When it rains, it pours. This statement is so true about life—negative things seem to happen one after another. It’s like a bus hit us, and we can all feel completely overwhelmed during these stressful periods.
Our minds get scattered, and our focus is distracted. During these periods, work can become more difficult and seem to take longer. Staying effective is challenging. The trick lies in working on the solution.
We can all feel at times like we are on the verge of a meltdown, where one more straw could break the camel’s back. Every day more and more gets added to your plate, and dealing with all of it seems overwhelming. You may not know how to deal with it and can get even more stressed.
You may be doing too many things—many of them just to survive. Our parents and grandparents may not have had this much to worry about, including student loans, smartphones, long commutes to and from work, and more. Compound all these stresses with the cost of living—food prices are insane! I’m not romanticizing their time, but there are some stark differences.
We should all take a long, hard look at what we’re doing versus what we need to do. Can you cut out or deprioritize some things? We can complicate our lives by doing things we think we should be doing but don’t need to. We must get back to basics for our own good. What are some of the things you do during a typical week that add to your stress?
Whenever you feel overwhelmed or stressed out, take a step back and brain dump by writing down everything that’s on your mind—no matter how seemingly small or insignificant. This action will help clear your mind and make prioritizing and tackling tasks easier.
We can also consider some things that can be done by someone else. Try to outsource tasks like cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, yardwork, errands, appointment scheduling, bill paying, travel arrangements, or even meal planning & cooking. Essentially, anything that takes up significant time and can be delegated to a professional service or virtual assistant you can try to take off your plate if you have the resources or can barter with a friend or family member.
With social commitments, plan for only one per weekend. I have friends who do back-to-back Friday and Saturday plans and then use Sunday for chores. This schedule doesn’t allow downtime and rest, so they’re ragged on Monday. Try not to commit to anything on Friday or Saturday to give yourself time to relax.
When you do go out socially, work on expending less energy on people-pleasing and rescuer impulses and not taking on others’ emotions or well-being. Relaxing these will make you feel more energized during social interactions.
Overthinking is extremely common currently, and it can drain your mental energy. If you realize you’re doing it, you are on your way to solving it. As I’ve talked about in the past, making a daily to-do list will help you feel accomplished when tasks are completed. List seemingly insignificant tasks such as calling a friend, washing clothes, eating vegetables, and drinking water.
To stop overthinking, divert thoughts. Read and listen more, including podcasts and fiction books. Meditation is also highly recommended daily, even if only for 5 minutes. One last suggestion to stop overthinking is to write about gratitude and positivity.
Living in today’s society is challenging for many for most of us. Advertisements, notifications, alerts, messages, and distractions constantly bombard us. We should intentionally organize some of these parts of our lives by taking some small but significant steps:
- Unsubscribe from unneeded or unwanted emails and newsletters
- Set up automated payments for services, credit cards, and more
- Use a calendar app such as Google Calendar to schedule commitments
- Create financial documents and spreadsheets
- Simplify shopping by using a service like Amazon Subscribe and Save
- Cancel unused and unneeded services by referencing bank statements.
When life feels overwhelming, remember there is no ‘normal’ life. There is only life. Also, take moments to yourself to remember that life is life, and humans have been doing it for a long time. Even with the very abrupt advances and changes in modern society, billions of people are alive right now with their own stories. This is sonder, and we are all living it. Finding the peace within it is completely under your control. We can each find it in time.
