Eek!!! You have 27 deadlines in the next week, work a full-time job and feel like the world is caving in on you. You hardly ever see your family, you want to make time for everyone and everything, but you feel drained and run-down.
What do you do when you run into this predicament and you're feeling utterly and completely overwhelmed?
1.Take time for yourself!
Whether this means making time to go to the gym, hit that yoga class or read that book that's been sitting on your nightstand forever, make sure you're taking care of yourself as well. You can't be everyone's Superman if you're stressed and overworked. Make sure that you're actively making time for yourself and things that you want to do as well as meeting your goals. There's no job or committment that's worth constant attention.
2. Don't commit to more than you can actually accomplish.
If you're anything like me, you probably think you can do 27 different things at the same time to 100% of your ability, and I'll be the first to tell you — you can't! Pick things you're really passionate about and keep doing those things, and reconsider things that are more stress than they're worth. Maybe drop a club, lighten your class schedule or consider cutting your hours. Just a little bit more free time will give you the freedom you want to do the things you care about.
3. Make sure to talk to other people.
Don't let your friendships go to the wayside or miss out on family time because you're too busy to have a little fun. Having a social life will refresh you and make you more ready to accomplish your goals! If you've been meaning to make plans with that friend from high school while you're home or you want to hit up that party Friday night, make sure you're making time to do those things occasionally!
4. Set deadlines for yourself.
Write down a plan of what you want to accomplish for the day, week and month, and then actively focus on those things. If you want to go to the gym three times a week, plan out when you have time to do that and work it into your schedule. Setting up a weekly schedule can help eliminate a lot of anxiety, and you can work in times where you can be productive and focus on other hobbies.
5. Sleep!
This is a big one. If you're overwhelmed, you probably aren't sleeping a lot and therefore are actually LESS productive during the day. Make sure that you're taking time to sleep and rest, as your body will get run down and you'll end up getting sick or injured, causing an even bigger time delay in checking things off your to-do list. Sleep is one of the biggest things we overlook when stressed out or overwhelmed, but it can actually help the most with anxiety and stress
What are some of your biggest tips for staying calm when life gets hectic? Share them! I'd love to learn more ways to reduce stress!