8 Tips to Feeling Less Overwhelmed
Cator Sparks
It’s not hard to understand how employees can get overwhelmed balancing work and home life - Multiple Zoom meetings, deadlines, childcare, food prep, plus simply finding quiet time. That’s a lot to balance.
The state of being overwhelmed can come from the lack of the ability to manage emotions and can prevent people from completing even the most basic daily tasks and chores. Symptoms can include insomnia, lethargy, and even headaches, and rapid heartbeat as well as trouble focusing and withdrawing from others.
We have all been there. You look at a list of things you need to get accomplished and simply hop on Instagram for two hours to avoid them. But those tasks and the emotions are all still there. It often comes from our Saboteur whispering things like, ‘How can you ever get all of that done?’ We can feel like we aren’t doing enough, well enough, fast enough, so we don’t do anything.
Here are some tips to break the cycle and find a more balanced life:
Staying present!
As Eckhart Tolle says, “Accept — then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it.” When you feel overwhelmed, simply focus on the present and do what has to be done.
2. Practice Gratitude
Focusing on what we are thankful for can be one of the most helpful tools. Wake up and write down five things you are thankful for every morning. It can help ground you in the present and take things as they come.
3. Set Goals
Haven’t finished that PowerPoint or unpacked those 12 boxes? Set goals and ask a Life Coach/friend/family member to hold you accountable. Knowing that someone is going to check in to see if you have done something can make us work a little harder at making it happen.
4. Don’t Multitask
We don’t text and drive so don’t try to organize your closet while writing a press release. Focus on one thing at a time and be fully engaged. This will result in less mistakes in that release and less stress on you.
5. Change Perspectives
Simply getting up from the desk and stepping outside for fresh air or to call a friend can re-center us and get us back on track. Yoga can be a huge help to find calm and balance. Dancing, jogging, and working out can be great for grounding too.
6. Stay in your Lane and Show Compassion
We often worry that others think we aren’t good enough, fast enough, or aren’t doing enough. Don’t worry about what others think, chances are, it is all in your head. Show compassion for yourself and for what you can and cannot do each day.
7. The Jar Method
Get two jars and a bunch of cards. In one jar, write down what you forgive yourself for (being late to the appointment, not going to the gym, not making dinner). In the other jar, write down what you are grateful for (your accomplishments, onboarding a new client, scheduling those three meetings.) This way you can truly embody the tasks at hand and you can start to actually notice the shift.
8. Delegate
So many of us try to do it all ourselves when there are others willing to help. If you feel like you can’t do it all, ask for help and you will be surprised how often others are up to give you a hand. In the workplace, utilize your teams, that’s what they are there for!
It can get overwhelming when you have a lot to get done. Take it one step at a time. You got this!