I AM OVERWHELMED

Trying to create a balance between starting a career, maintaining an active social life and trying to attain independence, being young can be stressful and sometimes overwhelming. It’s very easy for one to get lost in the tussle and hassle of trying to maintain a balance and stay happy. Sometimes in trying to achieve our goals, we hit a roadblock and it’s like nothing is working and all you want to do is to throw in the towel and give up. Dear Young Person, at this point is okay to tell yourself “I am overwhelmed”

Admitting to yourself that you are overwhelmed is the first step to getting back on track. Now take a deep breath and be still. Stop worrying and overthinking things. Take a day off or a night or even an hour and calm yourself. Do something that calms you and makes you happy, it might be playing video games or seeing a movie or eating or taking ice-cream or talking to a friend.

When you are calm, go back to those problems and re-strategize. Understand that you are created to suceed and conquer. Then carefully segment your problems into tiny bits and attack them one by one. Do the ones within your control and don’t worry about things beyond your control. Looking at problems wholistically makes them look bigger than they actually are, but when you break them down into segments it is easier to solve the problem. For instance, if you have a project you need to execute and the deadline is fast approaching, rather than fret about how you are going to miss your deadline, make a to-do list of all the things you need to achieve and tick through the list. It would surprise you how far you have gone by the time you review.

Dear young person, being overwhelmed is not the end of the world, in fact it’s a part of life. Take a deep breath, be still, strike a balance and you’ll be just fine.