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Growth Health and Wellness

10 Strategies to Reduce Overwhelm

 

Do you have so much going on that you feel overwhelmed? A busy life with too many demands can lead to feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Work, family, other obligations as well as unresolved mental/emotional stress can prove to be too much at times. Not only is it hard on us mentally and emotionally, but it’s also taking a toll on us physically too.What can you do? Here are a few tips to minimize feelings of overwhelm and stress:

  1. Take a deep breath. Once you start to feel overwhelmed, things tend to go downhill quickly. Give yourself a break by relaxing, taking a deep breath, and slowing down your mind. Just a few mindful moments can help rebalance the nervous system.
  2. Focus on what you can control. In any situation, there are things you can control and things you can’t control. Keep your focus on those things you can do something about.
  3. Let go of those things that are out of your control. There’s no reason to think about it and get yourself more agitated if you can’t do anything about it. Learn to let go of anything you can’t influence.
  4. Focus on solutions. Most of us make the mistake of focusing on the problem and imagining negative outcomes. This strategy causes even more stress. If you’re going to think about the problem, commit to coming out of the thought process with a plan that moves things forward in some way.
  • Ask yourself what you can do to eliminate, delegate or lessen the sources of your stress. Write down your ideas, then put those ideas into action.
  1. Avoid making assumptions. Are things actually as stressful as you think they are? Is it possible that you’ve misinterpreted something or made something more than it needs to be? Gather all the facts before deciding if there’s a reason to be overwhelmed. Question your judgment and ensure that you’re on solid ground before hitting the panic button if at all.
  2. Give yourself a change of scenery. Get out of the house and the office for a few hours. Your environment affects your perspective. Spend some time in nature if possible. If that’s not possible, use an app with nature sounds, play some soothing music or even buy a small water feature for your desk.

7.Spend time with a friend or loved one. Sometimes we need an objective eye on an issue to put something in perspective. Sometimes we need that friend who knows how to make us laugh. Other times we need that friend who is a great listener. While you may be the one who is always able, willing, and ready to help a friend, is it time to reach out for some support yourself?8.Enjoy a relaxing activity. What relaxes you? Taking a warm bath? Going for a run? Getting a massage? Spend an hour or two decompressing in a way that signals your body and mind to calm down.9.Cut down on your obligations. Maybe you’re overcommitting. Consider limiting the number of activities you participate in. Are you taking on too many responsibilities? Just because you can do those things, doesn’t mean you should.

  • Consider which of your obligations are most important and say no to the rest.
  • 10.Remember when you’ve been overwhelmed in the past. What helped? What didn’t work? Was there some particular combination of strategies that worked well for you? See if any of them may work again for you now.

It’s easy to let the overwhelm become debilitating. Instead, try creating your “overwhelm prevention plan” filled with your top ideas you can implement when your level of stress increases. With your tips handy, you can implement your strategies when you need them most.

Dr. Debi
Founder and CEO, The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute

 

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness

10 Strategies to Reduce Overwhelm

 

Do you have so much going on that you feel overwhelmed? A busy life with too many demands can lead to feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Work, family, other obligations as well as unresolved mental/emotional stress can prove to be too much at times. Not only is it hard on us mentally and emotionally, but it’s also taking a toll on us physically too.What can you do? Here are a few tips to minimize feelings of overwhelm and stress:

  1. Take a deep breath. Once you start to feel overwhelmed, things tend to go downhill quickly. Give yourself a break by relaxing, taking a deep breath, and slowing down your mind. Just a few mindful moments can help rebalance the nervous system.
  2. Focus on what you can control. In any situation, there are things you can control and things you can’t control. Keep your focus on those things you can do something about.
  3. Let go of those things that are out of your control. There’s no reason to think about it and get yourself more agitated if you can’t do anything about it. Learn to let go of anything you can’t influence.
  4. Focus on solutions. Most of us make the mistake of focusing on the problem and imagining negative outcomes. This strategy causes even more stress. If you’re going to think about the problem, commit to coming out of the thought process with a plan that moves things forward in some way.
  • Ask yourself what you can do to eliminate, delegate or lessen the sources of your stress. Write down your ideas, then put those ideas into action.
  1. Avoid making assumptions. Are things actually as stressful as you think they are? Is it possible that you’ve misinterpreted something or made something more than it needs to be? Gather all the facts before deciding if there’s a reason to be overwhelmed. Question your judgment and ensure that you’re on solid ground before hitting the panic button if at all.
  2. Give yourself a change of scenery. Get out of the house and the office for a few hours. Your environment affects your perspective. Spend some time in nature if possible. If that’s not possible, use an app with nature sounds, play some soothing music or even buy a small water feature for your desk.

7.Spend time with a friend or loved one. Sometimes we need an objective eye on an issue to put something in perspective. Sometimes we need that friend who knows how to make us laugh. Other times we need that friend who is a great listener. While you may be the one who is always able, willing, and ready to help a friend, is it time to reach out for some support yourself?8.Enjoy a relaxing activity. What relaxes you? Taking a warm bath? Going for a run? Getting a massage? Spend an hour or two decompressing in a way that signals your body and mind to calm down.9.Cut down on your obligations. Maybe you’re overcommitting. Consider limiting the number of activities you participate in. Are you taking on too many responsibilities? Just because you can do those things, doesn’t mean you should.

  • Consider which of your obligations are most important and say no to the rest.
  • 10.Remember when you’ve been overwhelmed in the past. What helped? What didn’t work? Was there some particular combination of strategies that worked well for you? See if any of them may work again for you now.

It’s easy to let the overwhelm become debilitating. Instead, try creating your “overwhelm prevention plan” filled with your top ideas you can implement when your level of stress increases. With your tips handy, you can implement your strategies when you need them most.

Dr. Debi
Founder and CEO, The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute

 

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness

Top Tips to Reducing Stress

Stress, whether caused by a major crisis or something minor, is something most of us have experienced at some point in our lives. While for some it’s not often, for others it’s a daily occurrence. Since it’s something most of us go through, we need to learn how to effectively manage stress.

Even the happiest people on the planet experience some amount of stress. It’s not the stress that’s necessarily the problem, it’s how they move through it.

The body is beautifully designed to manage acute stress (for example, jumping out of harm’s way if a car is coming towards you). When stress is chronic and prolonged however, that’s when it becomes toxic and burdens the body. So since there will always be some amount of stress in your life, how can you manage it more effectively?

Try these tips:

     1. Do some physical exercise. (Check with your doctor first). While it might seem contradictory to combat stress with physical exercise, exerting your body appropriately can help you manage stress.

  • Whether it’s the rhythmic movement of a walk to allow you to decompress, or hitting a punching bag to release the pent-up emotions, exercise is a powerful way to reduce stress while elevating your mood as well.
  • Exercise can relieve brain fog, relieve stress, and help you feel more in control of your emotions. A good exercise routine can also support quality sleep, which is important for stress management.
  • To begin exercising, you might try taking a walk, doing some yoga poses, lifting weights, or taking a class. Once you find something you like, make it a regular part of your routine.
  • You’ll find that the positive effects on your health, mind, and mood will make exercising a stress-relieving activity you look forward to.

     2. Focus on your breathing. A simple task like focusing on your breathing can quickly calm you down and help rebalance the nervous system. Focus on breathing in and out. Count how many seconds it takes for one inhalation and exhalation.

  • At first, this might sound like an easy goal. But you may be surprised that it can be challenging to concentrate on your breathing. Like anything else, it gets easier the more you practice.
  • The best thing about breathing is that you can do it anywhere and at any time. I mean, you’re breathing anyway, right? It won’t make you feel uncomfortable if people are around because no one will know what you’re doing.

3. Limit caffeine. Caffeinated drinks are causes of stress for many people. Caffeine has a stimulant effect that creates anxiety for some and causes them to feel jittery.

  • Instead of drinking coffee, try drinking decaffeinated tea in the morning or herbal tea at night. The herbs in tea have calming properties, helping you relax and fall asleep.
  • And although you may feel tempted to drink several cups of coffee during the day, best to stop drinking anything caffeinated by noon to ensure it won’t disrupt your sleep.

Top Tips to Reducing Stress

4. Spend time with those you love. Your social support system can have a major positive effect, helping you deal with your stress. If you don’t currently surround yourself with loving and supportive people, reach out and build stronger connections.

  • Closeness and connection releases oxytocin, a hormone that promotes feelings of calm and relaxation.
  • Spending time with those you love also allows for time for love and laughter. Laughing is great to combat stress and a good belly laugh will work your abs too!

5. Supplement appropriately. Toxic, unmanaged stress creates a continual demand for your adrenals to output cortisol-the stress hormone. Over time, this creates symptoms, illnesses, and conditions. Rebalance your adrenals and create a sense of calm by supplementing appropriately.

Managing stress is about finding healthy ways to handle an appropriate amount of stress while finding other ways to reduce, eliminate and/or delegate whatever is creating a sense of overload. Only you know what’s important for you to handle and what you may be better off letting go of. And, while it may be hard to seek support when stress levels get too high, it’s important for your health, well-being, and sanity.

Dr. Debi

Founder and CEO, The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness

Top Tips to Reducing Stress

Stress, whether caused by a major crisis or something minor, is something most of us have experienced at some point in our lives. While for some it’s not often, for others it’s a daily occurrence. Since it’s something most of us go through, we need to learn how to effectively manage stress.

Even the happiest people on the planet experience some amount of stress. It’s not the stress that’s necessarily the problem, it’s how they move through it.

The body is beautifully designed to manage acute stress (for example, jumping out of harm’s way if a car is coming towards you). When stress is chronic and prolonged however, that’s when it becomes toxic and burdens the body. So since there will always be some amount of stress in your life, how can you manage it more effectively?

Try these tips:

     1. Do some physical exercise. (Check with your doctor first). While it might seem contradictory to combat stress with physical exercise, exerting your body appropriately can help you manage stress.

  • Whether it’s the rhythmic movement of a walk to allow you to decompress, or hitting a punching bag to release the pent-up emotions, exercise is a powerful way to reduce stress while elevating your mood as well.
  • Exercise can relieve brain fog, relieve stress, and help you feel more in control of your emotions. A good exercise routine can also support quality sleep, which is important for stress management.
  • To begin exercising, you might try taking a walk, doing some yoga poses, lifting weights, or taking a class. Once you find something you like, make it a regular part of your routine.
  • You’ll find that the positive effects on your health, mind, and mood will make exercising a stress-relieving activity you look forward to.

     2. Focus on your breathing. A simple task like focusing on your breathing can quickly calm you down and help rebalance the nervous system. Focus on breathing in and out. Count how many seconds it takes for one inhalation and exhalation.

  • At first, this might sound like an easy goal. But you may be surprised that it can be challenging to concentrate on your breathing. Like anything else, it gets easier the more you practice.
  • The best thing about breathing is that you can do it anywhere and at any time. I mean, you’re breathing anyway, right? It won’t make you feel uncomfortable if people are around because no one will know what you’re doing.

3. Limit caffeine. Caffeinated drinks are causes of stress for many people. Caffeine has a stimulant effect that creates anxiety for some and causes them to feel jittery.

  • Instead of drinking coffee, try drinking decaffeinated tea in the morning or herbal tea at night. The herbs in tea have calming properties, helping you relax and fall asleep.
  • And although you may feel tempted to drink several cups of coffee during the day, best to stop drinking anything caffeinated by noon to ensure it won’t disrupt your sleep.

Top Tips to Reducing Stress

4. Spend time with those you love. Your social support system can have a major positive effect, helping you deal with your stress. If you don’t currently surround yourself with loving and supportive people, reach out and build stronger connections.

  • Closeness and connection releases oxytocin, a hormone that promotes feelings of calm and relaxation.
  • Spending time with those you love also allows for time for love and laughter. Laughing is great to combat stress and a good belly laugh will work your abs too!

5. Supplement appropriately. Toxic, unmanaged stress creates a continual demand for your adrenals to output cortisol-the stress hormone. Over time, this creates symptoms, illnesses, and conditions. Rebalance your adrenals and create a sense of calm by supplementing appropriately.

Managing stress is about finding healthy ways to handle an appropriate amount of stress while finding other ways to reduce, eliminate and/or delegate whatever is creating a sense of overload. Only you know what’s important for you to handle and what you may be better off letting go of. And, while it may be hard to seek support when stress levels get too high, it’s important for your health, well-being, and sanity.

Dr. Debi

Founder and CEO, The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute