When you’re feeling overwhelmed there are things you can do to feel better. Here, podcaster, celeb coach, and author of Instructions for Happiness and Success Susie Pearl (susiepearl.com) answers some questions that could help us all with feeling better today.
Q: I feel overwhelmed most of the time – do you have any tips or advice that can help?
A: One great way to deal with feeling overwhelmed is to breathe deeply, as well as to create a list of what is on your mind. Then allocate a time to tackle each thing. Say “that is for Monday, that’s a Wednesday thing, that’s next week,” etc.
Park them away from you in the now, so you don’t have to do everything or think about everything immediately.
If you have time allocated, it takes the pressure off. Also, don’t try to be overly ambitious with what you get done in the day. The trick is to prioritise and not do everything – just do some things.
The thing is, our brains are always doing something even when we think we’re not doing anything. A lot is happening in the brain, so we have to give ourselves time for that.
Happiness is an inside job – it’s how you feel. Whether or not you believe in it, you are in charge of how you feel. You get to run your own emotions and decide whether to feel stressed or happy.
You can make yourself feel better by deciding to. That might sound a bit crazy, but actually, when you decide to, your feelings can shift.
What helps you get into a positive mindset could be music or a chat with a good friend, or being in nature – these things all shift your emotions.
Thoughts will come and go like clouds in the sky – in fact, we have around 50,000 thoughts a day! And we can change one thought for another really easily.
Getting into a positive state of mind by focusing on how you want to feel brings lots of advantages: you feel healthier, you’re more able to have good ideas and you begin to feel happier.
Q How can I bring more self-care into my life?
A: Journalling is a good thing to do for self-care. It helps you defragment your hard drive, i.e. your brain. It’s getting your ideas out of your head and onto the page, helping your brain let go.
Meditation also works. even if you think you can’t do it, close your eyes for 10 minutes and just be with yourself. Wonderful things will happen; your body will rest and your head will come up with answers and good ideas.
We have so much stress these days, so we also need strategies to reduce it. Exercise and meditation are two of the best strategies I’ve come across. Who you surround yourself with is also important. Find people who lift you up, not pull you down.
Self-care can also be dedicating an hour that is yours every day.
Also, think about creating space in your brain. Marie Kondo did great things for decluttering our homes, but imagine doing the same for your brain so it, too, becomes a nice place to be.
Try not to clutter up your brain. This is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
