It’s Okay To Give Yourself a Break
When work and deadlines are piling up, feeling overwhelmed can feel like a given. Sometimes it can feel as if we are expected to feel overloaded, that if we’re not rushing around at a million miles an hour and constantly glued to our phones then we’re not working hard enough, but this simply isn’t true. If things are feeling too much, read our tips on taking some down time, give yourself a break, and you’re sure to start to feel better.
Too tired to tidy?
When our heads aren’t feeling straight, cleaning is often the furthest thing from our minds. But this can lead to a vicious cycle beginning. You feel bad, the mess builds up and it makes you feel worse. But doing a few things here and there can help prevent you feeling bogged down in untidiness.
If laundry day is here but you’re feeling drained, don’t pressure yourself to do a full house clean. Switch our your pillow cases and straighten your duvet. If the room is feeling musty, throw the window open and open your curtains. Simple things such as getting some fresh air into your room and letting in some sunshine are easy ways of clearing your mind and helping you to feel more refreshed.
Not up to cooking?
We all know how important it is to eat a healthy diet. Nutrition and physical health is a big part of keeping your mental health on track, and you’re guaranteed to be far more productive if your brain and body are healthy.
That being said, there will be times when you’re not up to cooking or preparing a meal. Sometimes you’ll open the fridge and just feel overwhelmed, uninspired and able to face nothing more than throwing some bread in the toaster.
So you know what, do it. Throw some bread in the toaster, grab a class of water and head to bed if you need to. Your body isn’t going to shut down after one unbalanced meal and a little bit of what you fancy never did anyone any harm.
Not up to brushing your teeth?
Oral hygiene is important, both for you and the people around you. But, as with sneaking in a bad meal every once in a blue moon, skipping brushing your pearly whites once isn’t the worst thing. To feel refreshed and take care of your teeth even when you can’t get out of bad, just use some floss. Easy to do even when you’re lying down and it will leave you feel even the tiniest bit refreshed. Of course, if you have invisible braces to align your teeth, you may need to do more than just flossing, but this will depend on a variety of factors.
Afraid of your inbox?
When you’re running behind, your email inbox can be a flashing reminder of everything you need to do. Deadline reminders, email follow ups, it’s easy to want to throw your phone into your underwear drawer and start communicating by carrier pigeon, but this is one of the situations where you need to face things head on.
A simple ‘I will be in touch with any updates’ is all you need. Quick, clear and easy. Simply making people aware that you have received their message and they are on your to do list, but making it obvious that you will be in touch when you’re ready. Stressing yourself out and burying your head in the sand seldom helps in situations like these.
Phone getting too much?
If you’re finding yourself constantly checking social media or jumping 5 feet in the air whenever your phone rings, it might be time to take a night off. Our connection to the world through our phones is invaluable in so many situations, but can be detrimental in others. If you have people (like your parents) who will be concerned if they don’t hear from you for the evening and turn your phone off, simply give them a quick message saying you’re having a tech-free night and that you’ll check in the next day. It won’t hurt to give yourself some silence and peace, and time to yourself is good for helping your mind to calm down.
When we’re feeling overwhelmed with work or deadlines it can be easy to let it slip into our everyday lives, but this has the potential to make us feel worse. Give yourself a break, take some time to yourself and the stress should start to ease.
Jess Howard writes for Inspiring Interns, which specialises in finding candidates their perfect internship. To browse our graduate jobs London listings, visit our website.
