Feeling Overwhelmed? Take Back Control with this 6-Step Process

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Oh, how trying the stresses of life can be! Having situations that affect your peace of mind can be challenging. And sometimes you feel like you’ve gotten way more than you can handle. Yet still, you find a way to keep going.

It’s great when you can find the determination to keep going. But are you doing so to your own detriment? Perhaps the way you’re responding isn’t always the best.

Coping mechanisms help to keep you in the game. But after a while, you may end up crashing. The most beneficial approach involves using well thought-out strategies to keep you in control.

Try this process to respond to an especially challenging situation:

  1. Stop in your tracks. If you feel overwhelmed now, it’s likely to get even worse if you keep going the way you are now! Stop right where you are and accept the situation for what it is.
    • Look back at what has happened up until this point in time. Can you identify the reasons behind your downfall? Make a note of them.
  1. Embrace your shortcomings. Do you have shortcomings that prevented you from staying on top of things? Be honest with yourself when trying to identify them. It’s the only way you’ll be able to move on to resolving the situation.
    • Whatever you’ve identified as your shortcomings, accept and embrace them. It’s pointless allowing them to bring your mood down. You’re already overwhelmed. The last thing you need to do is put yourself down.
  1. Avoid excuses. Even though you feel overwhelmed, the last thing you want to do is blame it on something or somebody else. Avoid overlooking yourself as the main factor behind your current situation.
    • It’s easy in stressful situations to refuse accountability. Just the tension alone is enough to drive your mind in crazy directions. Just accept it for what it is, even if it means coming face to face with your shortcomings.
  1. Open up to others. Share your feelings with someone you can confide in. Simply sharing can often help to ease some of the stress off your shoulders.
    • Tell the whole story. Allow the person to understand your highs and lows. Let them see how your strengths got you this far. But also share what you think you could have done differently.
  1. Organize an approach. Now that you’ve offloaded, you’ll have a clearer mind to organize an approach. You’ve stopped at this point for a reason. Now’s your chance to change direction and pull yourself out of this rut.
    • Now that you’ve figured out what went wrong, try to tackle those things first. You’ll want to prevent those things from happening again.
  1. Surround yourself with positive people. It’s sometimes difficult to take on challenges on your own. As much as you hate to admit it, there are others better at some things than you are! Embrace them and get the support you need to manage stressful situations.
    • Use the strengths of trustworthy people to get you over the hump. Be clear about the role you want them to play. Handing over responsibility can be tough. But be mature enough to understand that it doesn’t take away from your own abilities.

Being in over your head isn’t a death sentence. In fact, it’s a perfect opportunity to be creative in your approach. Once you identify an effective approach, you can expect to handle situations more confidently.

Give yourself the chance to be in control. With positive strategies, you’ll be able to take matters into your own hands and turn them around in no time!

Feeling overwhelmed is not our normal state so you need to have strategies in place to help you overcome this feeling when it occurs.

When you put these strategies in place in your life you will begin to get control over yourself when you feel overwhelmed.

Book a 15-minute “Get to know you” call by clicking on the blue button below

and we can start the discussion on how we can work together to defeat your sense of overwhelm and move your life forward.

To your success

Michael

Michael W

 

 

 

 

Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay

Small daily changes lead to huge results.

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Given enough time, small changes yield huge results. The Grand Canyon was created by a river over millions of years. Ocean waves created the sand on the beach from boulders.

Likewise, small actions taken repeatedly can have a monumental impact in my life if I am consistent and patient.

I can speed up my positive results by doing just a little bit better each day. If I am just a little bit better today than I was yesterday, I eventually see great results in my life.

A small improvement in my behaviour becomes a large improvement in a short time. This puts my life on the fast track to success.

I take comfort in knowing that it is unnecessary to make a major change all at once. It is much easier to only change a little each day. A small change is simple for me. Small changes are free of stress. Small changes are easy to maintain.

When I think about how much I can accomplish over the course of my lifetime if only I make a couple of tiny changes each day, I become excited about the future.

Today, I am committed to making small changes in my life. I am also committing to doing even better tomorrow by a tiny amount. Small daily changes lead to huge results.

Self-Reflection Questions:

  1. What are three small changes I can make each day that will brighten my future?
  2. What are three small changes I wish I had made 10 years ago?
  3. How do I feel when I think about making a major change? How do I feel when I think about making a tiny change?

So making small changes in your daily routine can lead to major life changes that can help you to be more successful and happier.

If you want to discuss how you can learn more about finding those areas that you can make changes in to move you forward towards your goals, you can contact me at michael@coachmichaelw.com

To your success

Michael

Michael W

 

 

 

 

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

 

5 Strategies to Keep Extreme Pressure Under Control

Pressure comes in many forms. Some of it can be beneficial, like the pressure that inspires you to perform well. But some pressure can be crippling, to the point where it’s so extreme that you no longer know how you can bear up under it. What can you do when the pressure is so intense that you don’t know what to do?

1. Remember the phrase, ‘Not my monkeys, not my circus.’ Not all pressure is yours to bear. It could be some of it can be delegated to someone else. Or perhaps it was never your responsibility in the first place. Examine the causes of pressure. Are there things you can remove? Are there things that you’re holding onto that were never yours? Then let go of what you can.

2. Create a support system. Having people you can talk to is crucial in handling intense pressure. But you need a network made up of a variety of people including:

  • Friends
  • Relatives
  • Co-workers
  • Mentors
  • Sometimes even professionals in the form of therapists or counselors

The important thing to remember is that all of these are relationships you need to cultivate, especially in times of low pressure. After all, you can’t expect people to be there for you when you haven’t been there for them.

3. Renew yourself physically. Extreme stress is going to eat away at your resources, leaving you exhausted mentally and physically. That’s why it’s so important to take care of yourself so that you’re strong enough to rise to the challenge when you need to. This care comes in many forms.

  • Eating correctly. Putting healthy things into your body provides the energy you need.
  • Exercise. Positive body motion not only builds strength and muscle but also affects your brain chemistry in positive ways. It adds dopamine and endorphins to an overloaded system, therefore taking the stress off.
  • Adequate sleep. You’ll be needing 7-9 hours a day of sleep to leave you feeling restored and ready to go.

4. Renew yourself mentally. Indulge in a hobby or other restful pastime. Or schedule in some ‘me time’ for a massage or a fun night out with friends. These mental health breaks help keep the pressure in perspective so that it doesn’t overtake your life.

5. Become more Zen. By not letting things get to you, you can look at a situation clearly, and make decisions that will help you to move forward. Allow the pressure to flow over you, but do not take it into yourself or define yourself by it.

Extreme pressure doesn’t have to rule your life. Using strategic thinking will help to keep you focused and on track, without letting the pressure rule your life or worse, overwhelming you completely.

Common Misconceptions about Self-Discipline – Debunking Myths about an Overrated Concept

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Many people overrate self-discipline because they have so many misconceptions about it. Consequently, many people tend to feel intimidated by people who exhibit signs of self-discipline. These people are perceived as being serious or boring, but these perceptions are just some of the many other misconceptions about this concept. Here are some of the common misconceptions about self-discipline.

Self-discipline is boring

For most people, it feels good to be able to do whatever one wants at any time. However, self-discipline is all about knowing what you should or should not do and employing prudence in this knowledge. As kids, most people found teachers who followed up on their activities to be boring, and the same is the case with grown-ups who lack self-discipline.

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However, self-discipline is the opposite of boring. People who are self-disciplined do not necessarily live boring lives; they have fun when it is the right time to. Having fun in the right doses is not only genuinely enjoyable, but self-disciplined people find it easier to really indulge in fun because there is usually a highly likely case that they have less to-do items on their lists than those who are not.

Self-discipline is difficult

Being independent makes many people feel entitled to doing whatever they want whenever they want to. This freedom makes it seem very difficult to desist from doing something especially when there is nothing stopping you. However, many people eventually find out that it is much easier to be self-disciplined as time goes by.

Case scenario: an outgoing college student has the time of his/her life and blows his/her college money travelling and socializing, and another outgoing college student who resists the urge and clears tuition fees. The former student will have a difficult time trying to get the money to pay for college, but the latter will have a higher chance of getting a job and a reliable source of income to party once in a while. Self-discipline makes a person organized and ensures there are little uncertainties about one’s future.

Self-discipline is not for everyone

Self-discipline is not a genome that is unique to only few people; it is a practice that begins with a good judgment and decision. Anyone can be self-disciplined, and all it takes is practicing self-control in one simple aspect and observing the resulting benefits. Many people are fascinated by how much they can achieve by being self-disciplined that they take it notches higher to cover almost all aspects of their lives.

Conclusion

The only reason why self-discipline is overrated is because there are many misconceptions about it. Contrary to many people’s beliefs, being in self-control of one’s actions is an empowering feeling that is fun, very rewarding, and amazingly easy. Anyone can be self-disciplined; it all starts with one simple decision and being dedicated to it.

To your success

Michael W

Michael W

P.S. If you are looking for a confidence program that can help you with your self development. Send me an email at michael@youaresuccesslifecoach.com to request a copy of my “Maximum Confidence Transformation Package”. Afterwards we can arrange a discovery telephone call to discuss the package and how you can benefit further from developing your confidence level.

How To Eliminate Time-Wasting Tasks

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time-managementIn order to completely eliminate bad time management habits and stop wasting precious time today, consider developing a routine that will help you avoid wasting time. Things that we feel like reacting to such as: phone calls, emails, news stories, text, etc. are known as urgent tasks. According to Brett McKay, “Important tasks contribute to our long-term mission, values, and goals.” Understanding all the basics of time management is a very valuable lesson because they can be incorporated in all aspects of your life. Below are some remedies to set you on the path to productivity.

1) Avoid Multitasking

For a lot of us, multitasking is a way to keep up with the flow and feel like we are not getting left behind. But only 2 percent of the population can multitask successfully. It actually reduces our ability to focus, lowers the quality of our work, and can actually cost us time. It is very important to stop multitasking as soon as you realize you are doing it. Instead, try to minimize and manage interruptions, and work on improving concentration by scheduling your day into blocks of time.

2) Put an End to Silent Procrastination

If you procrastinate a lot, then you must understand the pains and stress that comes with putting things off. Procrastination is always easy to spot, especially when you are scrolling Facebook, playing solitaire, or gazing out the office window. Though it might seem like an innocent waste of time, this can lead to stress due to missing a very important deadline or inability to complete simple tasks. To overcome this, create task reminders by making use of your day planner. If your work requires the use of computer, then make sure you avoid time-wasting websites so you are not tempted.

3) Learn to Say No

If you have already planned your schedules, you are working as effectively as you possibly can on important tasks and you have found ways of dealing with things that distract you a lot, but you still don’t have enough time? Probably you are trying to do too much. You need to learn to say no. You can’t always take care of everyone else. But you can still care and say “No” and look for another way to help without sacrificing your own success. You want to slow down and remain focused on the biggest pay-off activities that’ll give you the best results in a time frame you prefer, personally and professionally.

4) Continue With What Works for You

If your morning ritual is to “warm up” first and ease into each day by grabbing a cup of coffee, answering email and checking in on Facebook, then that may be what you need to do to start your day. Activities that eat up your time can only be referred to as problems if they continue to get in the way of getting things done. However, you have to be honest with yourself about how much time that is being spent on such activities and whether it is really a time waster or a tool.

5) Do the Most Difficult things at Your Peak Time

It is always better to handle or tackle the most difficult tasks whenever you are at your peak performance as this will help you schedule your day properly. You don’t want to make important decisions when you are not efficient or energetic. If you perform best whenever you are awake first thing in the morning, then tackle those jobs first. Avoid using your peak performance time for easy assignments or for socializing and playing.

In conclusion, being organized and productive in the areas that are very important to you will be rewarding. As discussed above, avoid procrastination, do not multitask, work on your more difficult tasks whenever you are most alert and learn to say no – because most of our time wasters come from a courage problem and not a time problem. Hope this helps. Wish you the best in your efforts to eliminate time-wasting tasks.

To your success

Michael W

Michael W

P.S. If you are looking for a confidence program that can help you with your self development. Send me an email at michael@youaresuccesslifecoach.com to request a copy of my “Maximum Confidence Transformation Package”. Afterwards we can arrange a discovery telephone call to discuss the package and how you can benefit further from developing your confidence level.