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Key points
- The stress of never-ending workloads has crept into the way we address each other causing us to disconnect and even damage our relationships.
- Chronic overwhelm makes you consistently cranky and physically unstable.
- You can deliberately choose peace of mind by changing your perspective mentally and physically with planning and awareness of your triggers.
I recently took a personality test that said I should tell people that when I am overwhelmed, they should stay out of my way. Is it just me? Are you ever like that? Has too much work made you touchy, crabby, and annoying?
Lately, the stress of our never-ending workload has crept into the way we address each other causing us to disconnect and even damage our relationships. We sting people with our words and then feel guilty about our reactions even when blaming our behavior on outside influences.
Have you noticed you have little patience for silly things, like when your partner tries to help you use the remote for your TV? Or maybe your body tightens up when a friend calls you during the middle of the day and your brain screams, “Don’t you know how busy I am?” while you dutifully respond. Do you have trouble managing the caustic tone of your words or are you stuffing your scorn as you try to sound cheery?
Your relationships suffer when overwhelm overtakes your brain. You health suffers as well. Constant stress is like poison to your body affecting all your biological system. Now is the time to bolster your immune system, not suppress it.
Chronic overwhelm makes you consistently cranky and physically unstable.
Choosing Peace of Mind
Take this 5-minute quiz to help you recognize what triggers your stress. Then follow the following 5 tips to keep from boiling over. As you learn to ease your burden, you will maintain some sanity even when your responsibilities mount up.
Click here for a video summary of these tips.
- Let go of being perfect. If you hold high standards for yourself, you may overthink your work and overburden your schedule. When is your work good enough? Can you fix mistakes later? When you start a task, write yourself a note about the level of perfection needed to satisfy the goals. Honor what you wrote so you can let go and move on.
- Take frequent breaks. It’s unreasonable to be focused all the time. Take a walk or cook something to let your mind drift for a while. You will return to your work with fresh eyes. You might even see that what you have done is good enough.
- Don’t judge yourself for feeling stressed. Being hard on yourself compounds your stress. Sit back. Look at your workload in the bigger picture. Are you contributing to your purpose or mission? Can you differentiate what you have agreed to do that supports your purpose and what you most value from what is just busywork? You can use this perspective to help you say no to requests that don’t serve your vision in the future.
- Stay connected. Even when you think you don’t have time, connect with your friends, peers, or a coach to talk things through. Of course, don’t call people in the middle of their workday. Send an email asking when it would be a good time to chat.
- Release your irritation. When your partner or friend says or does something annoying, before your respond, recall an image of a moment of joy you had together. Smile before you talk.
Don’t let overwhelm sabotage your life. Follow these five tips to ease your mind, support your health, and speak with care.
