A Guide to Being Overwhelmed

Let’s discuss the juggling act that is our lives. From work (whether that’s managing a business or being part of a company), to family, to parenting, a buzzing social life or navigating a separation - life can get a bit much sometimes. If this sounds familiar, here are some tips to conquering overwhelming feelings and reducing stress.

On-going stress can affect overall well-being and in turn affect your physical state: sending your Central Nervous System into ‘flight or fight mode’; causing respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms (your heart goes into overdrive); weakening your immune system; not to mention the insomnia – the list is endless. This is why turning to unhelpful behaviours like excessive drinking, drug abuse or disordered eating - to deal with the symptoms in the list above - is common.

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General

1. Pay attention to your needs:

· Sharing -

• Therapy with a trained professional

• Talking with trusted friends or confidantes

· Stay physically active (The benefits this does to mind and body is unbelievable. This is your time and an activity that no one can take away from you)

· Do enriching things for yourself:

Mental Wellness

• Meditation

• Deep Breathing

• Relaxation

• Stretching

• Journaling

• Gratitude

• Affirmations

Lifestyle

• Workout

• Walking

• Yoga

• Go to bed early

• Wake up early

• Reading

• Studying

• Sports

Self-Care

• Take a bath or shower

• Do your skin routine

• Get a haircut

• Maintain a healthy, balanced diet

Hobby or Learning

• Teach yourself a new skill

• Learn a language

2.Let go of problems that are beyond your control and stay focused on things you can control.

Things I Can Control:

• When you ask for help

• Your self-care routine

• How you speak to yourself

• The boundaries you set

• How you interpret situations

• How you treat others

• My habits, patterns and behaviour

• Where I place my attention

Things I Cannot Control:

• How someone perceives me

• The behaviour of another person

• The world and the issues in it

• Belief systems of family, friends and strangers

• The way people speak to me

3. Give yourself the space to feel ALL your of emotions

4. Try to avoid destructive activities:

• Drinking heavily

• Drugs

• Angry behaviours towards your ex-spouse

• Disordered eating

5. Make time for fun.

• blast that tune and dance your heat out at home!

• watch that movie you know you love

• get dressed up and get out with your friends

• go for that coffee your friends have been trying to organise with you

• try that new brunch place

• sing your heart out!

6. Prioritise and organise:

• Create a list of things you have to do daily and list them in order of priority. (If there isn’t a clear priority, it often helps to do the hardest task first. They call this “eating one’s frogs”)

7. Maintain a usual routine

• Wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day

• Regular walks

• Exercise at least 3 times a week

• Eat 3-5 meals

• Practise self-care rituals

8. Journal your thoughts and feelings: you can have more clarity when you bring pen to paper and your thoughts are articulated. It also helps when you are in the process of making a big decision in your life – you could weigh up pros and cons and note down all of the things you have to do to act upon the decision you make

· Simplify your life (de-clutter):

• Be rid of negative people

• De-clutter your home (dispose of clothes you no longer wear and items that no longer have any sentimental value)

· Know that it’s perfectly okay to say NO:

• To engagements

• Taking on extra responsibilities (we know it’s unavoidable sometimes)

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