5 Ways to Stay Confident When You Are Overwhelmed
There will always be more to do than you can do. No matter how efficient you are and how many systems you use, there will always be more to do than hours in the day, and this can lead to feelings of overwhelm.
We have all felt that sensation in our stomach when we get too many things to do. We don’t know how to prioritize and where to start, a feeling like we are drowning. But knowing that there are steps you can take to stay confident and productive can really help you to stay on top of your game.
Here are 5 ways on how we can stay confident and productive when overwhelmed:
Know why you are overwhelmed, understand your feelings
Are you feeling like you have no control over your feelings and emotions? If it’s a yes, then you are not alone.
This feeling can be so intense that you might feel like you’re drowning in your own emotions. During these times, you only have to remind yourself —
You are human.
This means that you are not perfect, and you will make mistakes. But it also means that you are strong and you can overcome anything. When you are overwhelmed and feel like you’re drowning, you need to understand what is causing you to feel this way. You need to understand why you are overwhelmed. Once you know your “why”, you can take steps to regain your balance and control.
Making realistic plans — Learn to prioritize and do what matters the most
You can easily get overwhelmed by how much you have to do. When this happens, you need to make sure that you do not waste your time on things that are not important. You have to set realistic plans. What is important at that moment? You need to calm down to prioritize your tasks, otherwise, you will be confused about what’s important and what’s not.
Prioritizing will help you get better control of what is going on. You won’t be mentally drained and will be energetic to complete the tasks.
Learn to disconnect
Have you ever felt out of control? Not able to calm yourself and take a breath? It’s hard to stay calm and collected when you’re feeling overwhelmed. When you’re stressed and anxious, you lose hope and you start to blame yourself.
“I’m the problem! I can’t get anything done!”
You start to worry and become defensive. You start to feel like a failure.
But what is something that can help you get away from this phase?
You need to disconnect.
That’s right — disconnection! Many of us are so connected to the devices that we never truly disconnect and stretch out. We never give ourselves a chance to recharge and relax. And that’s what you need to do because you can’t get anything done when you’re exhausted, overworked, and are constantly distracted.
Take advantage of your strengths
You can have everything you want in life, but you can’t have everything you want, all at once.
You simply need to take a sit back and relax. Ask yourself, “what am I good at? How can I solve this situation using my strengths?”
You’re likely going to notice that you have strengths that you can rely on to help you get through your day or week. You can stop yourself from getting overwhelmed by planning to use your strengths.
If you don’t feel like you have any strengths, it’s time to start asking the right questions.
What do you enjoy doing?
What do you have the most experience in?
What makes you happy?
How can you do more of that in your day?
Learn to say ‘No’
A lot of people are afraid to say no, and this is probably because they are afraid, that they will be judged or that they won’t be liked. But saying no once in a while can actually be quite liberating and will allow you to focus on the things that are important to you.
Saying no to people, to things, and even to yourself is a way to show the people in your life what your boundaries are. The more you practice saying no, the more comfortable you’ll get with it, and the easier it will become.
We’re all overwhelmed by something at some point in our lives. Whether it’s too much to do at work, or too many bills to pay, it’s stressful and can bring down your confidence. No one is immune to feeling overwhelmed, but you can stay confident and calm by just accepting and giving yourself a space to breathe.
Don’t let circumstances of life crush you, my friend.
So, how do you deal with your emotions when you are overwhelmed? Come and share in the comments section.
