Managing stress, being overwhelmed and burned out

hey love,

Managing stress, being overwhelmed and burned out

How was your week? Hopefully it was good. Mine wasn’t that great, I was stressed tired and overwhelmed this past week. I had a lot going on and it was a lot to deal with mentally. I guess that was what inspired me to talk about this topic in this week’s newsletter.

Feeling stressed, overwhelmed or burned out, is something we have all had to deal with at one point in our life and honestly it can be quite annoying to deal with cause you just feel unmotivated, tired and unproductive.

Feeling stressed is something we can’t avoid cause life itself can be demanding and challenging. Our cause of stress can come from school or work. Often times stress and burn out are mistaken for each other, but there is a difference.

So, what's the difference between stress and burnout? Although the two share some characteristics, there are distinct differences.

Stress is often relatively short-term, and it is often caused by a feeling that work is out of control (like how I was feeling this past week). You might experience stress several days in a row, especially when you're working on a large project or under a tight deadline.

However, once the situation changes, stress often lessens or disappears entirely. Stress can affect you over the longer-term, if you're consistently experiencing those things that cause you to be stressed .

Burnout often takes place over a longer period. You might experience it if you believe your work is meaningless; when there's a disconnect between what you're currently doing and what you truly want to be doing; or when things change for the worse – for example, when you lose a supportive boss, or when your workload increases beyond a sustainable point.

You go through "the motions" instead of being truly engaged. Over time, this leads to cynicism, exhaustion, and, sometimes, poor performance.

With that being said I would be giving a few pointers on how you can manage being stressed or burned out.

One of the best ways to deal with stress is to have a work and play balance. Some times we get so carried with the work or things that we have to do that we sometimes don’t give ourselves a moment to take a break. I understand that this can be challenging especially when you are working with a deadline, but it is important that you take a break. Taking a break can help you in the long run cause you would feel more focused and clear minded.

Another way to manage stress is to connect with family or friends. Social contact is nature’s antidote to stress. Talking with a good listener is one of the fastest ways to calm your nervous system and release stress. The person you talk with doesn’t necessarily have to be able to solve your problem, them just being a good listening ear by giving you their undivided attention and not expressing any judgment can go a long way in reducing stress.

Ask for help when you need it. school work, test , and even some difficult task at work can be challenging at times, this can be a source of stress for some people so ask for help when you need it. If you need help planning for that test or doing that task at work, ask your friends or colleagues. Don’t just stay on your, own trying to figure it out alone and stressing about it without finding a solution. Don’t feel to shy or proud to ask for help. Asking for help can go a long way in reducing stress.

Deal with problems as they come up. sometimes we have this nature of ignoring things that need our attention, cause we don’t want to feel stressed at that moment, guess what you are going to feel even more stressed when that stuff you are ignoring is coupled up with other stuff you have to do. So, don’t leave issues that need your attention to the last minute before you start trying to find solution to it, sort it out as soon as they come up, it gives you less things to stress about.

Get enough sleep. sometimes the reason for our feeling of stress might be as a result of lack of sufficient rest. So try to get sufficient rest. A good night rest can go a long way in your day. You would feel more relaxed, less tired and ready to take the challenge of the day.

Make exercise a Priority, exercise can go a long way in reducing stress. Even though it might be the last thing you feel like doing at the moment when you’re burned out, exercise is a powerful antidote to stress and burnout.

Rhythmic exercise, where you move both your arms and legs, is a hugely effective way to lift your mood, increase your energy, sharpen your focus and relax both the mind and body. Try walking, running, swimming, martial arts or even dancing.

For those feeling burned out, your problems might seem insurmountable, everything looks bleak, and its difficult to muster up the energy to care, let alone take action to help yourself. I want to tell you that you have more control over this burnout than you may think and I would be giving you some tips .

If your burn out is as a result of the work that you are doing or just school in general you have to reframe the way that you look at it.

If it is a work that leaves you rushed off your feet, or one that is monotonous, boring and unfulfilling the best way to combat burnout would be to quit. But if it happens that you really need that job and quitting is just out of the option then you have to find something in the job that is a source of joy to you.

You could focus on aspects of the job that you like, it could be chatting with your coworkers, or just focusing on how your role brings value. Just try to find something good about the work and focus on that, until you are able to find something better.

on the side, you could find something that nourishes your creative side. Creativity is a powerful antidote to burnout. Try something new, start a fun project, or resume a favorite hobby. Choose activities that have nothing to do with work or whatever is causing your stress.

Also set boundaries. Don’t overextend yourself. Learn how to say “no” to requests on your time. If you find this difficult, remind yourself that saying “no” allows you to say “yes” to commitments you want to make.

If it’s school that’s making you burned out, then you have to change your perspective. Try to find the positive things that you like about school, it could be your friends, events in school, just try to find something positive that you like about school and focus on that. If it then happens that there is nothing you enjoy about school, remember that in a matter of time you would be out of there, so maybe that’s something you can focus on.

Quote for the week

here is the podcast of the week

here are my top three songs of the week

Remember that taking breaks are necessary, life is all about balance. You don’t always need to be getting stuff done. Sometimes it’s perfectly okay, and absolutely necessary, to shut down, kick back and do nothing. Don’t feel guilty for taking breaks.

This brings us to the end of this newsletter. If you made it to this point, I’m honestly grateful. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed making it for you and I hope you found the tips helpful. If you enjoyed reading it please don’t forget to share it with your family and friends, it will really mean a lot to me. If you would love to reach out or just leave a review, you can do that by clicking the Instagram icon at the bottom it will connect you to my IG page and you could just send a DM. I would love to hear from you.

Anyway, thank you for reading this newsletter it means a lot to me. Wishing you a lovely week ahead.

Bye my love, see you next week

Better Me Girl.