Refrain from “Clumping”
We all feel stressed, but when that stress piles on and on and on, we can become paralyzed to even know where to begin. This often happens because when we are in a heightened state of stress our brains are frantically looking for ALL the things we are stressing out about, ALL the things on our to-do list, and it ALL needs to be done right now. You know that feeling when you sit down at your desk or walk into a room, and you have no idea where to begin? That is because we clump it all together and it then becomes so overwhelming that we can’t focus and begin anywhere.
There are a few ways to help manage this feeling. First, realize that this is what is happening in the moment. Of course, we will experience stress, so identify it for what it is – stress. Also, when your brain begins screaming at you about every little thing that suddenly NEEDS to get done now, that is clumping. So, notice that is what is happening in the moment.
Second, take a deep breath before you try to tackle anything. Close your eyes, breathe deep down into your diaphragm/belly, breathe in for 4 counts, hold the breath for 7, and exhale for 8. Here is a helpful video teaching this technique. Do this a few times to calm the brain and body down to let them know they do not need to be in panic mode.
Third, focus on one small part of a task. For example, when I walk into my kitchen after dinner and see the mess that needs to be cleaned up, I start at one counter only, then I can move to the sink, then the next counter, then the stove, then the last counter. I only focus on what is in front of me – one counter, not the entire kitchen. You can apply this concept to any task, goal, or work item. And lastly, find the thing that helps you do this the most. Maybe it’s using post-it notes, making a list, or a variety of list broken down into categories (i.e. do today, would be great if I got done, would be ideal if I got done, can do if I get a chance…whatever words work best for you).
Read more about stress clumping here
Reflecting
When feeling stressed and overwhelmed it is important to take some time to reflect on your mental health and how it is impacting the stressors in your life. The goal is to increase your self-awareness, your ability and capacity to be insightful and self-reflective. This is where you can see what s working, not working, and what you want to improve upon. We cannot help ourselves in times of stress if we do not know where we are at, what we need, and what will help us get what we need to survive those high stress times in our lives.
Here are some prompts to help you get started.
Investing
Investing in our mental health, self-care, and overall well-being can help us deal with our stressors in a healthy and helpful way. When we do this, it builds up our resiliency, which is the ability to adapt, adjust, and cope. “People need to understand that being resilient means you are experiencing something at a high stress level, and we are not meant to function at such a level for an extended period of time,” Dr. Jessica Jackson, a psychologist at Modern Health. She continues: “When we think about building resiliency, we have to acknowledge that resiliency doesn’t always mean being hard – resilience can also be rest, it can be vulnerability and processing emotions, so it’s easier to navigate a stressful situation.” The more we practice investing in ourselves this way the more we will be able to withstand, accept, learn, and grow rom our difficult and stressful life circumstances.
Read more on her tips of how to build resiliency in your life here.
