How to Cope When Life is Overwhelming and how knowing this can make all the difference
How to Cope When Life is Overwhelming
Whether you’re swamped with work and are facing career pressure or are just going through a bad phase in your personal and/or social relationships, sometimes, your life can feel like a house of cards. When life is overwhelming we can feel in chaos.
The thing is, it happens to each one of us- the inevitable burnout and overwhelming feeling that your life’s going nowhere where you want it to go- it can all get intense pretty quick.
If that’s sounding relatable at the moment, and you’re stuck and not sure what to do, here’s a bit of constructive help your way. Read on and discover some of the most actionable steps you could start implementing right away, and turn things around for the better when life is overwhelming.
You might like to try my humming meditation
Take a Time Out – when life is overwhelming you
One of the best ways to start feeling a bit more grounded and centered when your life is overwhelming is to take a literal time out- both emotional and physical.
Take yourself an hour or two away from your problems- go watch a fun movie or spend some time shopping.
Do whatever it is that can get your mind off for a short while, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly it can affect your mood and change your perspective about your situation when life is overwhelming.
Get Out When Life Is Overwhelming You
Nature is full of healing powers, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, just spending a few minutes walking on the grass, barefoot, can prove to be magically calming and relaxing. Try to spend more time close to nature, especially when you’re not feeling your best.
Take a walk in the park on your own, turn off your phone or just watch the sunset while taking deep breaths, embracing the end of the day.
When Life is Overwhelming – Be Thankful, Mindfully
Feeling thankful when you’re stressed out may seem counterintuitive, but if you take a quick pause, assess your life and situation, and compare it with even just a couple of less fortunate people you know, you’ll automatically find gratitude come your way.
No matter how rough things may seem at the moment, you’re actually blessed with a lot of things and people you might have overlooked.
Make a conscious effort to appreciate the little things in your life when life is overwhelming – like sipping on your first cup of coffee while enjoying some time alone in the balcony or yard, listening to the sounds of birds chirping, or soaking in a warm bath and letting your muscles relax after a long day at work.
Take it Easy when life is overwhelming
When life is overwhelming because you feel there’s too much to do and not enough time, maybe it is because you’re expecting too much from yourself, and setting the bar too high.
Slow down and take a step back to evaluate what you’re actually trying to do- are you feeling exhausted and cranky at the end of the day because things are really going wrong, or is it because your daily task list is way longer than an average person’s?
Remind yourself that running around to accomplish more things and ticking things off your to-do list may seem productive, but in the long run, it can lead to a bad burnout!
Say No When Life is Overwhelming
This one’s a biggie most of us struggle with. We tend to say ‘yes’ to more things than we’d like. We say ‘yes’ to relationships that are toxic, and sap us of the positive energy, we say ‘yes’ to social and work commitments that we just can’t keep up with, and so much more.
Those little ‘yes’s’ can quickly pile up, and end up making you feel either exhausted and tired or unaccomplished and unmotivated.
Learn to say ‘no’ without feeling bad about it. Say ‘yes’ only to things that make you feel excited, alive and happy, and for things and people that you know are worth taking out your time for. Setting boundaries is exceptionally important, and is one of the best ways to cope when life feels overwhelming.
Change Your Relationship with Yourself
You may have gone through life considering your body as a machine that helps you perform tasks and get things done, but in that hustle, most of us forget to listen to our body and its needs. The challenges that you face on a daily basis can take a toll on your health and eventually when life is overwhelming it can affect you as a person too, changing your behavior and perspective, among other things.
Remind yourself to stay positive, take out the time to do things that make you feel happy, and strike a healthy work-life balance as much as you possibly can. Respect your body’s and mind’s need for rest, because when you do that, you’ll find your life transforming for the positive!
Getting More Sleep is How to Cope When Life is Overwhelming
Believe it or not, but simply making sure you’re getting enough sleep can have a huge impact on the way you feel- both physically and mentally. If you can, try to take a nap during the daytime.
Sleep allows your body to recharge and get ready to tackle what the day brings, and we don’t even need to get started on how depriving yourself of this practically free luxury can mess up your body and mind.
Let it Out when life is overwhelming
If you’re someone who likes to keep your thoughts and emotions to yourself, you’re more likely to be hit by these feelings. Letting it out- even if it is in front of a super close friend can sometimes lighten the load, and make you feel a lot better. If you’re super secretive, journaling can help too! Or maybe just pen down your thoughts on a sheet of paper, and once you’re done, tear it and throw it in the bin.
The idea is to let those emotions and feelings out of you instead of keeping them bottled up inside and letting them affect you so much.
Remember that no one- literally no one actually feels all positive and happy all the time. Downtimes are bound to happen- the key is to not let it overwhelm or cripple you. Just take your time to get through it and remind yourself that it is temporary!
When life is overwhelming there really is SO much you can do about.
If you still find life is overwhelming try this further reading
changes you can easily make to improve your health and wellbeing and how to feel more excited about life
also my post on how to find peace when you can’t stop thinking
and how writing a journal improves mental health
How to have a stress free home
What to do when you feel trapped by your circmstances
What do you do if you find life is overwhelming? Do drop me a comment below.
