Life has a habit of throwing things at you that you aren’t expecting. It can be challenging, exhausting, and even stressful at times.
Most of us have good days and bad days from time to time, but what happens when the stress becomes too much?
How do you deal with life being too much? I’ve recently been at a point like that in my own life, and let me tell you, it wasn’t fun.
Fortunately, I found some ways to deal with that situation, and so I wanted to share:
1) Go for a walk
It sounds so simple, but going for a walk can be a great way to let off some steam.
Taking some time to breathe, look at the sky, and just get some fresh air can help you reset and get a new perspective.
Often, we get so caught up in the rush of life that we forget to stop and let our minds and bodies just chill out for a bit.
A walk can be a great way to do that. It’s also nice to be out in nature and away from the distractions of the city, computers, and phones.
This can help you clear your head, take your mind off your troubles for a bit and help you feel centered again.
You see, when life gets too much, staying in that stress is usually not the right answer.
Instead, it really helps to get out somehow, and a walk can be just the thing to help with that.
Listen to some music, go for a run, or just go outside and enjoy the fresh air.
The best part is, it’s free, so you can do it whenever you need to.
2) Talk to a friend
Sometimes, we just need to talk to someone about what is going on in our heads.
Having someone who genuinely cares and is willing to listen to you can make a huge difference.
Not only can they offer helpful advice or suggestions, but they can also just be there for you while you get everything out.
Having someone who genuinely cares and is willing to listen to you can make a huge difference.
There’s a reason why you have friends. They are there for you and want to support you in your life.
So, if you need a listening ear, just ask.
If you don’t know who you can talk to, try reaching out to your closest friends and family and see if they are willing to talk when you need it.
You see, if you’re anything like me, you have the tendency to just bottle it all up and deal with it yourself when you’re stressed.
However, I’ve found that it’s often much better to talk to someone about what is going on in your life.
Not only does this let you get your thoughts and feelings out, but it also helps you feel like you’re not alone in what you’re going through.
Trust me, your friends want to help you out, they want to be there for you.
3) Write in your journal
If talking to someone isn’t what you need, journaling can be a great way to release your feelings when life gets too much.
Journaling is a form of therapy that has been around for ages.
All you need to do is write down what has been going on in your life, how you feel about it, and what you are going to do about it.
It can be helpful to write your thoughts down. Not only does it get them out of your head, but journaling can help you process your emotions and find ways to deal with them better.
It can also be a great way to process your feelings and come to terms with what is going on in your life.
You see, something about writing everything that bothers you down on paper and getting a chance to read through it again is just so therapeutic!
I promise it can make a difference.
4) Exercise
We often think of exercise as something that you do to lose weight or get in shape.
But there are actually many other benefits to working out, including stress reduction.
Exercising has been shown to reduce stress by lowering the amount of cortisol in your body.
Cortisol is a hormone that is released when we are stressed or anxious. Studies have shown that exercise can reduce cortisol levels, which can help you feel less stressed out and more relaxed.
Exercising can also boost your mood, help you sleep better, improve your self-confidence, and even improve your relationships.
So even if you don’t care about looking good, exercise is still a great way to reduce stress.
You see, when you exercise, you can literally feel the stress melting off of you – it’s a great feeling!
5) Take care of yourself
When life gets tough, we often put our own needs last.
We think about what we need to do for other people, what we need to do for work, and how we can solve the problems in our lives.
But what about taking care of ourselves? What about making sure we are eating properly, getting enough sleep, and disconnecting from the world every once in a while?
Taking care of yourself doesn’t mean that you are being lazy or letting yourself off the hook.
It just means that you are making sure that your health, mind, and body are taking care of themselves so that you can tackle the things in your life more effectively.
The thing is unless you take care of yourself, you can’t really take good care of other people!
Filling your own cup is actually one of the most selfless things you could do.
I learned that from the shaman Rudà Iandê.
In this eye-opening video, he talked about how the most important part of our journey, spiritual or not, is empowering ourselves.
There are so many toxic ideas out there that can bring you down, but when you truly learn how to free your mind and unlearn those negative truths and behaviors, you will thrive.
The video really opened my eyes to this truth, so I just had to mention it, click here to watch the free video.
6) Decide what’s most important to you right now and focus on that
When life gets hectic, it can be easy to get caught up in everything that needs to be done.
Then, when one of those things becomes a problem, you add even more stress to your plate.
The best way to deal with this is to focus on what is most important in your life at the moment.
You can’t do everything at once, so you have to decide what is most important and find a way to get that done.
For example, if you have a test coming up, you can’t work a part-time job and also have enough time to study.
You have to decide what is most important in your life and then find a way to get that done.
This will help you avoid adding more stress to your life and help you focus on what needs to be done.
You see, having priorities and knowing what needs to get done first is an amazing way to combat difficult times in life.
I don’t know about you, but I tend to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff that needs to get done.
The best way I have found to combat this is by writing down a list of what I need to do and then breaking it down into smaller chunks.
If you are looking for a way to reduce stress, start making lists and breaking things down into smaller tasks.
It can be the difference between having an amazing day and having a day that is totally hectic!
Once you have a game plan, things don’t feel as daunting anymore!
7) Don’t dwell on the negatives
There are going to be times in your life when things are hard.
There will be situations where you feel stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed.
And there may even be moments where you feel like you aren’t able to handle anything that comes your way.
That is normal. It is normal to feel those things every once in a while. But it is not healthy to let those feelings control you or cause you to feel as though you can’t handle your life.
When you feel like things are getting out of control, try to focus on the positives in your life.
Make sure that you are taking care of yourself and doing the best that you can with what you have.
You have to have faith in yourself and trust that you are going to get through whatever is going on in your life.
You see, you will never be able to control everything that happens in your life.
The one thing you do have control over is how you choose to react to the things that do happen.
So when you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed, try to focus on the positives in your life.
Remind yourself that everything is going to be okay, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the moment.
Positivity is so important because it can help you get through difficult times in your life.
Of course, it’s okay to feel terrible about bad things that happen, you need to make space for those emotions, as well.
But don’t dwell on them unnecessarily, cope with them, process them, and then move on.
8) Set boundaries
Life can be tough, but it doesn’t have to take over your entire being.
There are ways that you can protect yourself and your time from all the responsibilities, expectations, and demands that you have.
It all comes down to setting boundaries. What are some ways that you can set boundaries?
You can make a commitment to yourself to only give as much of your time as you have.
Don’t overcommit yourself to others because you feel like you have to do everything. You can also set some boundaries with people in your life like family or friends.
If someone is being too demanding or a friend is being too clingy, you can set a boundary and tell them that you need some space.
You see, I realized that a big part of my stress and overwhelm was actually a result of bringing it onto myself.
The truth was – I could very well say no to a lot of things, I was just afraid of disappointing people.
But I quickly realized that I was far more important than other people’s feelings.
Over the years, my need to please everyone else was causing me so much pain.
I wasn’t living my life, I was living everyone else’s lives.
I finally decided to say no to things that weren’t important, and yes to things that were.
It made a huge difference in my life and I promise you it can make a difference in yours too!
9) Remember that it will pass
When things are tough and you are stressed out, it can be easy to forget that they will pass.
You can get so caught up in what you are dealing with that you forget that the situation will likely resolve itself or change at some point.
When you are going through a difficult time, make sure that you remind yourself that it will pass.
Find ways to stay positive, use positive affirmations, do things that make you happy, and find people who support you so that you can get through the situation.
It may feel like it will never end, but it will.
Sooner rather than later you will look back at this time in your life and realize that things have worked out perfectly, after all!
10) Be kind to yourself
Last but not least, always remember to be kind to yourself.
When you are stressed out, it can be easy to beat yourself up.
You can feel like you aren’t doing enough and that you are letting others down.
When you start beating yourself up, remember to stop and take a step back.
The truth is that being mean to yourself will not help you with your situation at all, quite the opposite!
So, take some time and be kind to yourself and focus on more positive self-talk!
You will be okay
No matter what happens, you will be okay.
Stress is just a part of life, it’s not going to last forever.
You may not realize it right now, but you will get through this and everything will be okay.
It might be hard to see that right now, but trust me, it’s true!
