I didn’t post yesterday the world wasn’t on the right axel somehow…it was going okay then I spoke with husband and well then it kind of went off kilter somehow. Not his fault it’s the usual story…broken sleep it does crap to my brain.
The husband he didn’t sound right {to me despite the fact I asked a zillion times and he said I’m fine a zillions times back I still thought otherwise *drama queen* as I do when I can’t look into his eyes} and of course there starts all the questions in my head did I say something wrong, did I write something wrong, is he okay, is the job going okay are the crew okay then it was back to what did I say. Needless to say he was probably tired doing a 16 hours of ‘physical’ labour it does that to you but of course I being ‘mentally’ tired I analysed everything “wrong” in my tired head, I then looked at the pile of washing, my unswept floors, my to do list was longer than the paper it was written on. You know the drill?
I then of course became overwhelmed. Panic stricken then guilty. Tired all over again. It was all too much. All that hoorah.
And what do I do when I become overwhelmed? I sit or I fluff around in circles all the while thinking of stuff that doesn’t need to be thought of which of course makes things worse because for me because that leads to frustration and getting nothing actually done but making the whole thing insurmountable. Annoyance then sets in as does the wanting to devour more Tim tams and Smiths chips than my local shop can carry.
So it was while I was sitting there on my couch dog either side coffee in hand tim tam in the other that I realised I was watching Sesame Street. My kids had been at school for a few hours but still the TV was blaring away on ABC 2 {oh ABC 2 how you have served me as a sitter well} It was whilst some little creature manoeuvred awkwardly with a humans hand up its bottom that I heard it from the TV…
‘When you’re frustrated …Take a step back. Have a look around and start again’…well something like that…
The scene was a little monster not being able to find his shoes and he was frustrated obviously this was fictional because he would have screamed muuuuum I can’t find my shoes…and he wouldn’t have a problem of being frustrated mummy would have… Anyway the point was I went ‘ah ha’…and it was an Oprah moment brought on by Sesame Street…see the value of television should never be underestimated.
So in realising I was in my usual ‘overwhelmed’ cycle that if not nipped in the bud right then and there could go on for days…I stopped took a “step back and had a look around” where I promptly decided to finish my coffee and start the day again.
So my five tips for when you’re feeling frustrated and overwhelmed:
1. Step back….have a coffee or go outside for just a minute have breather…get yourself together being overwhelmed is just your brain getting scrambled for a minute..Coffee, Tims tams and a new scene (not on the telly) are usually the best prescription for this…and cutting yourself some slack..
2. Write a list and deal with the most important thing first. Just do it. The pile of washing may be high but like a bikini wax just get in get down and its all smooth sailing from there. The same goes with work dead lines…make a plan of attack and do it. In the case of your husband…seven minute once a day phone calls can be a pain in the bum…and all you can do is distract yourself from the madness in your head ..I have no other advice but distraction until you can ask them one last time is everything okay…
3. Ask for help and allow someone to help you…now in yesterdays case I didn’t require help but in previous case when the boys were little and cleaning the house with them there was like shovelling snow while it’s snowing I should have asked for help. I should have asked the neighbours to take them..It may have prevented that little ‘exhaustive’ episode which was not pretty I had months following after not asking for help. People like helping each other its that simple.
4. Learn how to say no and prioritise what’s important …learning how to say no is hard but it’s good for all involved the world won’t end . And realising what’s important can sometimes be hard and it’s often trial and error until the balance is found.
5. I don’t have a tip five …but since this is a five tips post it had to go in but if you have one care to share the love? How do you deal with things when feeling overwhelmed and frustrated?
XxD
