How to deal with Overwhelm

Every so often things can feel like they just get a bit too much. And whilst fun and exciting, juggling academic, social and whatever-else-you-may-have-going-on commitments can also be draining for just about anyone! So, if you’re feeling ready to crawl into bed until January, I hope these tips can help!

1.       BRAIN DUMP

Write down everything on your mind. All the important dates, deadlines, all your to-dos, everyone you have to respond to, everything you have to get next time you’re at Tesco’s. Everything!

Now your head is hopefully feeling a little lighter, let’s focus on your to-do’s. Ask yourself:

–          Are any of these unnecessary? Cross them off.

–          Can someone else help me with any of these? Delegate.

–          Can I do any of these tasks in under 5 minutes? Batch these tasks together and give yourself an hour or two to get these tasks done!

Whilst, this doesn’t tackle the big and scary deadlines, now we’ve got rid of the little things eating away at your energy, you can start to focus on your more important tasks.

2.       TAKE 5

Or even a day. When you’re overwhelmed, sometimes it can feel like you don’t have 5 minutes, never mind a whole day. But, take a walk anyway. Get some fresh air. Ask yourself:

–          Have I eaten a nutritious meal today?

–          Have I showered today?

–          Did I have enough sleep last night?

Self-care is important, and although it may not feel like a priority when deadlines seem to be caving in from every direction, once well-fed and rested, you will work to a much fuller potential.

3.       REACH OUT

Whether you barely scraped 3/25 on your Foundations Test or all together missed an MVC deadline, I can promise you, however you’re feeling, you’re not alone. We all know what they say: ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ and whilst we probably can’t let our problems tend to 0 by telling enough people, it’s important to have a chat when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Whether it’s your flatmate or tutor, there will always be somebody ready to listen to you.

*TIP –  If you’re struggling (even a little bit!)  https://warwick.ac.uk/services/wss/ will give you more information about Warwick Wellbeing Services*

I hope these tips help and that everyone is taking care of themselves! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to comment or message me.