Don’t let stress get you down – Strategies to stay well

BY TARA MYSHRALL

Our boundaries have been blurred and there seems to be an increasing demand on our time and energy leading some people to feel overwhelmed. We can stay trapped in the prisons of our minds and feel that there is no escape from the endless to-do lists and the mounting responsibilities. Add to that mix a lack of release due to restrictions with COVID and many of us are left feeling unproductive and in a constant loop back in our minds of the endless tasks that need to get completed.

This chronic stress and fatigue can lead to cognitive issues if not dealt with such as mental slowness, forgetfulness, difficulty focusing and a barrier to access our creative energy. If left unchecked we can find ourselves in a state of cognitive fatigue and our minds go to the feeling of overwhelm.

How can we break this vicious cycle? There is hope!
First, recognize that it all starts in our mind with our thoughts and mindset. Some simple shifts here can eliminate the stress and enable us to rejoin effectiveness and productivity. Start with a journal. Even if for five minutes a day, it completes a brain dump of all the things that are making you feel stressed. Just get it out of your head and on the page. Next, make a list of all the things you are grateful for. This will remind you of all the good, grounded and centred things in your life. Do this daily and it will eliminate the chatter.

Now let’s look at this to-do list. Does everything on that list really have to be done right now? Write your list out once a week and prioritize it and allot time to it. For the things that can be knocked off the list quickly, do it! There is satisfaction in crossing things off your list and removing things that should not be there. While you are starting to work on your list, focus your attention on the task at hand, which means turn off distractions like phones and alerts when you are completing your tasks.
Ensure that you are following the Law of Polarity; everything in the universe has its opposite, hot/cold, good/bad, high/low, breathe in/breathe out. There is a rhythmic pulse that happens in the universe and in order to be effective you cannot just sit and work for ten hours. There needs to be focused concentration and then rest. Work and then go for a walk, mediate and callmediate call a friend. Give your mind the space it needs for recovery and you will have much better outcomes.

Remember to leave perfection at the door. I took a course about a year ago and one of the lessons that stuck with me was that B work was acceptable. It is better done than not. Perfectionism may lead to procrastination and ultimately more feelings of overwhelm.

Check your mindset and always take time to breathe and check in with your feelings. Once you follow the above tips if you are still feeling overwhelmed, it is time to start taking things off your list and delegating. There are enough hours in the day, we all have the same amount, but that doesn’t mean that you need to fill them up with task after task. Your mental and physical health comes first.