What To Do When You Are Overwhelmed

Ever have one of those days where you yearn for a reset?

Yesterday, by 10:30am, I had already had one of those days!

I woke up, had my morning coffee, and began feeling a headache creep in. I spent some time with my kids (we homeschool them), got on a call with a friend, then sat down to start chipping away at my to-do list.

The headache had moved from visiting me to taking up residence in my head!

I could tell it was mostly going to be a lost day for me.

And I was ok with it.

Here is what you need to do when you realize your day has gotten away from you.

Be gentle with yourself.

There is no point in getting frustrated with yourself, stressing yourself out, and trying to catch up. Yes, you should do your best, and if you’re still at work, not cheat your employer. Keep working as hard as you can, but be gentle with yourself, giving yourself lots of grace for not getting done what you wanted to, but celebrating what you were able to do.

Do what you can.

There is always a big project looming, work on the desk, or appointments to keep. Sometimes, following through with an appointment means you will have to let some busier work go until the next day. Do what you can and be happy with it.

Take your big priorities and schedule them elsewhere in your week.

If you’ve fallen behind because of a headache or because something else has jammed you up, you will not be able to catch up on that day. Protect your mental health. Look at your calendar for the rest of the week (or next), prioritize what must be done quickly and what can be delegated out, and push some of those items until later in the week.

Go for a walk.

Sometimes, just getting out of your office or workspace, walking for 30 minutes, and clearing your head will do wonders. You might even find that you are not as overwhelmed as you thought you were! Take initiative and take care of yourself by doing something that is healthy and good for you.

Being overwhelmed at times happens to everyone and is nothing to be ashamed of.

Take care of yourself, be gentle with yourself, and do your best.

#mentalhealth #selfcare #habits #selfcarematters

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