You may be feeling overwhelmed with life, burnt out, and losing energy.

You have work commitments. Your friends want you to come out for drinks after your busy schedule. Your personal space, that you intended to tidy when you got back from work, is still cluttered.

Simply put, your plate is full.

Although you don’t want to feel this stressed out all the time, there just isn’t enough time in the day to do the things you really want to do. And it’s destroying you and your self-esteem.

The good news is that it doesn’t always have to be this way. Here are seven reasons why you’re feeling overwhelmed with life and how you can easily solve them.

Reason #1 – You are going to bed too late

I know what you’re thinking. You go to bed late because the evenings are the only time you get to yourself. I get it.

But consider this:

Going to bed late leaves you feeling sluggish and lethargic the next day. This has an impact on the rest of your day because you’ve woken up and jumped straight into your busy routine without a moment’s thought about yourself.

The Solution

Go to bed one hour earlier and wake up an hour earlier. I know it’s tempting to go to bed as late as possible and lay in as much as you can, but by waking up an hour earlier every morning, you’ll have time to care for yourself.

You can journal, meditate, read a book, or workout. Starting your day like this sets you up right for the rest of the day. No matter what happens from there on, you know you’ve already had one hour to do something meaningful and worthwhile.

See Also: Get Strong, Sleep, Repeat: The Importance Of Sleeping

Reason #2 – You are financially stretched

We live in a society where we are advertised to all day long. We are bombarded by adverts and offers constantly. You’ll feel like you just need to keep up with the latest trend or you’ll feel like you’re ‘falling behind’.

This can easily make you feel overwhelmed, especially when you don’t have the money to buy all of the latest things. It can make you feel frustrated to the point that your self-esteem gets damaged.

The Solution

Create a budget and live within your means. If you really want to buy the latest gadget or devices, save a portion of your income until you can afford to buy it without going into debt. Set aside money to pay your bills and living expenses.

If you need to spend any more money, ask yourself if it’s really a necessity. Say “no” more often to everyday situations that require spending money unless it’s something that’s really important. The reason why you’re financially overwhelmed is because you’re not yet disciplined enough to say no. You’ve been conditioned to spend your money.

Reason #3 – You are socially bombarded

So you’ve had a busy day at work. You can’t wait to get home, grab something to eat, and put your feet up. Then out of nowhere, your phone rings. It’s your best friend. She wants to go out for a couple of drinks to celebrate her promotion. You accept and tell yourself that it’s alright and you’ll have time for yourself at the end of the evening when you return home.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to resist your Whatsapp and Facebook messages that you end up laying in bed for hours and replying to your friends’ messages. No wonder you wake up feeling so lethargic and unmotivated.

The Solution

There’s nothing wrong with socializing with friends. But when you really don’t want to, just say no. Saying yes when you really mean no can only make you feel more overwhelmed.

Set an arrangement with yourself to put your phone on the other side of your bedroom at a certain time of night. For me, that’s 10:00 pm. That provides me some time to brush my teeth, get into bed and read a book before turning in for the night.

Reason #4 – Your personal environment is ‘visually noisy’

If your personal space is untidy and cluttered, it can create all sorts of disordered thoughts and feelings even if you don’t realize it. A pile of books on the nightstand, a countertop full of dishes and random items cluttered together on the dining room table can make you feel more stressed out.

Just looking at and being around all those things can release the stress hormone Cortisol. It can make you feel tired and unmotivated.

The Solution

Select one area of your physical space that you want to tidy up and start there. It might be your nightstand, dining room table, or your desk. It doesn’t matter where you start – just start somewhere.

Once you’ve tidied away the clutter and got rid of any trash, you need to maintain a habit of tidying your space so that things won’t build up again. It can be as simple as putting a book back on the shelf or putting a cup in the sink rather than leaving it empty on the table. Make a point of being mindful about this every day and notice how different you feel as a result.

Reason #5 – You don’t have a calendar

Or maybe you do, but it’s poorly organized. One of the biggest causes of stress and overwhelm is the feeling of not being in control of your time. It’s really easy to give away chunks of your time to those who request it even when you don’t want to. As a result, you’ll end up feeling like you’re doing everything for everyone else and neglecting your own needs. It can lead to burnout and feelings of resentment.

The Solution

Take back control of your time! Get yourself a calendar and block in your most important and non-negotiable activities, such as work or medical appointments. Next, set appointments with yourself. Use this time to do what’s meaningful to you.

It just comes down to saying no and guarding your time wisely. It doesn’t always mean that you won’t help anybody. You just need to have self-respect to dedicate some time to your own development and to do things that make you feel happy and fulfilled.

Reason #6 – You lack self-perspective

Self-perspective is the ability to look at your life objectively without attaching emotions to it. When daily life is stifling you and you feel overwhelmed by everything, it’s really hard to zoom out and see the big picture.

The Solution

This is where a couple of dots are connected. By either 1) getting up and hour earlier or 2) putting your phone on the other side of your bedroom before you get into bed, you are giving yourself that time to reflect. If you like to journal, then this provides a great opportunity to zoom out objectively and be honest about what you see.

Reason #7 – You lack self-awareness

Self-awareness is the ability to go inward to feel what’s going on inside you, rather than what’s going on outside of you. When you lack self-awareness, you aren’t connecting with your feelings. Essentially, you are ignoring the warning signs that your body is giving to you. This leads to you not being able to act on what your gut is telling you and that may leave you feeling trapped in certain situations or circumstances.

The Solution

This is the perfect time to start a daily meditation practice. You’ll only need ten minutes per day but this little window of time is enough to provide you with amazing benefits. You’ll be able to check in with your feelings so that you can be calmer, sharper, and much less stressed.

Imagine waking up in the morning feeling energized and eager. Imagine what it’d feel like to sail through the day with confidence. You know exactly where your life is going.

Feeling overwhelmed sucks. However, once you know the things that make you feel overwhelmed with life, you can easily resolve the issues and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your life will change.

See Also: Questions and Answers: A Beginners Guide to Meditation

You can step off at any time. You are in control.

The post 7 Reasons Why Life Is Overwhelming You (And How To Fix Them) appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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It’s true. Life is complicated.

From time to time, we face difficulties we think we can’t cope with. While it might sound strange, there are instances where writing therapy can help. In fact, it’s one of the most effective means to improve a person’s internal state.

In the article below, I’ll give you some tips on how to turn writing into medicine.

Universal Cure

Writing is a psychotherapeutic tool- no doubt about it. Writing about your life can make you feel better. What is important here is not only the presentation of your thoughts on the paper, but also your attitude to what you’re writing.

It doesn’t matter if you write on paper or type on a computer. It should be more about how writing makes you feel.

See Also: 3 Writing Techniques to Increase your Self-Esteem

Pennebaker’s Studies

About 30 years ago, James Pennebaker, a professor at the University of Texas, found out that when someone writes about his experiences, that person is able to relieve stress and improve his mental and physical health.

Since that observation, the professor has published more than 300 papers on the subject, which is more than enough to test the effectiveness of any psychological practice.

In his first study, Pennebaker worked with two groups of people: control and experimental. Each participant came to an empty room, where there was a table on which lay a sheet of paper, a pen, and the task. The control group wrote about something ordinary and insignificant like, for example, what they ate for breakfast. The experimental group disclosed something exciting and meaningful that they had never told anyone before.

The experiment lasted four days. As a result, the people who had written on everyday topics had no changes over the course of the experiment. However, those who had shared difficult situations and moments of life were able to relieve stress. The results showed that they took drugs two times less often and sought medical assistance less than before the experiment.

Pennebaker’s Conclusion

Everyone has a need to speak about his life and share events and ideas with other people. If there’s no time or suitable companion, then that person feels the need to restrain his feelings and thoughts. This type of self-restriction often leads to chronic stress which, in turn, causes physical illnesses.

Writing about something meaningful for 15 minutes a day helps even in severe cases. Studies have shown that asthmatics experienced reduced number and intensity of attacks. Patients who have rheumatoid arthritis felt less pain while patients with cancer were less likely to wake up at night.

The greatest thing about this method of relieving stress and pain is that it’s not hard to get used to. Unlike conventional drugs that may or may not help you, writing is free and has no side effects. With how beneficial it is, writing therapy is now considered as a great way to relieve stress in hospitals, prisons and schools.

How to Write to Feel Better

Writing, undoubtedly, is a powerful tool. Despite the benefits it offers, it can still cause you to hurt yourself, especially if you aren’t really aware of how to use it properly for stress relief.

Pennebaker suggested that you first write expressively and then reflexively.

Writing expressively means that you write with the flow of your feelings and you express without self-censorship. It involves writing feelings in all their complexity and honesty. That is to write them as they are.

There is no need to write formally and neatly. It doesn’t even have to be fully thought out. The key point is to catch what worries you in the moment.

Then, after a short break, you take a step back and look at the written text from a different perspective. Try to read it again objectively. By this time, you should be out of the flow of your feelings which means you’ll be able to analyze what you’ve written.

Determine what feelings came to you and how you feel after reading your notes. This may push you towards some reflections, self-dialogue and self-assessment.

To make sure you won’t worry about other people reading your writing and then be able to use it against you, you should also think about how you will keep your records (if you decide to keep them) so as not to expose yourself to such a danger.

One tip to make writing easier is to act as if you are talking to someone. It can be a friend or even God. When you write about your life and what is significant for you, it is best to present yourself as you are, with all the emotions that you feel.

Another thing that you should be aware of is that diving too deep into unpleasant and uncomfortable thoughts and feelings won’t bring anything good to you. If ever you find yourself in such state, you have to know how to “float” back to reality and the present situation.

Writing therapy can be applied not only when you have problems. You can also write about something joyful or exciting to encourage and motivate yourself.

See Also: How Positive Writing Will Help You To Live a Happier Life

Structuring in Writing

Structuring is another important factor to consider when writing. To understand what this is, let us first consider the opposite approach.

Many are familiar with “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity” by Julia Cameron. Cameron talks about free writing. It’s when you write for 30 minutes about what you have in mind at the moment, without any particular method or order. You can refer to it as non-structured writing.

Kathleen Adams, a Director of the Institute of Writing Therapy, conducted a study on the importance of structuring as opposed to free writing. She found out that the stronger the stress, the more the person needs structure when writing.

Therefore, if you have an excessive amount of stress, the best method is to set the timer for 5-6 minutes. During this time, it is very difficult to hurt yourself seriously but it is enough to help you get out as much emotions and thoughts as possible.

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