Welcome to September, kids are back in school, summer vacations are over, quarterly work stresses start building, and then your car breaks down. You find you just want to  scream or cry because you are feeling so stressed and overwhelmed.

Welcome to life in America where we honor achievement and success even when it is attained by overwork, overscheduling, and high stress. Many people find themselves feeling overwhelmed when life’s day to day stresses add the one more thing they just can’t manage. Day after day I hear people tell me how stressed they feel. And we talk about how to achieve better balance and manage stress.

In anyone’s life there will be stress. High achievers will make the choice to work harder or longer to reach their goals. When you are doing this, it becomes even more important to use good strategies to maintain a healthy emotional and physical state, thus avoiding being overwhelmed. Several good ways to do this are:

  • Focus on right now. Many people focus on the future or the final goal. While it is good to reach for the goal, looking too far in the future can make the goal feel unattainable. It’s easier to focus on losing 2 pounds this week than 100 pounds.
  • Prioritize what needs to be done. And then defer or remove the nonessential tasks. Justin may miss one t-ball practice while the car gets fixed, and it certainly won’t get him kicked off the team.
  • Sleep and exercise. Let me say that again – sleep and exercise! When you are rested and fit you will handle stresses much better than when you exhausted, short tempered and can’t even seem to get up a set of stairs.
  • Ask for help. Recruit friends or co-workers to assist. Delegate tasks that can not be deferred. And after all, friends enjoy giving each other a hand. They know you’ll help them if they’re in a pinch.
  • Determine whether you are suffering from depression or anxiety. Seeking mental health help can give you further support as well as help you identify and change negative, stress provoking thoughts.
  • Remove clutter. An organized work space, prioritized to do list, and being able to find what you need in a snap will help you feel more in control.
  • Laugh. Take a break. You can’t keep focused on the tasks of life 24-7. Everyone needs a break. Taking time away from the situation or environment allows you to come back with a fresh attitude and decrease the feeling of being stressed and overwhelmed.

If you would like more information on good stress management skills, check out our website at www.specializedtherapy.com or call our intake specialists today at 201-488-6678 to schedule an appointment.