Do you ever feel completely frazzled and stressed? Overwhelmed perhaps?
This is a common human experience most of us can relate to. When we are having a hard time, it’s natural for our minds to have more negative and worrisome thoughts, and to ‘latch onto’ certain themes (often associated with fear, obligation, guilt, overwhelm, not being good enough, etc). This can really spiral our mood downwards and increase anxiety.
For most of us, it is difficult at these times to take a pause…to breathe…to stay focussed on the present moment. Instead, our minds tend to carry us away and we get all caught up and fused with the stories of our mind.
Below are some tips that might help you at these times:
- Stop. Take a pause. Take some time out. Focus on breathing slowly…breathing out slowly. Do several rounds of this.
- Relaxation time is a priority and very important to giving the nervous system a chance to unwind. Often, relaxation is seen as a last priority, however doing nothing is often the most important thing a person can do in a day.
- Remind yourself you have had this feeling before and can get through. It feels awful, but you will come through it. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed at times. Remember most things don’t have to be done now. Remember you are not a failure if something doesn’t get done. It’s also ok to take shortcuts – done is better than perfect.
- Remind yourself your feelings are most likely due to stress – and that you can manage this through slow breathing, relaxation, calming self-talk, and facing situations.
- Try and think of how you might be able to take a shortcut or reduce the pressure – eg. order in shopping; push back an appointment; drop ironing off to an ironing service; hire a cleaner to come once per fortnight; vacuum floors instead of mopping; ask for help; order in healthy dinner; buy easy healthy dinners for busy weeks.
- Before entering stressful situations, or before commencing a day that you know will be very busy and stressful, imagine yourself coping with it in a calm way – visualise how you will look, feel, speak calmly, cope with some things not getting done, etc. When facing stressful situations, encourage yourself eg. “I can do this” “I’ve done this before and will be ok” “feeling sick and anxious does not have to stop me from doing anything” “I can feel anxious and stay in the situation and try and focus on what’s happening around me instead of how I feel”, “most things don’t have to be done – I can prioritise and let some things go without being a failure”, and “everyone’s different and can cope with different things – it’s not helpful to ever compare myself to others; I need to honour who I am and see the strengths in myself”.
- If something unexpected happens, try as much as you can to practice staying calm. Remind yourself you have been able to deal with these situations in the past and can do it again.
- After having gotten through a stressful situation – praise yourself for having faced something hard and having coped, as this can help build your confidence over time; remind yourself each little step in dealing with stress is a step closer to managing your anxiety (rather than it managing you).
- Try acknowledging “anxiety” without buying into the alarming nature of some of your thoughts (as this can help create some distance in your mind from the thoughts).
- Try engaging in an activity ‘mindfully’ – focussing on all 5 senses in whatever you are doing at the time.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you would like some help. To enquire about an appointment at Moving Forward Clinical Psychologists, please complete our Online Contact Form, and a member of our team will be in touch shortly. Alternatively, please call us on 1300 133 013. Our experienced Clinical Psychologists are located in Terrigal (10 minutes from Erina) on the beautiful NSW Central Coast. We are also available Australia wide, via Telehealth.