From Overwhelmed to Grounded: 5 Strategies to Manage Anxiety and Prevent Burnout
This time of year often feels like a race to the finish. Between holiday preparations, year-end stress, and daily life demands, anxiety and burnout can sneak in and sap our joy. Instead of falling into the overwhelm, let’s pause. These five tried-and-true strategies can help you manage anxiety, prevent burnout, and stay grounded so you can truly enjoy the season.
Strategy One: Breathe- Regulation
How often do you intentionally breathe? Some people think about breath practices as “Woo woo” or just plain dumb, but the truth is, breathing is the quickest way to regain control of our nervous systems. When we are feeling overwhelmed, out of control, or disconnected, tuning into our breath allows us to focus mindfully on one thing at a time along with telling our bodies exactly what we want it to do, calm the heck down. Now you might be thinking, “yeah yeah yeah, I’ve tried that before, and it only made me feel worse!” And to that I would say, “Yuuup!”
Breathing and controlling our nervous system is called a practice for a reason, you need to practice it! Its like asking the worlds fastest runner to walk as slow as possible. Every time you shout “GO!” they will take off running until they remember to slow down: muscle memory. So just know, yes, this may be uncomfortable to start, but its just the start, keep going! A great way to ease yourself into this practice is with the following: Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7, and exhale for 8. Repeat three times to reset.
Fun fact- This style helps to trigger your Vagus Nerve which is essentially your body’s Calm Down Button.
Strategy Two: Pause- Mindfulness
Taking intentional pauses prevents burnout and helps you reset. It might seem counterintuitive to stop what we are doing as a tool to finishing, but getting across the finish line is not as important as what shape we arrive in. Use the STOP method: Stop what you’re doing, Take a step back, Observe your feelings or situation, and Proceed with clarity. Pausing gives you space to prioritize and move forward with purpose. At times, we feel so overwhelmed because we are going in so many different directions that we don’t feel like we are making much progress. Picking a small task or goal, and following to an end allows us to feel accomplished and gives ourselves the much-needed kudos that fills our cup.
Strategy Three: K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart)- Break it Down
This strategy is sometimes the easiest and most effective to implement and helps to keep ourselves feeling productive without that anxiety, burnout blob we tend to get frozen in. KISS is all about breaking it down, making tasks manageable, goals attainable and even our roles in relationships clear. This may again feel counterintuitive, but think back to how anxiety and burnout have been impacting your ability to be productive and check off your to-do list. Break tasks into smaller, manageable steps. Instead of tackling an entire to-do list at once, focus on one item at a time. For instance, clean one surface, run one errand, or handle one email. By simplifying your approach, you'll feel accomplished without the overwhelm. And guess what? If it gets pushed to tomorrow, give yourself a great big pat on the back because Tomorrow You is going to feel up for the task because Today You took it easy.
Strategy Four: Know Your Bubble- Boundaries
I like to think about our bubble as the space with which we control every thing inside. Ideally, our bubble would be ourselves. That’s it. Just our sweet little selves encased in a shiny protective bubble. But that’s probably not very realistic. If I know you, because I know me, your bubble probably extends to Timbuktu and back again, encapsulating everyone in the world and feeling responsible for their happiness. Well, I am here to tell you, and me, REEL IT IN! Think of your personal energy as a bubble. When your bubble expands to include everyone else's problems, you lose focus of yourself. Next time you're overwhelmed, visualize reeling your bubble back in. Ask: 'Whose needs am I meeting, and why?' Refocusing on your own priorities creates space for balance and calm. Now back to Strategies One, Two and Three!
Strategy Five: Kindness- Inner Critic Shift
Kindness is the most important aspect to all I do in my life. It’s my business name, it’s what I preach in all of my sessions, and it’s the driving force for how I choose to live my life. Kindness is the foundation of all mental health work—and it starts with you. Being kind to yourself means letting go of guilt, shame, and self-criticism. Remember, lasting change happens through encouragement, not harshness. The next time your inner critic pipes up, replace it with a compassionate voice. If you can’t find the words for one, borrow mine, borrow someone who imbues positivity and strength. Mine in Jonathan Van Ness. “I’m sorry, who gave you permission to be so dang gorgeous?!” Kindness allows for us to practice acceptance, acknowledge our humanity and give ourselves the much-needed validation of all the effort we put into our lives and the lives of those around us.
So now here is the action part:
1- Take 3 deep breaths
2- STOP and think about what it next after reading this
3- Break that down into smaller more manageable tasks
4- Think about who’s needs you are meeting and why
5- Infuse Kindness to the whole process
These strategies aren’t about perfection—they’re about progress. By practicing these tools, you’ll build resilience, reconnect with yourself, and take meaningful steps toward preventing burnout. Remember, you’re doing amazing work, and taking time for yourself is the best investment you can make.
