5 Ways to Deal with Feeling Overwhelmed

by | May 10, 2015 | Life Coaching, Psychological

Tips, Tools and Advice

Do you look around at your stuff and your “to-do” list and just feel overwhelmed by it all? PensiveWoman

With today’s hectic pace of life, many of people, including a lot of my clients (when I first met them) feel this way as well. But what does one do to cope with this situation? Here are five suggestions to deal with your feelings of being over-whelmed:

  1. Say out loud: “Oh well”—this means that you’re going to give yourself a break and stop beating yourself up over your disorganization and/or your procrastination. Feeling guilty or ashamed just make you unable to deal with the situation effectively. Treating yourself with kindness allows you to make good decisions moving forward.
  2. Learn to say “no”. Really. If you’re falling behind on your day-to-day tasks, then volunteering or committing to anything that isn’t crucial to your life is an added burden. Politely refuse and say you will consider it in the future.
  3. Write everything down. Keep a daily planner and write down everything you want to accomplish. Very few people can remember everything in their head. Look over the daily lists. Is everything on the lists realistic? Can the list be pared down?
  4. Break up organizing projects into mini projects. Even professional organizers cannot organize an entire basement, that’s accumulated stuff over 25 years, in one day. Work on one section at a time. Throw an old sheet over the other section if that is too distracting. Use a kitchen timer and work on the project for 30-60 minutes. After the lapsed work session, see how you feel and determine if you can work further.
  5. Hire a professional organizer to help you with your disorganization and procrastination. Consider working with an organizer who is trained* or at least sensitive enough to deal with psychological issues, such as feelings of being overwhelmed, shame and guilt.

 

 

*I am a professional organizer with a BS in psychology and I am also a certified Wellness Counselor. I am sensitive to those who are struggling with emotions and feelings that may contribute to their disorganization and procrastination. In certain circumstances, I have used the Emotional Freedom Technique, known as tapping, to help people break through their emotional blockages.