Empower yourself: 4 tips for managing overwhelm

Managing stress when you’re juggling responsibilities at home and at work, and often neglecting your own needs at the same time, is challenging. It often feels impossible to get the balance right, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s essential that you take steps to address this.

Here are a few tips to help you reduce and cope with your stress.

Take breaks

Take short breaks throughout the day to recharge your batteries. It can be as simple as going for a walk or taking a few deep breaths. If you feel as though you don’t have time to take a break, this is exactly the time when you need to take a break.

When I’m busy and don’t have time between appointments to go for a walk, I’ll open the window and take a few deep breaths before starting my next meeting. My neighbours probably think I’m weird when I’m sticking my head out of the window, but a few deep breaths away from my laptop can help me focus.

If you spend a lot of time in front of a screen, a few simple stretches between meetings can help to reduce tension in the body. It doesn’t need to be a full yoga session – a few simple stretches will only take a few minutes.

Breathe

When you’re feeling stressed, your breathing can become shallow. Breathing exercises can help you become aware of when this is happening. One of my favourites is box breathing where you breathe in for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, breathe out for four and hold your breath for four. If you do this a few times, it will help you feel calmer. 

Meditation can also help to reduce stress, but it needs to be done regularly to be effective. This doesn’t need to take a lot of time, though. A few minutes a day, done consistently, will help to reduce stress.

Set realistic expectations

Be realistic about what you can accomplish in a day and avoid overloading yourself. It’s ok to say no when you’re stretched too thin.

If you feel guilty for saying no, remind yourself that if you take on too much, you’ll have less time to spend with your family and friends. To help you manage any guilt you might be feeling, accept that you might not able to do everything perfectly and that’s ok.

We often beat ourselves up and feel like we’re failing if we can’t do everything, but no one is perfect and if you can juggle every aspect of your life, you’re definitely not failing! Try to let go of the guilt and focus on what you’re doing well.

Prioritise yourself

You might spend most of your time thinking about other people’s needs, but don’t forget your own. If you’re not looking after your own wellbeing, you can’t take care of anyone else’s.

Make sure you take care of your physical and mental health by eating a healthy diet, getting some exercise and prioritising sleep. Try to make time for activities that you enjoy so you have something to look forward to and which will give you a break from the day-to-day tasks.

Remember that it's natural to feel stressed at times, but taking proactive steps to manage stress can help your overall wellbeing. Find what works best for you and develop healthy habits to help you deal with stress.