7 quick things you can do when you feel overwhelmed

Although the year just started, I have been feeling a little overwhelmed. At first, I was excited for the start of the year. However, a combination of work responsibilities, wedding planning, and expanding the blog have caused some stress. It has not helped that I started my cut for bodybuilding competitions last week either.

If you have been following me for a while, you already know I have experienced anxiety and burnout last year. Originally, I thought this feeling was a reoccurrence of burnout. However, I was not experiencing the disengagement I felt before. In fact, I felt the opposite. Some days, I did not know what to work on first.

After figuring out that I was overwhelmed, I found ways to take extra breaks in between classes without violating my contract and teaching obligations. The breaks helped and allowed me to reset myself. I felt more productive and less stressed. Sometimes walking away for a moment can help. If you are feeling overwhelmed, continue reading for quick things you can do to help.

Things you can do right now

1. Acknowledge your feelings. Allow yourself to feel how you feel. The feeling is temporary.
2. Complete a simple task. Tackling a chore like washing the dishes can help take your mind off of things.
3. Do something you enjoy. Again, doing something else can help take your mind off of things. Sometimes i feel more productive and motivated to complete a task since I am more relaxed.
4. Exercise. “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins makes you happy (Elle Woods from Legally Blonde).
5. Or give yourself a physical break. When I was feeling anxious, exercise did not help me relax and actually made me feel worse. Taking a few days off from the gym actually helped me reset.
6. Talk to a trusted person. Talk to a therapist, significant other or close friend. I personally like to vent to my fiancé.
7. Ask for help if possible. Sometimes other people are in a better position to complete something than you are.

Final thoughts

Feeling overwhelmed is a part of life. There will be days when you feel like there is too much to do. Implementing these strategies can help you overcome this feeling. Still feeling stressed? Check out my post about stress here.

If you are consistently feeling overwhelmed and think it is overtaking your life, see professional help or call this helpline.