Author: counsellingwithsarah0@gmail.com

With Wimbledon in full swing I thought that it might be helpful to consider the lessons that we might be able to consider using some themes from tennis. It would be helpful if you are feeling overwhelmed and feeling like you are starting to not be so on top of things.

Don’t run around after the ball !

Are you feeling you are running around after everyone else, leaving little time and energy for yourself ?

If we keep trying to chase the balls it is likely that we will start dropping them.

Then these 3 tips might help you:-

1) What can you drop ?

Review what you are doing, do you need to be doing it all, who can help, can someone else do it.

2) Take time for you

Making sure time is made to do something for you, prioritising you too is important.

3) Re-energising

Running around can be exhausting so it is important to take regular breaks, create good eating and sleeping routines.

Who serves you ?

This was a question that came up quite often during my training and seems to have some how stuck as a helpful question for to ask.

I think if you tend to be a people pleaser it can be helpful to think about your relationships and friendships.

How much effort are you putting in Vs. how much you get back ?

Do you walk away feeling drained, put upon or bad about yourself ?

Do you find you go along with what others want to keep them happy ?

It does not mean you have to give up on any friendships or relationships, but it might be useful to think about how you respond within them.

Getting it over the net !

It be easy to fall into only seeing what is still to be done, this can feel overwhelming when it feels like there is not much progress.

To help balance this out it is important to see what we have achieved as well, it can help with motivation and also gives us positive feelings.

Sometimes it can be helpful to list down everything you have done to help reflect on things. It can be the little things as well as the big things.

Getting support

Counselling can be valuable in applying the lessons; help to improve things, to help manage feelings and get support with changes and making choices. Counselling can help by talking through your experiences which can make things clearer. Sitting along with thoughts and feelings can be hard, but it can often not be easy or feel ok to share with those who are close to you. Having someone who you trust but is detached from situation is helpful to be able to speak freely about things. I am here to support you, counsellingwithsarah0@gmail.com or via my website contact form.

Are you noticing you feel overwhelmed at times ?

It can be hard to know where to start, or starting one thing before finishing another. Either can feel overwhelming !
Let’s reflect on the stress awareness messages that might be helpful to consider when managing the overwhelm.

Little by little

Taking consistent, small positive actions was the theme this year. It is important to remember to take things one step at a time. Perhaps a good start is to step away even for a short amount of time. This allows space to see what can be stopped, reduced, or given to someone else.

Stress relief

Making time for self-care is a good counter-balance for stress. This could be going for a walk, playing a sport, exercising, spending time with your pet, playing games, being creative through art, reading.

Taking a break

Taking a break is essential to recharge energy levels. This could be time away, allowing a few minutes for some silence to calm the body, sitting down with a cuppa. Making sure you have regular breaks and holidays booked in helps to manage time and recharge at regular intervals.

Limiting what you take on

Are you trying to take on too much ?
If you are saying ‘yes’ when you want to say ‘no’ then it is likely you are doing something to please someone other than you.
It is helpful to think about what you want to take on and how you might be able to say ‘no’ to things you don’t.
If you are struggling to say no to something you don’t want to do it is worth remembering, every time you say ‘yes’ to someone else you are saying ‘no’ to yourself.

Listen to your body

Are you aware of the signs of stress ?

Our bodies often have subtle ways of letting us know we are under pressure. This could be things such as tension, IBS, headaches, skin irritation.
Do you wish things felt different ?

When overwhelmed it is not uncommon to feel stuck or frozen as it feels difficult to know where to start, or perhaps you start lots of things but not see them through. This can lead to feeling stressed and quite often then become critical of yourself.

It can be helpful to consider what is holding you back.

❓Have you taken on too much
❓You didn’t like to say ‘no’
❓Everyone else seems to be able to do it, why can’t I
❓You can’t sit and rest there is too much to do

If any of this sounds familiar, then I can help. I work with people to understand that they are important too and together we can look at how to find a better balance in life.

I can be contacted via email counsellingwithsarah0@gmail.com or via the contact form on my website.