How To Make It Through The Day (And Life) When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed
Feeling overwhelmed and tired is a regular occurrence but it is possible to get through it.
Getty Our modern lives are chaotic, jam-packed, and exhausting and it can be hard to make it through the day when you are feeling overwhelmed and tired. And because it seems that every day is the same it can be very hard to get ahead of it all.
It is possible to get through those overwhelming and exhausting days. All it takes is a little awareness and intention and you can do it!
Here are 5 ways you can make it through the day when you're feeling overwhelmed and tired:
1. Make a list and prioritize.
When you are feeling overwhelmed and tired, just thinking about all of the things that need to be done can shut you down for the day. And shutting yourself down for the day is definitely not what you need because that will only lead to more overwhelm tomorrow!
So take a minute and make a list of everything that you think needs to be done today. Once you have a list make a list of everything that really needs to be done today. And then take that list and prioritize what needs to be done first, second, and third.
2. Take it one step at a time.
Once you have your list, it’s important to start at the beginning. You have a list and it’s prioritized and now it’s time to take it one step at a time.
Another cause of overwhelm is that we jump too quickly ahead or start to visualize an end result that isn’t what we want it to be and so we get derailed.
So take each item on your list, individually. And if something gets in the way don’t give up. Get back to your list and keep moving forward.
3. Do something for yourself.
A key part of surviving through exhaustion and overwhelm is to do something to take care of yourself. When we are at the end of our rope, our tendency is to put ourselves on the back burner and everyone and everything ahead of us.
It’s important that we take even just a little bit of time to do something for ourselves and recharge our batteries.
What would work for you? Perhaps it’s a walk or a run, a mid-morning croissant snack, tea with a friend, a pedicure, or even a massage. Whatever would work for you to make your day just a little more manageable.
4. Remember to eat and eat well.
When we are running around like crazy we tend to forget to eat. Or if we do eat, we eat something that isn’t good for us.
An important part of fighting overwhelm is to make sure that we eat well, food that will fuel our journey through the day.
What kind of food? Protein is the most important — eggs, nuts, chicken, and cheese. Make sure to eat a good breakfast and lunch or, at the very least, keep some protein with you to snack on. A bag of almonds in the glove box can make a huge difference.
5. Take a cat nap.
I know you are laughing at the thought of fitting a nap into your crazy day but if you possibly can it will make a huge difference.
I am the queen of the 20 minutes nap in the car. I pull over in the shade or sun, depending on the season, put my seat back and snooze for 20 minutes. When I wake up, my energy levels are definitely up and I can get through the rest of my day.
So try to make some time to snooze. It will be totally worth it!
This crazy modern life we lead makes being overwhelmed and tired a regular occurrence. And, since tropical vacations aren’t usually available to help us recharge, it’s important that we do what we can do to get through the day.
So make a list, set your priorities and take care of yourself. If you can take care of yourself then you will better be able to take care of others. And get yourself through the day intact and ready for another one tomorrow.
Mitzi Bockmann is a New York City-based Certified Life Coach. Looking for other ways to get through being overwhelmed and tired? Contact her for help.