As we try to meet the demands of everyday life, more and more people are feeling overwhelmed. It could be from the ever-increasing to-do lists, daily activities, events and the list goes on…

Overwhelm is one of the factors that can lead to stress and anxiety, if left unmanaged.

Here are a few tips to help reduce this dreaded feeling.

Breathe

Take a moment to yourself. Take a deep breath in and exhale out slowly three times. This simple yet effective technique can help you place things into perspective and make you feel better.

Write it down

First things first, overloading your mind with must-do’s will play havoc with your peace of mind, so get everything down on paper or digitally if you prefer. That can include everything from things you have to do to shopping lists…

Just take it ‘out of your head,’.

Be realistic

Be realistic about your commitments and don’t try to be all things for all people, that is a recipe for disaster. If it looks like you won’t be able to meet an obligation or be somewhere, it is far better to let someone know; rather than feel you’re disappointing them at the last minute. They will probably respect you far better for it in the long-run.

Prioritise

Not everything is ‘urgent’ even though it may appear that way! Place what needs to be done first at the top of your list and place what can wait lower down on your list. And remember, you can always ask for help and delegate where necessary.

Prepare and Plan

Once you’ve got your list, it’s easier to get an idea of what needs to be done and by when. So, grab your diary or planner and begin placing the tasks under separate days. Keep it short and only set two or three tasks a day if you can. This will help make it feel more doable too.

Clarity

As you see it for yourself on your planner or calendar, it’ll help to take the pressure off. Suddenly things won’t seem as daunting as they first did, and this will bring clarity to a once troubled mind.

One step at a time

As you work through your list, try to take things one step at a time if you can. Doing one task at a time and seeing it through to the end will help give you that sense of accomplishment which is very encouraging as it releases the ‘can do’ energy about you.

Calm your mind

Take a step back and take a deep breath in and slowly exhale out. You should be feeling a lot calmer and better about things.

Remember, most things are never as bad as they first seem, so take things at a steady pace, as you work through one thing at a time and before you know it you’ll have completed your list in a steady, manageable way and who knows? You may even enjoy the process along the way. 😊