How to Overcome Stress and Overwhelm

Implement these 5 simple steps to overcome feelings of stress in your life today!

I have to admit that being overwhelmed is probably one of my most common feelings. If it’s not the endless job to-do list, then it’s the always mounting pile of laundry, or the unending mess of toys in seemingly every room, or the crumbs that seem to procreate and make new baby crumbs under the kitchen table while I’m sleeping.

It’s HARD running a home, raising babies, supporting a husband and his career, AND running a business from home. I have done it for 4 years and while I’ve learned a lot of systems and tips and tricks, I still find myself completely overwhelmed multiple times a week.

BUT, all of that to say, here are 5 things that I have found that quickly help me get un-overwhelmed.

5 Ways to Overcome Stress

1. Write everything down on your to-do list. 

Dump it all out, my friend. Include all of the things weighing on your mind, whether they are ideas, worries or to-do’s. I use this planner and love it for my daily to-do’s! But I find the days that I forget to write down my to do’s, are the ones that are most overwhelming!

2. Clean the kitchen every night and run the dishwasher (even if it’s not completely full).

I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but the extra 30 minutes of work at night reaps exponential dividends the next day when I wake up to a fresh, clean slate. (And all of the sippy cups are washed, instead of being buried in the toy chest becoming the next Nickelson household science project.)

3. Straighten the main living area before bed.

This usually takes 5 minutes and the chaos becomes a calming sanctuary. I’ve also implemented a command center near the door that we use the most for corralling papers and other things that otherwise clutter up our home. I apply the 1-touch rule to papers that enter our home. The first time I touch them, I have to decide if they are trash, to-do or to file. And I deal with the accordingly.

4. Get a good night’s sleep.

My mind tells me that I need to stay up and work to check more to-do’s off of the list, but my heart knows better. I need to be rested in order to tackle the to do list in the morning with fresh eyes and a fresh cup of coffee. I find that if I follow through with this one, the to-do’s get checked off at a rapid speed the next morning.

5. Exercise.

I know, this is so obvious, but in the moment, I often forget that a little fresh air and stretching my legs can clear my brain and help me focus on the tasks at hand. I’ll either do an online video if I’m not able to leave the house (due to napping kids or bad weather) or load the kiddos up and take a walk outside.

What do you do when you’re overwhelmed?? I’d love to hear your tried-and-true strategies for overcoming stress – leave me a comment and let me know.