We all make sacrifices from day to day. Life is made up of those little moments of give and takes. We give a little here and take a little there.
But sometimes we can find ourselves in situations where we have maybe given a little too much. When, at the end of the day we find ourselves depleted and feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, knowing there just isn’t enough time to get it all done.
You are not alone. We’ve all been there. And realizing when we’ve hit this point is the first step towards overcoming it.
1. You have Problems Clearing the Clutter
We all have a lot we’re juggling on a pretty consistent daily basis. The mind starts to get bogged down with a million and one thoughts that are constantly running through our brains as we do our best to keep up with it all. “I need to pick up milk the next time I’m at the grocery store.” “The laundry needs folded before I leave.” “The presentation at work is due next week.”
It’s quite honestly a never ending string of gotta do this, gotta do that and don’t forget about this! Eventually that string turns into a giant, knotted yarn ball you’re left to figure out how to untangle the damn thing.
But this constant running on overload, leaves us with just that. Feeling overloaded. You need to find an outlet to release these thoughts if you ever want to begin untangle the yarn.
Meditation can be a great way to clear the mental fog and help you find clarity. And don’t feel like you need to spend an hour sitting cross-legged on the floor. Meditation looks different for everyone. Maybe for some it’s an hour long practice, for others it’s laying on the bed in a comfortable position for 5 to 10 minutes just breathing slowly.
There is no perfect way to do this. It’s about what’s best for you and then finding the time each day to commit to yourself and do it.
2. You aren’t Creating a Schedule or Calendar to Follow
Schedules and calendars give us the ability to get a full picture of how the week or the month is stacking up. If you start feeling like things are getting too out of hand, try creating a calendar and include everything from scheduled happy hours to your laundry list.
Soon you’ll start to see where your days are getting way too overloaded and where you can afford to make shifts to alleviate the burden. You might even find yourself realizing there just isn’t room for any more. This brings us to point #3.
3. You aren’t Saying No
Go through your week or your month and create a “no” list. This is a list of all the things that have currently made it onto your list that you don’t want to do. Now some of them will still need to get done (that’s just life. I know ugh!) But I’ll bet you can find a few things that you can truly just say no to. And you absolutely should!
4. You aren’t Letting Others Know when you need Help
A strong support system is essential. We have people around us who can and many times actually do want to help. Our loved ones don’t want to see us struggle. Sometimes we just need to let go of the reigns a little and let others step in.
It’s ok to admit when you can’t do it all. Can I let you in on a little secret? No one can! We aren’t perfect and we shouldn’t pretend to be. Don’t feel like you need to make life look perfect on the outside when you’re actually drowning on the inside.
5. You aren’t Leaving Time for Yourself
Setting aside time for yourself means allowing time to realign with what matters most to you. This can be making time for hobbies or other interests, but it can also simply mean giving yourself the space to breathe and relax.
Maybe it’s a long, hot bubble bath, a 10 minute meditation or finding a quiet space to read. It doesn’t matter what it is, if it’s something that makes you happy then you need to designate time for these activities on a monthly or weekly basis.
Self-care comes in many forms and looks different for each of us, but neglecting it entirely can have some pretty damaging consequences on our bodies and minds. Don’t skip this one!
6. You are Accidentally Overcomplicating a Situation
Have you ever been in a situation where things felt really out of control until you talk it over with a friend and you begin to realize that it might not have been as big of a deal as you first thought?
Our brains have a way to make relatively simple situations seem more complex and overly complicated than what they actually are.
If you find yourself falling into this sand trap, pause. Take a deep breath and reassess. Things can feel like a jumbled mess when they’re stuck in your head. So try saying it out loud or better yet, talking it over with a friend. This will help you gain a better grasp of the situation and help you to more clearly see all possible outcomes.
It might not be as bad as you initially thought after all.
7. Exaggerating the Amount of Time it Takes to Accomplish Tasks
The other day I found myself dreading the thought of unloading the dishwasher. “I’m too tired, I don’t have time to do this right now” were some of the thoughts running through my head. But I pushed through it and did it anyways.
And do you know how long it took me? Not even 10 minutes!
Not all tasks that need to be done are fun. I get that. But telling ourselves it will take us so much longer to accomplish them than what it realistically takes will make actually doing them that much harder.
8. You’re Keeping it Bottled Up
Bottled up emotions can have some pretty significant consequences on our physical and mental health. If these negative emotions aren’t let out in a healthy way they can start to weigh you down and overtime deplete your energy.
Luckily there are healthy ways to let go of these bottled up feelings. You’ll just need to find what works best for you.
Maybe it’s venting to a close friend, or enjoying a long, sweaty run. Or you might even find that writing it down angrily with pen and with purpose will do just the trick. I personally love this last one. It usually does just the trick when I need a negative energy detox.
Feeling overwhelmed is a natural and normal part of life. So it’s crucial that we find healthy ways to cope. with these feelings.
I hope the above suggestions help you to better understand what might be causing you to feel overwhelmed in the first place, but to also help manage the stress when things start to get a bit too heavy.
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