Lesley Strachan Coaching – Learn how to say NO!

How to Deal with Feeling Overwhelmed
The good news is that overwhelm CAN be dealt with. It begins with a focus on taking one small thing at a time and believing that your efforts will be worth it.
Pinpoint the Primary Source
The first step to stop feeling overwhelmed is to identify the top one or two things that are causing you the most burden right now.
Ask yourself the question, “What one or two things, if taken off my plate would alleviate 80% of the stress that I feel right now?”
Write down the answers so you get them out of your head and onto a piece of paper or a screen where you can start the process of resolving them.
Create a List
Overwhelm comes when you always feel like you have to do too much – so a great way to alleviate it is to create a “Do Not Do” list of things you commit to NOT do because you know they are an unnecessary waste of time and energy that would be better spent doing something else.
Items on your “Do Not Do” list could include: mindless scrolling on social media, getting into arguments with strangers in the comments, everybody else’s laundry, saying “yes” to any new volunteer requests, and so on.
Writing things on a list like this will help you remember where you DON’T want to waste your time and energy so you can focus on tasks that reinvigorate and empower you rather than drain and deplete you.
Set Boundaries & Say No
If you want to stay committed to your “Do Not Do” list and ensure you have the time and energy you need to deal with everything on your plate, you’re going to have to learn how to set boundaries and say “no” to people.
This can be challenging – especially if you’re a natural people-pleasure. But finding balance is key to managing your daily life. Just remember that you’re not saying “no” to THEM – you’re saying “YES” to you.
Delegate When You Can
What are you currently doing that can be done by someone else?
Maybe your partner or one of the kids can commit to making one or more meals a week, so you can use that time for something else.
Maybe you could start sharing school-run duties with a neighbour and take turns running the kids back and forth from school.
Maybe you could hire a teenager to mow your lawn and weed so you don’t have to.
List every task that can be done by someone else and delegate them as much as possible one thing at a time so you can liberate more of your time to spend on the things that are most necessary or important to your well-being.
Take Care of Yourself
When you’re in a state of overload, taking care of yourself might seem self-indulgent or selfish. After all, there’s so much to be done – how can you justify expending any energy on yourself when there’s limited time and so many other tasks you need to do?
But the fact is, if you want to take care of ANYTHING – your family, a big project at work, your personal or career goals – you absolutely have to take care of yourself first.
Otherwise, you won’t have the energy, mindset, and sustained motivation you need to achieve your goals while dealing with whatever life throws at you.
So I encourage you to replace your stress response with a relaxation response and actively focus on relieving the tension in your mind and body whenever you notice yourself feeling overwhelmed.
Go for a walk, take a bubble bath, do yoga or some other form of mindful movement or stretching – whatever will help you feel calmer. By giving your mind and body what they need to thrive, you bolster your capacity for stress management.
Practice Mindful Meditation
Meditation is another powerful practice that you can use as a relaxation response to stop feeling overwhelmed.
You’ll find many guided meditations online that walk you through a process of releasing the thoughts that are causing you to feel stressed.
Even five minutes of breathing-focused awareness every day will calm your mind and soothe your heart and soul so you are better able to think clearly and make smart decisions that will help you get the results you want.
So whenever you notice yourself feeling stressed, I encourage you to take a few moments to breathe in and out and allow yourself to focus only on the rise and fall of your breath.
Let Go of Overwhelm & Find Peace
Overwhelm is a huge drain on your time and energy… your happiness and fulfilment… your ability to get the results – even your physical health! Unless you acknowledge it and do the work necessary to release its control over you, it will always hold you back from achieving your dreams.

To your future success

Lesley

P.S. I am super excited to announce the launch of my affordable fortnightly coaching club in September.

P.S.S. Check out courses from Lesley Strachan Coaching here