Are you balancing multiple responsibilities and feeling overwhelmed? You are not alone!

Welcome to part 2 of my series on helping you manage overwhelm! 

Part 1 introduced the importance of managing overwhelm as a multi-passionate individual. Click here to read that post.

This post breaks down how you can incorporate self-care practices to help you feel more balanced and at peace (and less overwhelmed), even during life’s busier seasons.

Like many multi-passionate individuals, I am familiar with confronting the reality of our finite time. There is so much I want to accomplish, but time is a limited resource.

I’ve taken the approach of identifying strategies to help me deal with this reality.

As I will remind you throughout this series, taking something off your plate is the best way to feel less overwhelmed. But most of us don’t want to do that. Everything feels too important, right? So let’s look at ways to manage overwhelm.

I’m learning that, even when life starts to feel chaotic, you don’t have to let anxiety keep you down.

The key is to adjust your mindset and implement simple habits to maintain a sense of calm. 

Read this post to discover how self-care can help you reduce overwhelm.

Know your self-care needs

Identify the self-care tools that help you feel your best in stressful moments. Everyone’s needs are different, so use the tips I mention in this post as a starting point to discover what works best for you.

Action step: List your favorite self-care activities (look online if you want examples).

Seek support

Connection can cure a lot of discomfort. As much as I love my alone time, I know I need a balance to thrive. Seeing my friends for a few minutes helps me distance myself from everything in my mind. If I notice that I go through a week without any social plans, making a point to connect with my friends helps me feel better. 

Lean on friends and family when you feel overwhelmed. And make sure to reciprocate that support in their times of need. Therapy, local support groups, and online communities are also great ways to seek support.

It’s helpful to identify the activities that feel best to you, whether that is casual hangouts, meaningful one-on-one time, or group outings. Use this insight to incorporate more of those activities into your routine. Connection can also help you with the next self-care tip.

Action step: Schedule one social activity (ex: set up a coffee date or attend a local community event).

Take the Focus Off of Yourself

Get out of your head.

If you are anything like me, you feel hyperaware of your stress levels. When I feel anxious, I tend to fixate on the uncomfortable sensations and end up making myself more anxious. This is an unhelpful cycle. 

Doing what you can to get your mind off of your stress is a helpful self-care tip for reducing overwhelm. This does not mean ignoring your responsibilities! The goal is to give yourself some distance. Creating mental space to calm down allows you to come back clear-headed, which can help you reach your goals more effectively.

When I’m feeling stressed, reflecting on all of the blessings in my life helps me to snap out of that negative cycle.

Activities to help you get out of your head include spending time with loved ones, volunteering, and spending time in nature.

Action step: Find a local organization to volunteer with and/or plan to take a nature walk to clear your mind.

Consume Motivating and Uplifting Content

Surrounding yourself with positive people and media makes a huge difference in your mindset. I love seeking out inspirational podcasts, YouTube videos, books, and social media accounts to help me better myself. Listening to a good podcast is almost guaranteed to lift my mood.

If you’re looking for positive content recommendations, read this blog post for self-improvement podcasts to inspire you to start living your best life.

Share your favorite inspirational resources (podcasts, YouTube channels, books, etc.) in a comment! I want us to be a supportive community.

Action step: Listen to a personal development podcast episode or YouTube video to feel inspired.

Write Things Down to Reduce Overwhelm

Do you experience racing thoughts? Take time to write those thoughts down. Writing can help you process your emotions. Plus, writing things down can relieve some mental exhaustion. It’s draining to try to hold on to too much information in our minds.

Reducing mental chatter is extremely helpful for reducing overwhelm. This can help you accomplish tasks while feeling more focused and clear-headed, which is essential when balancing multiple responsibilities.

Dr. Sandra Dalton-Smith, creator of the 7 Types of Rest Framework, teaches us about the importance of mental rest. She states that writing down your thoughts can create mental space and relieve rumination.

I’ve started carrying a notebook and pen with me, so I can write down any thoughts that bother me throughout the day. Writing down my thoughts helps me feel much calmer and has helped me reduce rumination. This is one of my new favorite practices for de-stressing. I recommend this habit to anyone who wants the benefits of journaling but doesn’t want to spend large amounts of time journaling.

Need help clearing your mind? Check out this post to discover different journaling techniques to help you effectively process your thoughts. 

It’s also helpful to note the benefits of handwriting versus typing. Writing by hand activates different parts of your brain and can aid memory and learning.

Action step: Spend a day carrying around a notebook and writing down your thoughts to see how that makes you feel.

What are your favorite self-care practices? Leave a comment, so we can support each other in managing overwhelm!

I hope this post helps you on your journey to manage overwhelm while still keeping up with your different priorities. I know so many of us can relate to this topic. Don’t miss the rest of this series–join my email list for updates and tips to help you on your self-improvement journey!

Check-in next week for part 3, where I’ll explain how creating routines can help you feel more organized and at peace when you have a lot going on.

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