There are many different reasons for you to feel overwhelmed. Whether you’re a mum, juggling the demands of your children’s needs as well as your own, or whether your work has become a stressor. Life often gives us too many plates to juggle. Feeling overwhelmed? Here’s what to do next…
1. Brain Dump
When I am feeling utterly overwhelmed, I brain dump. That involves getting a big piece of paper, some coloured pens and then dumping everything that’s on my mind onto the paper. I can categorise it into to-do’s, worries, thoughts, ideas etc. Then that way I can move forward.
2. Write a List
Write a list of everything you have to do. From your brain dump, you should be able to identify what on there that you need to do practically.
When writing the list, colour code the importance of the tasks for the day. Red is your MUST do’s. Orange, would be good to do then finally your green is your would like to do’s.
For the next week, try and do 3 red tasks each day until they are done, then work through your orange and so on. As someone who works from home, I often have to prioritise my work and my tasks on a daily basis. This is how I achieve it.
3. For those worries…
I have in a previous blog talked about ‘Worry Time’. This is a really useful tool when it comes to combatting mental health, as it helps you to control your worries rather than allowing them to take over your life. You can read about ‘Worry Time’ here.
I have used ‘Worry Time’ whenever my worries overwhelm me. It really is a great method of organising your worries, so that you feel less overwhelmed day to day.
4. Think about those ideas
The ideas you wrote down on your brain dump, what are they? Can they be turned into to-do’s to ensure you carry out the idea. Is it something fun that can boost your soul?
Write these down as green to do’s on your list. Or if they are turning into worries, add them to your worry time.
5. Is outsourcing or delegating possible?
In life we can be juggling too many plates. Are you able to outsource or delegate any of those things?
For example, if the housework is getting too much, can you get a cleaner in once a fortnight? Or draft up a family chores list so that your children or partner can help you out? You’d be surprised at how capable children are. I get my boys to load up the washing machine, make their beds and sweep after dinner. They also tidy the cushions up and do other random jobs throughout the day. These may be small chores, but they help so much.
When it comes to work, can you talk to a boss and let them know how you are struggling with everything? Or if you run your own business, can you outsource? For me, I have a bookkeeper to take care of the financial elements.
Think about things you can outsource or delegate. When it comes to worries, have you got someone you trust to sit down with you and come up with a plan of action to combat those worries?
6. Keep organised
There are many ways you can organise yourself in life. For example, a meal plan will help you to keep track of your intended meals each day and help you to write your weekly or monthly shopping list. Whereas writing and sticking to a budget will help you to prioritise your finances, reducing the likelihood of this then becoming a worry further down the line. You can also keep a diary to organise your social life, family commitments, appointments and work life.
Keeping organised will help you to lessen the overwhelmed feelings. These seem like simple things to do, but often when life becomes too much, they fall at the way side. Try your best to keep on top of them so things don’t pile up.
Don’t forget to breathe…
The feeling of overwhelm can be a bit much at times. So, don’t forget to breathe. Go through my list above and try to implement one of these a week for the next few weeks. Slow and steadily, you can combat that overwhelmed feeling and start to regain control in your life. I hope you get on ok.
Me Against Myself 