Chill Out or Burn Out

For the past twelve years, I have been a mental health practitioner.
One of the most common complaints from my clients is that they feel stressed out and overwhelmed by their daily grind.

The dawn of the information age brought about by computers has added additional stress to the daily lives of most people. Parents now have to be computer literate in order to help their children with their homework assignments.

Many of my clients complain about the great difficulty of managing their careers, parenting, and family responsibilities simultaneously. The new “buzz word” coined for this juggling act is “multi-tasking,” which is easier said that done. One of the most common mistakes people make is trying to accomplish too many things in one day. You have to keep in mind that there is always tomorrow. People who are cool, calm and collected know how to allocate their time and prioritize their responsibilities.

Here are some tips that my clients have found useful in lessening their anxiety and controlling their daily energy output:

1. Make a list of daily things that you need to do in order of priority.

2. Make a plan of how you are going to accomplish these tasks and approximate the time required for each one.

3. Set realistic goals and don’t overload your schedule;

4. Make sure to include some daily downtime for yourself devoted to personal pleasure.

5. If you feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath and tell yourself that things will be okay.

6. Do not beat yourself up if you don’t accomplish your daily goals. Try to remember that you always have tomorrow and that Rome wasn’t built in a day.

7. Take some time every day to regroup and relax. Everybody requires some personal time. Give yourself a reward for the positive things that you did accomplish.

8. Learn to say “NO” and set limits with people. Make yourself a priority!

9. Make sure to implement some type of exercise regimen at least 3x weekly. Exercise helps reduce stress and anxiety levels.

10. Take the word “should” out of your vocabulary. This word leads to guilt, disappointment and unrealistic self-expectations.

Based in Wantagh, New York, Sherry Persky has worked as a clinical psychotherapist for the past twelve years. She specializes in treating clients,who suffer from anxiety, depression, panic disorders, and phobias and has developed an eclectic therapeutic treatment approach.

Click Here to learn more about Sherry Persky, CSW