It's not just holiday time that can trigger this feeling of always being behind the eight-ball.
Biochemistry expert, Dr Libby Weaver, says it's quite common for people to feel spent.
"I don't know whether anyone ever gets on top of things these days," she says.
"Don't ask yourself how am I ever going to catch up on all of this? Because you probably won't."
We tend to write to-do lists as long as forever and then when we don't tick everything off we feel overwhelmed, unmotivated, maybe grumpy and sometimes weary. (That's me, right there.)
Dr Libby says we tend to give ourselves grief for not getting everything done.
A better way of looking at what you'd like to achieve is in "chunks".
"Capture everything ... (you) can think of that does need attention ... chunk it in to categories and decide on a focus," Dr Libby says.
For instance, make it your outcome to get on top of your emails, to spend 30 minutes outdoors or to touch base with the girls from high school. You might have just one outcome for the day, or a couple from different aspects of your life, but make them achievable and then allow yourself the chance to rest and bask in your glory of satisfaction.
If you don't chill out and cut yourself some slack then your body goes into "red alert" and this affects hormones, digestion, sleep and moods.
Speaking of which, I'm also a big believer in your body responding to what you put in it.
On holidays, or periods of feeling overwhelmed, it's easy to shelve this concept. Heck, on vay-cay you want to try new foods and sip cocktails at sunset. Sometimes you just have to eat what's on offer because you're on an overnight bus ride and your belly is moaning for supper.
And sometimes, after a long day, when you're still at number 16 on your to-do list and your desk is covered in post-it notes all you want to do is pick up Pad Thai on the way home.
But, if you want to get your head in the right space, naturopath and fatigue expert Irene Lok says it's important to fuel your body with the right kind of food.
Feast on lean proteins such as fish, chicken or tofu for lunch and team them with some veges and your cells will be bursting with enough energy to get you through the afternoon without feeling hungry, distracted or sleepy. Aces!
Dr Libby's top five tips for sorting your life out:
1. When you look at what needs to be done, ask "what outcome do I want to achieve today?" instead of "how will I ever got on top of this?" Your brain will give you an answer to whatever you ask it. This slight change in language is powerful and empowering.
2. Capture your thoughts and tasks and then group them together into categories. Instead of having a big long to-do list, you now have five to seven categories you can focus on.
3. You must rest, either once the outcome/s have been achieved or regularly schedule it. Rest and recreation are just as important as work.
4. Take part in a breath-focussed movement class or simply greet the new day by flinging open the curtains, observing the day, placing your hands on your tummy just below your belly button and breathing from your diaphragm. Exposing your eyes to sunlight destroys melatonin, your sleep hormone which then allows serotonin, your happy, calm, content hormone, to surge.
5. Eat real food. It is very difficult to remain calm and not anxious when we are amped up on stimulants such as caffeine and are fuelling ourselves with processed food that is almost devoid of nutrients. Make a soup, stew or casserole and keep some frozen so you can warm it up if you do work some longer hours.
Does life sometimes overwhelm you? Do you have any tips for achieving your outcomes?
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