Guest article: 5 Top Tips to Handle Feeling Overwhelmed

How do you handle feeling overwhelmed? The past year has stretched us, most of us have been put right out of our comfort zone. Many of us have had to juggle more than we’d like – whether that was having a family member suffering with Covid, working at home on the kitchen table, educating children, losing income, covering for colleagues who were ill, furloughed or otherwise unable to work and, in some cases all of the above.

Even as restrictions ease you may be feeling that your plate has just too much on it.  We asked Thalia Carr, an expert at helping sustainability and purpose driven professionals and their teams be resilient, motivated and energetic, for her 5 top tips to handle feeling overwhelmed.

 

Here are her top suggestions:

1)      Realise that these are feelings of being overwhelmed, that is not the same as being overwhelmed and unable to cope, they are feelings. Notice what the feelings are and be kind to yourself, as you would if your good friend was feeling that way.

2)      Take a good long look at what is making you feel overwhelmed. That might mean writing down everything you feel you have to do. If it is not possible to do all those things (given that you are probably not superwoman) then cross off the ones you can’t do – maybe you can get someone else to do them or put them off till a lot later.

3)      Think of what makes you feel well and strong – that could be time with friends, good food, laughing at your favourite TV programme – and plan some of that in.

4)      Ditch perfection – whether that’s getting some wording perfect or pairing up all the socks in the washing, good enough is good enough.

5)      Stay in the present. Yesterday is over so nothing you think or do can change it. Tomorrow can be faced tomorrow. If you really consider how things are right now, this minute, you’ll probably find it’s OK – you are well, warm, fed, sheltered and you have friends.

 


Thalia Carr is one of our specialists who have written masterclasses for the Women in Sustainability Digital Community membership.

Building on these 5 top tips to handle feeling overwhelmed,  another key part of reducing feelings of overwhelm is learning how to say ‘no’. If that’s a challenge for you click here for a free resource from Thalia on how to say NO. 

A simple strategy for how to say no and mean it is also shared here in another WINS blog post.