The cold chill of winter is passing but we’re still slogging through the cold, dark winter months, and with our lives being so busy the inevitable result is stress, stress, and more stress!
When we start to become overwhelmed it’s easy for every little thing to stress us out. This is why it's so important to learn how to live with, manage, and keep stress from ruling our lives.
Being aware of your particular stress triggers can help develop some coping strategies. Here are some of the habits that contribute to that feeling of being overwhelmed, and some possible ways to help you cope.
Multitasking
Whenever there are too many things going on at once, you can feel completely buried in stress. It isn’t realistic to expect to only have one thing going on in our lives at any given time, so being organized and managing time well can help ease some of this stress. When our attention is divided on multiple tasks our energy is zapped, our productivity decreases, and the quality of our work suffers.
To avoid feeling overwhelmed by all the tasks in front of you, try to get in the habit of doing one thing at a time, writing things down, making lists, and having a flexible schedule with respect to when tasks can be completed. When you implement a time management strategy, and can cross things of a list, it not only gives your brain the belief that there is enough time to get everything done, but also provides you with a sense of completion as you scratch tasks off your lists.
Too Much Time on the Internet and on an Electronic Device
This is a big one for most people. It’s very easy to get sucked into hours of mindless internet surfing and social media browsing.
We do live in an internet age, and our jobs often require us to be “connected,” but staring at screens 24/7 isn't good for our brains, our eyes, or our psyche. Social media can bring up a lot of emotion, and reading about the craziness in our world can be a huge stress trigger.
A stress reduction strategy that works for many people with respect to the “connected world,” is to allot a set amount of time per day that can be used to check in online. Once you’re done, you’re done. It’s not easy sometimes but giving your brain a break really helps your overall sense of peace and calm.
Saying Yes to Too Much
Are you one of those people whose schedule is packed to the brim? Do you say yes to every invitation, opportunity or event? Chances are your packed schedule is leaving you very little alone time which can definitely take its toll on your sense of calm.
If you’re at involved in the world around you then I’m sure it is very important to be involved, and to give back to others. However, it is equally as important to have the space in between to breathe, be still, and regroup.
It is okay to say no to the things that don't really bring you joy and satisfaction, and dedicate that time to being still with your thoughts. This type of contemplative “you time” goes a long way to restoring our bodies, minds, and spirits.
I hope you can relate to some of these triggers and solutions, and work on coming up with some strategies of your own to manage stress with ease!