Feeling overwhelmed? I’m noticing a trend…. More people are finding themselves feeling overwhelmed, having difficulty concentrating, can’t switch off, easily distracted, lacking motivation. For some people, this often leads to stress, anxiety and a bad night’s sleep. Does this sound like a familiar story to you? I can certainly relate. I consider my mental health as important as my physical health. Over the years, I’ve tried a few self care activities that have helped me calm my mind, manage stress, decrease overwhelm and improve my focus. Today I wanted to share my favourites with you.
Start the day putting pen to paper
In today’s online world it seems unnecessary to put pen to paper. Now, the following exercises can be done on a device, but I do find words flow easier when I have a pen and a pretty journal in my hand.
Visualise your day.
Start by writing down how you want your day to unfold. Perhaps you have an important meeting, and you’re feeling a little nervous. Visualising your day can help reduce anxiety and set a positive tone. When I have a busy day, I like to visualise myself calmly completing tasks. Picture the environment, greeting people, sitting down, and stepping through the meeting. Think about the tone, people’s reactions, how you feel, and a successful outcome.
Gratitude
Spending time at the beginning or the end of the day to reflect on what you are thankful for or what has gone well can help to boost your mood and mental health. At home we like to do this at the dinner table with everyone listing one thing that happened today that they are grateful for/ happy about. Add variety by changing the topic – a funny thing that happened today, one thing you learnt today.
Prioritise your to do’s.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by your daily to do list? I start my day by identifying my top three tasks and focus on getting these done. I then roughly look at what else is to be done and give them a priority. After a while some things fall off the list, as they become less important. This simple practice can help reduce stress and help manage overwhelm, making your day feel manageable.
End of day reflection
Take time to assess what went well, what challenges you faced and how you might approach things differently next time. I find this reflection helps me to improve in all different areas of my life and over time, even the most difficult tasks become less overwhelming.
Meditation
Do you think you’re too busy to meditate? One of my favourite quotes is “You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes everyday – unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour.” by Sukhraj S. Dhillon. Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit your emotional well-being and your overall health. It’s a powerful way to reduce overwhelm and manage stress and anxiety, reminding us to look after ourselves first so that everything else can fall into place.
If you’re new to meditation, start small. Just five minutes a day can make a difference. Try apps like Headspace or Calm for guided meditations, or simply sit quietly and focus on your breath. I’m fairly new to meditation myself, and currently, I aim to spend time in the morning sitting outside, with my eyes closed focusing on my breath. Sometimes it’s a minute sometimes it’s 5, and sometimes it doesn’t happen!
Breathing
Did you know that if you change your breath pattern it changes your thought pattern? Becoming aware of your breathing engages your parasympathetic nervous systems, the one that helps us rest and digest. This simple mindfulness technique helps to calm our stress response, leaving us feeling more relaxed. Breathing exercises are a quick and easy action to take when you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed or struggling with anxiety.
Breathing exercises can also be helpful when you’re struggling to sleep. It can be as simple as just focusing on your breathing while you’re lying in bed. If any thoughts come into your mind, just let them pass and continue focusing on your breath.
Not sure what breathing exercise to do? There are a lot available on youtube, try a few and see which breathing exercise you prefer.
Soak up sunlight and fresh air
Have you noticed your mood lifts after spending time outdoors? Sunlight, fresh air, and nature have incredible benefits for our mental health and wellbeing. Connecting with nature, even for a few minutes, can reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, and support better sleep. Look for ways to connect with nature in your local environment:
- Walk barefoot on the grass
- Sit underneath a tree
- Dip your feet in the water (ocean, river or creek)
- Observe the insects and birds in your backyard
- Explore your local park or a nature reserve
- Taking time to enjoy the colours, textures and shapes of plants around you.
- Move your regular exercise activities outdoors.
Even a few minutes of outdoor time can refresh your mind and boost your mood. Spending time outdoors also helps your circadian rhythm and you might even find you have a better night’s sleep!
Swap judgement for mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of paying full attention to the present moment without judgment. It involves being aware of your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and the environment around you with a sense of curiosity and acceptance. Rather than getting caught up in the past or worrying about the future, mindfulness encourages you to focus on what’s happening right now.
Mindfulness can be a powerful tool when dealing with overwhelm because it helps you stay present and focused, even in stressful situations. It helps you avoid wasting time worrying about what might be and focus on what is happening now.
Incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine can build resilience against overwhelm, helping you navigate stressful situations with a greater sense of calm and control.
Incorporate mindfulness into everyday activities like walking, washing dishes, or folding laundry. Focus on the task at hand, and when your mind starts to wander, gently bring your attention back to what you’re doing. For example, when walking, feel the ground beneath your feet and notice your surroundings.
Remember, the goal is not perfection but progress. Which of these activities resonates with you most? I challenge you to try one new calming practice this week. Small, consistent steps can reduce overwhelm leading to significant changes in how we feel and function.
Take care of yourself – you deserve it!
Kim Healey
Nutritionist
Recent Comments