Almost everyone feels overwhelmed on a daily basis. I know I do!
I remember talking to friends in high school about the impossibilities of balancing academics, extra-curricular activities, life outside school and still manage to get 8 hours of sleep!
The feelings of overwhelm only became worse at university. The academics ramp up, your social life becomes more intense and an important support system and for a lot of us we are moving out of home for the first time.
I know these feelings won't go away after I graduate so I wanted to develop some tools or strategies that help me when I feel overwhelmed:
1. Have a to-do-list system
2. Give yourself a WOF
3. Change your mindset
Have a to-do-list system
At its core, I think that the feeling of overwhelm stems from a feeling of lack of control and chaos. One of my favourite concepts to deal with this is simplification.
Whenever I feel overwhelmed my mum always says "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer is one bite at a time. Aside from the fact that I have never heard of anyone eating an elephant, it reminds me that I can't deal with everything all at once. I need to break it down into simple, manageable bites.
I do this by using a to-do-list. A to-do-list can be a blessing if used properly, or a curse if not. If you don't have a system to deal with your to-do-list it can add to the overwhelm! Here's what I do:
1. Write it down. Write down everything that's swirling around in your mind. Everything from lectures to study, gym sessions, grocery shopping, catch ups with friends, presents to buy. Everything. Having it written down takes away the feeling of chaos. At this point I imagine your list can get quite long. I have a constant list in my notes app on my phone and every time something pops into my head for something I need to do, I write it down. It stops that queasy feeling in your stomach of knowing you have lots to do, but can't remember what it is. The Will & Way Journal also has a daily to-do-list so you can always stay on top of life.
2. Give it a time. Give each item a time in minutes. But, here's the crucial part. Be very conservative. If something is going to take you an hour, give it an hour and a half. Include travel times. For items that take longer than two hours, you might need to break it down smaller. The Will & Way Journal has a space on the daily to-do-list for you to record the times.
3. Prioritise. Give every item a number with 1 being the most urgent.
4. Make a plan. Create a schedule for the day. I usually start with a difficult or long item and knock it out in the morning. Then I pick another item that doesn't require as much brain power or time. This means that after a few hours I've crossed several things off my to-do-list, which makes me feel super productive, and I've also worked on something that I would have otherwise been putting off and stressing about. It makes you more efficient with your time and rewards you for getting things done. I always feel less overwhelmed at this point because I've taken back control and am managing the chaos.
5. Execute. Give each item the focus that it deserves and get on with it. Overwhelm feeds on procrastination so don't let it get out of control.
Give yourself a WOF (Warrant of Fitness)
When I get overwhelmed its easy to take it out on those around you. When I feel overwhelmed or grumpy and my to-do-list isn't helping, its usually down to one of three things.
1. Lack of sleep. Sleep changes with each person. Some of us are blessed by the Gods of sleep. Others skipped that part. Some universal tips that I find helpful are:
- Having a routine. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day was a game changer. Whilst this isn't possible for some people, it was the most beneficial thing I did for my sleep routine. Eventually my body could wake up just before my alarm and my sleep was much more restful
- Use a light alarm. I use a philips light alarm which slowly lights up and dims my room during mornings and evenings. This helps me wake up more gently and I wake up feeling well rested.
- Listen to a podcast/audiobook/netflix. We all know that screens are bad for us before bed. I often opt to listen to a podcast or an audio book. A great app for free audiobooks is Libby. All you need is your library card number. But, if that doesn't cut the mustard, then I also find watching a netflix show helpful. Just make sure to keep the screen dimmed and the volume down so bright lights and loud noises don't keep you from falling asleep.
2. Hangriness. I am definitely affected by hangriness. When it strikes it's important to have a go-to healthy option available. For me I mix some yogurt, peanut butter and cinnamon, and cut up a green apple to dip in it. It's super quick to whip up, always hits the spot and a great healthy snack! It's also important to stay hydrated. I always have a big water bottle at my desk
3. Need for movement. It's not good for us to be sitting inside all day! Sometimes all I need is a 10 minute walk and fresh air. When you're feeling stressed an overwhelmed it can be easy to not want to spend the time moving. But in the long run it will save you so much time! The alternative is often procrastinating by scrolling on your phone. I can easily spend over an hour procrastinating on my phone. But the endorphins and perspective that a quick walk outside can give you is priceless and free!
Change your mindset
When I feel overwhelmed I often find it comes attached to other feelings like anxiety, blame and resentment. "This assignment is such a time waster" "I have so much to do, why can't my team mates pull their share?"
I say fair enough. I think there are plenty of silly assignments that are just tick boxes to satisfy university politics. I know there are plenty of students riding on other student's coat tails. But unless you are comfortable with a lot of confrontation (I for one am not), then there's not much to do about it. We have to move past these feelings and just get on with it.
We have to change our mindset. I do this by changing the narrative from "I have to" to "I get to". I use this in all areas of my life and it shifts your mindset to one of gratitude. "I have to go to the gym today" becomes "I get to go to the gym today - I have a healthy body that allows me to exercise. I have the ability to move my body and become stronger and healthier." You instantly become grateful.
It helps me feel less overwhelmed because it gives me perspective and helps me recognise that I am in a position to make change.
I hope that you found something valuable in this blog post! This was a summary of our podcast - Beyond the Way. We all feel overwhelmed at some point so having the tools to tackle the emotions and anxiety that comes with it is so important!