If you feel like things are getting too much right now… Here’s what you should do.
The world is in a strange place right now. Politics, environment, COVID… It’s a lot and it is affecting us all in our daily lives. In the meantime we are all trying to keep going, working hard, completing task after task – we always want to do our best, don’t we? However there are times when this overload can be too much and lead to negative feelings: a lack of motivation, a kind of sadness, a questioning of ‘is it worth it?’, ‘why am I doing this’? If you can relate to these thoughts, chances are you might be feeling overwhelmed. This happens to me sometimes, when there is too much on my plate.
If you feel overwhelmed, you need to work on getting better. This is why I have created this five-step strategy that will, little by little, soothe your mind and get the overwhelming feeling to go away. You should follow these steps in order, over the course of a day or two, to see the change. Without further ado, let’s start…
💛 Step 1: Stop doing whatever is causing you stress
If you are thinking about pushing through and carrying on with whatever is making you stressed, please don’t! It will only make it worse. You will also likely associate that activity (work tasks, chores, or even your hobby) with that feeling of overwhelm. Instead of pushing through, remember that it’s ok to take a step back and stop. Your mental and physical health are more important than anything else! So as soon as you feel that way, stop what you’re doing. If you don’t, you won’t be able to work on making that feeling go away.
💛 Step 2: Write down what is making you anxious
I find that writing stuff down really helps with processing emotions. Instead of having your thoughts stuck in your head and keep thinking over and over about something, writing down your worries, stresses and thoughts can help get them out of your mind. If you have a journal, it would be great for this – otherwise just any piece of paper will do! Which is great because once you are done with the process, you can throw it away, also throwing away your worries at the same time. As you write down your feelings you will create a ‘brain dump’ that will be useful to you later.
💛 Step 3: Do something calming or energizing
To get rid of stress and overthinking, take the time to do something relaxing. It may be watching a show, going for a walk, seeing a friend, playing video games, taking a nap… Anything that you truly want to do and that will make you feel like you are looking after yourself and listening to yourself. For me, an activity that helps me feel less overwhelmed is to turn off my laptop, lay in bed and watch a show with my boyfriend. Now, doing a short activity for some time may not be enough to completely get you to forget your worries, and overwhelm can last days sometimes (when you’re stuck in a rut) however any little step you can take to feel more relaxed will be a step in the right direction.
💛 Step 4: Look back at your brain dump and find solutions to help you going forward
When you feel better and more detached of your negative feelings, look back at the notes you wrote down. It may not be an easy step, but it’s very important. Reading what you wrote when you were feeling at your most anxious will help you figure out why you were feeling that way, and what you can do in the future to avoid it from happening. What caused you to be so overwhelmed? What actions can you take, moving forward, to look after your mental health better while still doing the tasks you *have* to do? Pin down a few action points that you can write in your journal, or on a sticky note on your desk (or wherever you will be able to see it often) to keep as reminders. Focus on easy, small steps as they will be easier to reach. Don’t try to change up your whole life and routine in one go, it won’t work – just add smaller self-care actions into your days.
💛 Step 5: Talk it out with someone
If you’re reading this, you’ve experienced or are experiencing overwhelming, very stressful feelings. Trust me, you aren’t alone in this! We all go through this sometimes, and thus many of us know what it feels like. To find motivation and extra help, talk about it to friends or loved ones. They will be able to motivate you and alleviate your worries. Sometimes, we just need a good friend to talk to and an understanding ear. You don’t have to go through this alone!
If you want extra help and resources, you can email me at juliaspeaksbeauty@gmail.com. I will be happy to go through each of these tips with you and make sure you feel like your real self again! 🤗
This post was inspired by an Instagram post I did last year. If you don’t follow me on Instagram yet, please check it out! 📸 I do creative photography & edits + self-care and growth-related captions in complement to my blog work.
