Tashara stokes

Overwhelming Mindset

Have you ever thought of all the things you have to do and get overwhelmed? Being in the state of mind that leads to an exaggerated series of thoughts that are running around throughout the day can be mentally exhausting. I used to think of all the things that needed to be done and cram them in my mind as if they all had the same due date. This lead to mental stress and an overwhelming feeling. It is not a negative thing to be overwhelmed, it can have a negative impact if you are not organized. Creating a system in your day that works for you to keep your tasks in order is key. Systems such as planners, calendars and note pads are examples of ways to keep your day organized. Think about your tasks and the deadlines you have to meet and start prioritizing them. For example, you have a job that requires you to complete the workload in a certain time, but you also have your best friend's birthday party later that night. Knowing you have a deadline to meet for work, would you hang out all night to "celebrate" your best friend's birthday? Person A would prioritize their job before their friend's birthday party. Person B would go ahead and "ride or die' for their friend and risk completing the assignment before the am for work. Now, there is no right or wrong answer here because everyone's circumstances are different. Back to the mind. Either person in this situation can get overwhelmed allow me to explain. With person A, they could be getting swamped with work and thinking about what their friends will have to say about them being a workaholic. Think about it, the massive work load you are given and a deadline that you have to meet to stay in good metrics is a lot within itself. That is just work. Having to reject the invitation to your best friend's birthday party is also a tough one. Thoughts of "I hope my best friend is not mad at me for missing their birthday party" and "Maybe I will come over tomorrow after work and take them to dinner". Person A, knows that work is essential and has to be done while special events are optional. With person B, there is a completely different approach to the situation and mindset. Person B may be thinking of how important their relationship with best friend is. By this, they will show up at their friend's birthday party to prove their value of the friendship. Thoughts of "I'll just finish the work when I get back home from the party" and "they showed up to my birthday party so I must go to theirs". This can lead to conflicting thoughts of their loyalty to their best friend and their dedication to their job. I am both person A and person B. I am creating this post today to let you know that these thoughts can come up and slap you off your priorities. With this, I can say that both are dedicated and committed whether it is to the job or the friend. Do not forget there is always work to be done and if you do not have personal events and business lined up ahead of time, then you will try to cram everything in one day as if you need to be in all places at the same time. You are one person and cannot be omnipresent so stop packing your day full of activities that needs your one hundred percent. If you decide to have your Monday set for work, then dinner with a friend, 2 phone calls with different clients, grabbing coffee with an old friend and watching a movie with the family... then your day will most likely end at the phone calls with the two clients. If you try to do all these things in one day then your performance will not be at its best. Please understand that all of these things require your best performance and not half. Taking things day by day is very important. Try to schedule things accordingly. For example, if you know you have a 9-5 and still have to communicate with a few clients after work, then time management is key. Understand that it can take up to 2 extra hours for both clients on separate calls and they may even be scheduled an hour away from each other to give you the extra hour for yourself. That does not mean take that hour and turn it into getting dinner with a friend. You do not have time for that unless you two are going to a drive thru. No quality time was spent with your friend, instead it turns into checking this off your "to-do" list. As for that dinner with a friend, you may want to reschedule for a Friday night or Saturday night so that you will have the weekend to schedule personal relationship activities such as family events and dinner with a friend. Now, going back to that hour that was in between the next call, you can use that hour to have some personal development. There is nothing wrong with taking breaks to stop and think. Breaks are beneficial to you mentally, physically, and spiritually. During this time, you can read a book, meditate on God's word, have a healthy snack or even take a nap. YES A NAP! Many of us are stressed out and drained due to so many things that we are running around trying to fulfill when all we need is rest. Do not let social media entrepreneurs tell you sleep is for the weak. I tried going without sleep but it only made me more overwhelmed and later on drained causing me not to give anything my one hundred percent. I write all this to say, you are not capable of being omnipresent like God. It is ok to reschedule things accordingly. Do not be a busybody... TAKE A BREAK!