things that will have an immediate, positive impact on your life.

Focus on the final outcome.

Instead of harboring on your to-do list or the things you think you should be doing, focus on the end result that you want. Does all this work lead up to a thriving business or better health? Does it lead to a successful event or project? When you connect the work to the end result you desire, you remind yourself of your “why,” and that creates motivation.

Don’t go it alone.

People can be very good at hiding their feelings from others, especially when they are experiencing overwhelm. Instead of concealing your feelings, seek help from family, friends and coworkers. In most cases, they will be happy to help when they know you need it. Ask for help with daily errands or request an extended deadline. Think about the things others can handle that would free you up to do those things that only you can accomplish.

Take a break.

While this may seem counterintuitive, taking breaks is a critical step in this process. Caring for your physical and mental wellness can help you stay strong when feelings of being overwhelmed get heavy. Taking breaks can restore your energy and reframe your mindset.

And remember, in some cases, done is good enough. Perfectionism can cause people to never move forward. The fear of failure can be paralyzing for those who think that anything less than perfect is not good enough. Give yourself grace and recognize that sometimes finishing is superior to making it perfect.

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Tags

life coach tips, overwhelm


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