Well, hello there. My name is Morgan Harper-Nichols. I'm an artist and a writer, and this is a space where I share words that I hope can make a little room for you to slow down and take a few deep breaths as you prepare for whatever lies ahead. Thanks for being here today. And now on to today's episode.

Sometimes you just can't stop thinking about how much needs to be done. And the thought of getting through your day feels completely overwhelming. You may even have a feeling that you're not going to make it.

It's an intense feeling that hits every aspect of your life, from work to family obligations,

to all the little things on your to-do list. But there are things you can do to get through it so you don't feel so overwhelmed the next time life gets tough.

Here are some tips for staying calm even when you feel overwhelmed with life.

Number one, make small adjustments first.

When your mind is overwhelmed, it's hard to think clearly and make decisions because the brain needs time for recovery.

As a result, you may feel pressured to take on more than you actually need to.

The best thing you can do is make small adjustments first. Instead of trying

to delegate every task, maybe there's one task that you can delegate. Instead of clearing your

entire calendar for the whole day, maybe you can clear it for the second half of the day, or even an hour. So many of us could

actually use more time to rest than we actually give ourselves. But if we've been in a pattern

of overwhelm for a while, it could be hard to just jump into rest in a huge way right away.

The small adjustments we make still matter. Number two,

take as many breaks as you need. Taking a break may seem like the obvious choice, but it's a difficult

one. So how can we challenge ourselves to take a break even when so much needs to be done. We can practice. We can practice in small

increments. What would it look like to take a break just for a moment to get some fresh air,

to eat our lunch in a different setting, to let that phone call go to voicemail? These small things

may not feel like breaks, but they are.

The more we can practice taking breaks in the smallest ways,

the more we will improve in our practice.

We have to start small.

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