How to deal with overwhelm, and get back to being you

Welcome to The Productivity Blueprint newsletter 🗞️

We hope you enjoyed learning more about the Bikeshed effect last week! Did you get to try it out in your work session? How did it go? we’d love to hear your experiences.

If you missed last week, you can catch up here.🙂

Today, we’re looking at how to deal with overwhelm and get back to being you. Let’s dive in.

“Life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once.”

Paulo Coelho

Balancing the demands of work and life can often lead to feelings of overwhelm and burnout. However, regaining a sense of peace and clarity may be more accessible than one might think. The article provides ten swift strategies to mitigate stress and improve your mental state within minutes. These methods are practical, quick to implement, and designed to fit even the busiest of schedules, proving that effective self-care doesn't require hours of your time but just a few mindful minutes. Here are the strategies:

  1. Distance Yourself from Stress: Take a short walk away from your work environment to gain both emotional and physical respite.

  2. Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge and reward minor achievements to foster positivity and motivation.

  3. Breathe and Stretch: Perform deep breathing exercises and physical stretches to rejuvenate your body and mind.

  4. Organize Your Tasks: Write down your tasks to clear your mind and prioritize your actions.

  5. Complete a Quick Task: Finish a small, manageable task to kickstart momentum and boost your sense of accomplishment.

  6. Engage in Laughter: Watch a short comedy clip to lighten your mood and shift your perspective.

  7. Visualize a Happy Place: Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine a place that brings you joy and tranquility.

  8. Reset with Music: Listen to a song or playlist that alters your mental state and revitalizes your energy.

  9. Assess Your Energy Expenditure: Evaluate where you're investing your energy and make adjustments to focus on more fulfilling activities.

  10. Reflect on the Big Picture: Remind yourself of your long-term goals and the larger purpose behind your daily efforts.

TL/DR: Implementing brief, mindful practices can significantly alleviate feelings of overwhelm and enhance your mental well-being. By integrating these simple yet effective strategies into your daily routine, you can navigate stress more effectively and maintain a healthier balance between work and personal life.

Headspace offers guided meditation sessions. Perfect for taking that mental break and practicing deep breathing or visualization techniques suggested in the tactics.

What we love: Their articles and resources centre — so much knowledge and meditations to go along with them.

Daylio is mobile journaling app that allows you to track your mood and activities, helping you to identify patterns and discover what improves your mood.

What we love: It's perfect for the cClebrate small wins" strategy. By recording these wins no matter how small, you can visually see your progress and achievements over time, which can be incredibly uplifting and motivating.

đź’ˇ Challenge of the week

Choose three different five-minute tactics from the article to implement each day over the next week. Note any changes in your stress levels or mental state after these short activities. Aim to identify which tactics are most effective for you and consider incorporating them into your daily routine for long-term benefits.

We hope you enjoyed learning about how to deal with overwhelm, and that some of these tactics were useful for you. As always if you have any feedback or question, reach out to us!

The Productivity Blueprint Team