"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." - Marcus Aurelius
I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed, both in life and in work, the difference is at the time when I was experiencing this, I didn't know what to do to help with the situation as I do now. Becoming completely burnt out and contracting M.E. taught me a lot about myself and also about how to help myself, and others, when they are feeling the same way.
Click here for FREE checklist - 7 signs you may be heading for burnout - http://bit.ly/7signsburnout
The three things which really helped me, and will help you too, are below. They may appear simple, but are hugely effective, and can take no time at all to start:
- Use your creativity - what did you love to do as a child? My love was crossword puzzles and I still love to do them today. They really help to keep anxiety at bay, so they're a great way to not only use your brain to best effect, but also to help with positive mental health. I also found cooking and baking immensely effective at calming me down, they took me away from my worries for just a while. Creativity is shown to really help reduce stress, so what creative skills can you start again or start today that could help? Going back to what you loved as a child can really help you to see what you could love now as an adult - have a think, you'll be surprised by what you remember!
- Volunteer - volunteering and contributing beyond ourselves is one of the greatest gifts we can give and doing so really helps to reduce stress and also helps us to be grateful for what we have. Gratitude is the best antidote to stress, fear and anxiety, so helping others less fortunate than ourselves not only helps them, but it also helps us to see how wonderful our lives really are. Who could you help today? There are some amazing charities and causes out there looking for people to just give 1 or 2 hours per week, at the weekend, or evening. It may seem impossible to think that you can take time out of your busy schedule, but the opposite is true. Taking that time out will actually give you time back, because you will be less stressed, more focused and more able to cope with other demands in your life;
- Exercise - I used to hate running at school, in fact I took so long on cross-country runs they had even taken the flags down by the time I got back to school! How things have changed now, I now love to run and what got me into running was my breakdown. Going out first thing in the morning really helped me to not only get my exercise over for the day, but it also allowed me to see that I started the day achieving, I was able to focus my thoughts for the day and it naturally improved my physical and mental health, so I was thinking more clearly, eating better and also sleeping better at night. All of this really helped me to calm down and cope better with all situations in my life. What exercise could you start tomorrow that would help you to feel better and be better able to cope? There are lots of choices available to you - running or walking are the easiest because they require no equipment at all!
My own experiences, although very difficult at the time, have really helped me to help others with my executive life strategy work. If this is something which you are interested in exploring, if only for a short chat with me, please let me know. You will be surprised how effective working with me is; even from the very first session you will feel brighter and more able to cope. I know what it feels like to be so overwhelmed you don't know where to turn, but please believe me when I say that there is light at the end of the tunnel and you are much stronger than you currently believe. Here's my email link if you'd like to book a FREE 30 minute call to discuss your options - info@sarahhughessolutions.com
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Sarah Hughes
Executive Life Strategist
Click here - FREE checklist 7 signs you may be heading for burnout - http://bit.ly/7signsburnout