Ten Tips to Help When You're Feeling Overwhelmed

It's the beginning of the new school year.  You have a bazillion things to do and not enough time to do any of them.  It is natural to get that old familiar overwhelmed feeling at this hectic time of year.

So I'm dedicating today's post to giving you some hopefully helpful advice.  Here are a few tips to help you deal with those overwhelmed feelings:

1. Breathe.
   Just stop and breathe.  Regroup and restart.  A breath of fresh air can go a long way to calm your frazzled nerves.
2. Take a break. 
   Stop what you are doing.  Hydrate.  Give your mind a little rest.  Refresh.  Then tackle your to-do list again.
3. Do one thing at a time.
   It is easy to get distracted by starting multiple things on your list.  Fight the tendency.  Start one thing, finish it, go on to the next.  That is the quickest way to complete your list.
4. Ask for help.
   I know.  This is HARD, but if you have an approaching deadline and you know your list is too long to finish, then, by all means, ask for help. It is okay to ask for help.  You may be surprised at how happy someone else may be to work with you on your project!  You never know until you ask.
5. Say NO!
   This may be the hardest thing of all, but if you already have too many things to do, just say, "NO!" when someone asks you to do more.  You are not doing them a favor by agreeing to do something that you do not have the time or energy to give your best.
6. Take time to take care of yourself.
   Do NOT forget to eat.  Give yourself enough time to get a good night's sleep every night.  You will finish your work sooner and better if you are nourished and rested.
7. Prioritize your to-do list. 
   Finish your least favorite tasks first.  This always helps keep me motivated.  
8. Stick to Deadlines!
   Do NOT allow others to move deadlines.  It will cause major problems for everyone who is depending on all the work being done on time.  The failure of others to plan is never an emergency on your part.  If you never make deadline exceptions, then people will eventually finish their required work on time so that you can do your work, etc.
9. Forgive yourself.
   It is okay to NOT be perfect.  It is okay to make mistakes.  We learn from mistakes.  
10. Encourage yourself.
    Reward yourself for a job well done.  Tell yourself out loud that you are doing great and you only have a few more things to do before you are caught up!  Words of encouragement really help even if they are coming from YOU.  Remember that.

I hope you've found this list a little helpful.  I have to remind myself of these things all the time.  Life is just hard when you stretch yourself too thin. 

Take care and I hope you all have a wonderful day!