When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed

When you’re home all day, it can be very easy to let the stress get to you. Your workload is all over the place, your schedule has been turned on its head – and on top of it you can’t go anywhere!

So what do you do when you’re one conference call away from snapping? As someone who’s been working remotely for some years now, here are some tricks I’ve found to prove helpful.

Take a long shower or bath

This one might sound simple, but it really does do wonders! Take some time to fill the tub with warm water and bubbles, listen some music and be sure to have a plate of chocolates nearby. Even if it’s just ten or fifteen minutes, your mind will thank you for choosing to prioritize relaxation for once.

And if you have little ones around the house, you might want to save the bath for early in the morning or late at night, when everyone is in bed and you don’t have to worry about work just yet.

Give yourself a makeover

Sometimes a bit of change is all we need. With everyone home it’s easy to let your appearance go. You shouldn’t do that! If you’re able to make the time for it, give yourself a new hairstyle, dye your hair or shave if you haven’t in some time. Resuming a simple bit of grooming that you neglected after the quarantines can help you feel refreshed.

Call out sick

If you’re able to, taking a day off for mental health purposes is just as valid as taking a day off for physical sickness. Even if you’re working from home, you can still feel overwhelmed by your workload, which has undoubtedly been aggravated by the changes that the virus has brought on.

A single day of sleeping in, snacking while watching Netflix and texting friends can do wonders for your state of mind.

Have something playing as you work

Working in silence can be very weird. The background noise that your co-workers’ voices, the phones and vending machines provided are all gone, and you might be left working in total quiet.

The best cure for this problem is to make your own background noise. That can be music, podcasts, TV shows, or even a movie. Having some sound going will help you feel less alone, and keep your mind from wandering into stressful directions.

Yoga/exercise/meditation/prayer

As I mentioned in a previous post, there are plenty of YouTube channels out there that give exercise and yoga tutorials. Taking some time to stretch your body, clear your mind and focus on you is a great stress reducer, and allows you to begin or end your day with a healthy, optimistic mindset.

Taking a few minutes to sit and meditate can help as well. Sitting on your bed and praying, or choosing to begin the day with the intention of being calm can help you deal with the day’s stress in a more relaxed fashion. Sometimes all you need to do is tell yourself to not sweat the small stuff.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay sane!