Steps to Avoid that Overwhelmed Feeling

Bertrand Russel had once said, “One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.”  How many of us have gone through a state of mind when we are totally overwhelmed by all the things we need to do and the lack of time to do them in? A certain amount of stress could act as motivation, but there is no excuse for allowing it to totally take control of our lives. The first step of course is to realize what you are feeling.

Recognizing the Symptoms

You know you are feeling overwhelmed when you experience the following:

• You have problems remembering the simplest things, cannot concentrate and take rash decisions.
• You become moody and irritable, losing your temper at the slightest provocation. At times you feel totally isolated.
• Physically, you start complaining of aches, frequent colds, bouts of constipation or diarrhea, nausea, chest pain, rapid heartbeat and dizziness.
• Pacing the floor, nail biting and depending on alcohol or cigarettes to calm your nerves means the stress is getting to you and you need to take strong steps to curb it now.

Ways to Overcome the Feeling of Being Overwhelmed

Admitting you are overwhelmed does not mean you are lazy. These tips to formulate a plan of action will definitely help you.

• Breathe deeply and clear your mind of all thoughts for a few minutes to relax your body, heart and nerves.
• Physical calmness will help you focus on your targets. Long term goals in career, finance and personal life come first, followed by short term goals.
• Set down tasks according to priority. Those related to your long term goals are top priority.
• Delete tasks with no positive returns as well as those with no connection to your goals.
• Then act on your plan. The most effective method is to attack the toughest job first.
• Turn off all electronic interruptions like email and instant messaging while working. However, do set up a separate time to deal with them in the day. Putting them off indefinitely will only increase your burden.
• Switching between tasks is a waste of time. Concentrate on one thing at a time.
• Do not over commit.
• Plan leisure time that nourishes your soul like socializing with family, friends or a good game of your favorite sport.