Do This When You're Feeling Overwhelmed

Every single person on this planet has their own problems, and they are all valid to have. We could be stressed at work and those stressful feelings are valid; we could be on the verge of losing our home and feeling incredible amounts of anxiety, and those feelings are valid; or we could be stuck in rush hour traffic and are running late for a dinner out with friends, and those feelings of frustration are also valid. However, sometimes it helps us to put our problems into perspective when we start feeling overwhelmed. This by no means that you should dismiss the feelings you have towards your problems, but you could relieve some of the stress by reminding yourself that you are one of many with the same problem.

When I'm having a particularly anxious or depressed day, I try not to give into those feelings entirely. I may set a time where I allow myself to sink into those feelings, then I give myself maybe 20 minutes to sit and stew in those feelings before the time ends—then I go about my day. This lets me feel those feelings without damaging my mental health throughout the entire day; and afterwards, I feel better, somehow. What also helps after I finish stewing is to remind myself that millions of others experience anxiety and depression like myself, and to worse degrees. When I feel bad about not being able to afford my own place, I remind myself how lucky I am that my parents allow me to live with them while I build my bank account, and that others are not so fortunate. The same goes for when I feel bad about not being able to lease my own car; at least I'm able to drive my parents' cars and not have to take the bus everywhere. It's all about perspective.

It's very easy to succumb to our feelings of self-doubt, depression, and anxiety—and sometimes those feelings need to be addressed by a mental health professional. Other times though, if these feelings aren't debilitating, they can keep you from reaching your full potential and keep you locked into a shadow of who you wish you could be. I myself have struggled for years with feelings of self-doubt, and these feelings have stopped me from pursuing internships and jobs because I didn't feel I deserved them. I've had successful moments of overcoming those feelings—like when I applied to grad school—but I admit that these limiting beliefs still very much linger and keep me from going after what I want. So when these feelings pop up, I remind myself of countless other women who feel the same, and who've overcome those feelings to make a better life for themselves. It is possible for us to live the lives we dream of, but it takes a lot of work. A lot of work.

That fact alone can be overwhelming, so how do you even start? I recommend finding people online or in your life whose story resonates with you in some way; for me, I found a Russian-Israeli-Canadian model named Valeria Lipovetsky on YouTube. She occasionally makes self-help videos talking about how she was a very shy and insecure girl growing up, and now she's in a much better place when it comes to loving herself and going after her dreams. She too discusses how she still struggles with feelings of self-doubt and imposter syndrome, so it makes me feel better seeing that even people I view as successful can still have these feelings while also still pushing forward. Valeria still makes content, is honest about her own feelings of stress being a working mom, and is comfortable with who she is. She shows me that it's possible to still live my dream life despite lingering feelings of self-doubt, and that makes my own problems feel less devastating.

What about you? Are there people in your life or online who help you put your problems in perspective? How so? Comment below or tell me on my Instagram @zoeparisblog :)