Feeling overwhelmed about next 2 weeks , how do you deal with stress?

[C1239]

Got such a busy two weeks coming up, several events at work, things to attend out of work, I’ve got the start of a heavy cold, just want to cry I don’t know how I’m going to do it all without letting people down! Please let me know how you deal with stress especially when feeling under the weather?

Bin some of it off, prioritise work and long-standing commitments. No one will die. No one will even remember what you binned off a year from now.

For me when I am overloaded at work and ill it really is just head down and plough on through

Water, coke for the sugar and maybe a headache tablet. Nothing more fancy than that unfortunately

I am sure someone will be along with something more useful though

Ready meals / takeaways if you can afford them.
Forget housework for a fortnight.
Concentrate on the things you have to do for work / other commitments.
Postpone / duck out of any purely social events you can't be bothered with.
Don't look at the big picture, just look at things day by day (less overwhelming to deal with ticking off one busy day at a time).

Thank you, I just want to cry , need to feel 100% to get it all done!

Be ruthless. Deprioritise anything you can. Then just take it one day or if needs be one hour at a time. And have a great treat lined up at the end of the fortnight.

You set your boundaries and you stick to them like absolute glue.

Give yourself today to indulge and prep whatever you can - put outfits together etc. I would spend the rest of the day in the sunshine with a pot of tea.

Hope you feel better. Hate the build up to these sorts of periods.

Get a sheet of paper and make a list of absolutely everything you need to do. This will feel overwhelming at first but the next step is going to make you feel better.

Now get a different coloured pen and annotate with the following

"Delegate" for anything that can be done by someone else, and write down who can do it.

"Postpone" for anything that can wait until you're feeling better or less busy.

"Fuck off" for anything that you don't actually need to do, but feel you should do either for the sake or appearances or to make life easier for others... and be ruthless here!

You should find your list has gone down significantly.

Next step, can you afford to throw money at the problem? If so make another list. So for example, takeaways instead of cooking, getting an uber so you don't have to deal with public transport, paying a babysitter so you get a break from the kids.

I agree with pp that while a cold may not be enough to get you out of work it absolutely is sufficient reason to duck out of social events that you don't have the energy for.

Yes that’s a good idea, I ll write a list, I’m just concerned this cold is going to turn into full on lurgy and I ll be letting people down at work if I’m poorly. I know worrying is the worst thing to do as that will make me feel worse but I can stop the panic!

If you are unwell it’s probably because you are already doing way too much - your body is putting the brakes on to take care of you.

Advice on here is excellent.
I can only add that none of this is more important than your health! Or you as a person. It’s not all essential, probably none of it is in reality?

What can you strip out?
Better put what do you want to keep?

I have a similar month coming up and I feel your pain. I have organised outfits, presents and transport. A day at a spa in between and if it gets too much I just won’t be y

Going!! And

One day at a time, make things easier for yourself - buy meals you can just stick in the oven. It’s hard.

You are right @GCalltheway , when in the middle of it all it’s hard to remember it’s not all critical, it’s such an important time for work though I can’t not be there and I’m worried I ll be too poorly because there is too much going on, I think that’s what’s making me feel the most overwhelmed!

Do you like dawn, midday, dusk or the smell of the night? Choose a time and get outside. Not negotiable. Perhaps exercise or just simply standing in it.

But not getting outside is detrimental to everything.

@GCalltheway how are you not stressing out ahead of your busy month?!

Two things that help me

Think about a time in the past where you felt similar. What was the outcome? If parts didn’t go well, does it really matter now when you look back?

Imagine a colleague is feeling the same. What advice would you give them? Be just as kind to yourself.

I’m feeling more stressed as the day goes on, my cold feels like it’s getting worse, i can tell it’s all going to go wrong!

Just write it all down. Decide when you could shop for food, stick on a wash, make easy meals. And keep wine in the fridge.

Sudafed for the cold. Works wonders. Get a really, really early night tonight. Sniff heavily in the office - pretty sure you'll be excused from any event that's not crucial. If necessary wear a mask...