There are times in our lives when we all feel overwhelmed whether it’s with school, university, work or just life in general. In these moments we need to remember to take care of our mental health. It is also important not to bottle up these feelings and let them build up but rather find an outlet that will help you overcome these feelings.
Step back and take a deep breath
A quick way to reduce the feelings of being overwhelmed is to follow these two simple instructions;
- If the cause of these feelings is right in front of you such as a task at work or a deadline, take a step back by going outside for a few minutes
- Take a deep breath by focusing on each inhale and exhale. This intake of air into your body can help slow down your heart rate and calm your nerves. Once you have overcome these feelings you can go back to your work more relaxed and with a fresh perspective.
Talk it through
A supportive network of people can be vital as they can give you someone to lean on in difficult times. Reach out to a friend, family member or loved one and talk through what is making you feel this way. This in itself can be a great source of relief as you can vent out your feelings to them. This would also allow them to be able to objectively see what is causing you to feel overwhelmed so they can provide you with solutions to help alleviate these feelings.
Time out
Many of us find our lives totally consumed by our jobs, we go to work for most of the day, then come back home only to carry on from where we have left off. This is bad for your physical and mental well-being as it will eventually lead to you feeling overwhelmed, stressed and burnt out. Therefore, you should find some time in your day to do something completely unrelated to work, this could be watching a movie, catching up on a tv series or diving back into a book.
Write it down
Writing down how you are feeling on a piece of paper can be an effective tool for relief. This is because it helps you get everything that you are worried about out of your head. By doing this some people have also found that it is a better way to process their emotions.
Exercise
Exercise can be great for stress release as it gives you an outlet to blow off any steam and frustration. It does not have to be anything particularly straining; you can do this by just going for a run, a swim or a light walk in the park. You would then be able to return to the rest of your day motivated, focused and with a clear mind.
Therapy
If you have tried the coping mechanisms listed above and they are proving ineffective it could be worth speaking to a therapist. This would give you the chance to find the root cause of what is making you feel overwhelmed. The therapist would then be able to provide you with coping strategies that are tailored to your specific needs.
Remember that these feelings of being overwhelmed are simply temporary and by following the tips laid out above you will learn some coping mechanisms to help you manage overcome these feelings.