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How to Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed

By Operation Meditation

Do you ever feel like life is too much? Like if you get one more plate added to your table, it’s just going to crumble under the pressure?

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you have so many things to do. The house has to be cleaned, the laundry has to be done, someone has to help the kids with their homework, and that’s after you get done running them to and from their sports practice. Oh yeah, don’t forget about your full-time job too.

When you’re running twenty different directions at once, it’s bound to catch up to you at some point and leave you feeling overwhelmed. If that happens, you become ineffective and inefficient and life feels much harder than it has to be.

Reality is that you’ll always have things that you’re obligated to do. So, how do you keep everything going without feeling like it’s too much?

Break things into manageable parts. If there is a huge job that you need to do, break it down into smaller increments. For example, if you have to clean the garage, commit to doing one quarter of it a day for four days. This way you’re not trying to carve out a huge block of time in your already full schedule and yet you’ll still get it done.

Don’t take on more than you can handle. This is one of the easiest ways to avoid overwhelm because it’s something you have complete control over. Be willing to say no when you already have too much going on. Not only will it help you take care of you but it will also reinforce appropriate boundaries with others.

Focus on how far you’ve come, not how far you have to go. If you pay attention to how much progress you’ve made so far instead of all the work that lays ahead of you, it helps motivate you. It’s easier to take steps forward because you have the energy to keep going.

Stay positive. If you keep telling yourself how overwhelmed you are, you will increase your feeling of overwhelm. Your energy goes where you direct it, so if you direct it to something negative, like feeling like life is too much, you magnify the effect.

Direct your energy to being positive. I know it’s hard when you’re struggling, but staying positive makes life so easier and more enjoyable. Your struggles will lessen eventually, so make the time pleasant while you’re waiting for that to happen.

Keep faith. Even though it’s difficult for you right now, have faith that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be at that moment in time. Accept your hurdles as challenges that will make you stronger and use them to build your character. Look for learning opportunities and chances to grow as a person.

Take some time for yourself on a regular basis. I know it’s hard to find time to do the things you want to do when you have so many obligations, but if you want any shot at staying sane then you need to make ‘me time’ a priority. Go for a walk, read a book or take a bath. Let go of your to-do list and focus on you.

A great way to renew your energy and rejuvenate your body is to meditate. Sit by yourself in complete silence and just be. If you take a few minutes every day, let go of the stress, anxiety and worry and relax your body you’ll feel much more capable of handling whatever comes your way.

When life feels like it’s too much, there are many things you can do to ease the load. Take care of yourself, make time for yourself and keep the faith that you’ll make it through it. You will. You’ve made it through worse, right?

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