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Overwhelmed

Unknown userMember09 May 2016, 8:29 am AEST

Overwhelmed

Hello,

How do you guys deal with the feeling of being overwhelmed when reading your weekly appointments, to do lists.... I have already cut down my expectations to a bare minimum of my previous self and still feel overwhelmed although I am more than capable of the task, or rather should be. This includes everything in my life, work, leisure, house work ....

I try to cut down where I can or encourage myself that I can do it and sometimes it works, sometimes I need to take my meds to focus - but I would like to learn how to manage without my meds (this is additional to my normal daily / nightly doses).

What do you do? Thank you x

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In response to: Overwhelmed

SaharaSenior Contributor09 May 2016, 9:34 am AEST

Re: Overwhelmed

Good question, @Former-Member,

I frequently feel overwhelmed by everything. Up until I developed depression, I just forced myself to push through everything, do what I had to do, and did not question it too much. I was always exhausted and many people would question this - saying "why do you need so much sleep?" and "You're always tired." I ended up feeling very self-consious about having low energy and tried to hide it as much as I could.

The thing is... I seem to have plenty of energy to do the things that I really want to do. It's a paradox.

One recent example: I usually go to bed by about 9.30pm. I always feel half-asleep by that time and sometimes I even drift off to sleep on the couch in the lounge-room. The other night, something came on T.V. that I was really interested in and the change in me was astounding... I stayed up until 11pm and felt very alert!

So really, perhaps I have no so much been tired, but rather bored, because there is nothing on T.V, worth watching.

If I relate this experience back to my earlier life, prior to depression - I wonder if I was only exhausted because I was doing a lot of things that I did not want to do, and that I had no real interest in doing?

@Former-Member, I suppose there is no getting away from certain things, like housework. I tend to only do the minimum that I really have to do. Where possible, I put on some great motivating music and get into my exercise gear and treat it like a little work-out. I try to pretend that it is fun. Then of course there is the pay-off you get at the end of it- seeing a neat and tidy house where everything is in place.

I while ago, my sister said to me "Your house is always immaculate." I was truly surprised at this, because I always see my house as being very 'lived-in' and only just neat enough, but not exactly great. So I guess it goes to show that people's perceptions are very different.

So; even though you feel like you aren't doing much, you may be accomplishing a lot, Flower, only you are not enjoying it.

Sorry I am rambling a bit!

Going from my own experience having had depression, I would say, take some sick-leave (or annual leave) from work, pay someone else to do the house-work, take a break from socializing and work out how you really want to structure your life so as it suits you.

In response to: Re: Overwhelmed

BlueBellsSenior Contributor11 May 2016, 10:02 am AEST

Re: Overwhelmed

Hi Flower 🙂

I so relate to your post, and even the comments about being tired.

Hi Sahara 🙂 So good to see you 😄

I think you might have hit the nail on the head re boredom. I've thought for some time I need "long service leave", but that is non-existent for the majority of small business owners 😞

I try to get ahead, get everything right up to scratch so I can take a break, even one week (do the pays and nothing until next pay-day) but....always something occurs to derail my plans.

And Sahara....might be ramble to you, but insightful to me, and I daresay others as well 😉

Hugs to both of you 🙂 🙂 🙂

In response to: Overwhelmed

Unknown userMember12 May 2016, 6:00 am AEST

Re: Overwhelmed

Hi @Sahara and @BlueBells

@Sahara, I've been thinking about boredom and taking a break. There are aspects in my job that bore me, that are too confrontational at times and that on top of it trigger social anxiety - but I am good at those tasks. There are also parts I really deeply enjoy and I have to find a good mix between all of them and I also appreciate and accept that this is part of my life and actually pays the bills. I am at the moment trying to figure out how to get a balance between the boring parts and the fun parts, how to find a balance for distributing my energy during the day and not triggering depressive episodes, how to improve my social life,how to.... And it is trial and error. I am also thinking of taking a break - which seems impossible but obviously is possible, but it scares me to be home as my mind goes crazy so I am also considering a private mental hospital as this has been suggested a few times now for me to get a break and work through some of the overwhelming stuff in my life. I am tired a lot, but that does not surprise me anymore with my mind turning over and over and my feelings all over the place. I am currently functioning but with a mix of medication to get me through each day.

I have been thinking about your post a lot in the last couple of days @Sahara, so no rambling in sight for me.

@BlueBells what options do you have to take time off? I'm not sure how big your business is but could someone else take over for a short while?

I've got a massive day ahead and hopefully I can stay home tomorrow - that's what keeps me going, the rest days on the horizon.

Hugs to you too 🙂

In response to: Re: Overwhelmed

BlueBellsSenior Contributor12 May 2016, 11:17 am AEST

Re: Overwhelmed

Hi Flower :) It all comes down to organisation. Lack thereof, in my case. I have finally put a few things together over the past...decade, actually. Simplified, pretty much, ADD leads to anxiety leads to depression leads to me in a very messy state. My work....probably a day a week, maybe two at the most. Caring for grandchildren etc., one or two w'ends a month, or less..... It's organisation I need to work on, that's all. I just need to get my head straight. I am actually trialing meds a day again. It worked years ago, so crossing fingers :) Well, I need to bury myself in my b'work :) Hugs 🙂 🙂 :)

In response to: Re: Overwhelmed

BlueBellsSenior Contributor12 May 2016, 11:18 am AEST

Re: Overwhelmed

okay....that looks a mess 🙂

In response to: Re: Overwhelmed

SilenusSenior Contributor12 May 2016, 1:26 pm AEST

Re: Overwhelmed

Hugs to you all, @Former-Member, @Sahara, @BlueBells...

Sometimes it feels like we are navigating by feel...

In response to: Re: Overwhelmed

BlueBellsSenior Contributor12 May 2016, 3:21 pm AEST

Re: Overwhelmed

Thanks for the hugs, Si 😉

Yes, navigating by feel.......just can't figure what I'm feeling though 🙂

Sometimes I just walk up to a wall and lean my forehead or head against it....just stand there for a bit

In response to: Re: Overwhelmed

BlueBellsSenior Contributor28 June 2016, 9:06 am AEST

Re: Overwhelmed

...and here we go again 😞

3 days to complete sooo much work, and on top of that, I've "overwhelmed" every time I try to sort out how to make a claim on the health insurance :D:D:D that one's kinda funny, too 'sick' to make health claim lol 😄

We are changing funds, and now I don't know what to do with unsent claims, and I am over whelmed....and this is just venting, I guess, as I just need to talk, I suppose....

In response to: Re: Overwhelmed

Unknown userMember29 June 2016, 4:47 am AEST

Re: Overwhelmed

HI @BlueBells

can you go to your health fund and have them explain claim management to you - or is it a "virtual health fune". Do you have a friend or child who can do it for you - I started leaving things to my adult son hmhm.

I don't know what work you're doing, but can you write diwn all the tasks and number them in order of importance? You can also ask your supervisor to help you. These days there is always too much to do.

Hope you have a better day today!

In response to: Overwhelmed

KurraSenior Contributor29 June 2016, 7:10 am AEST

Re: Overwhelmed

Hi @BlueBells
If the costs were incurred during your membership of the old health insurance and you paid the bill you can still send your claims to that health insurance find.
Hugzzz

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