Are you feeling extra pressure at work or home at the moment? Perhaps you’re worried about job or financial security, stressed about your family, or working a demanding role on the frontlines. If you feel under pressure, below are some strategies that might help. While these strategies won’t make the pressure go away, they might help you to cope a bit better until the pressure eases.
It’s important to name your emotions, especially the more confronting ones, such as fear, anxiety, or anger. Although it sounds counterintuitive, naming your feelings helps. It can help to reduce confusion, so you can begin to process your emotions and make sense of what’s going on.
Try not to judge or invalidate your feelings. Try to be open to all your emotions and accept that’s how you feel right now. Acceptance without judgement is a foundation for mental wellbeing, especially during times of pressure.
You may find that simply acknowledging “I feel scared right now” or “I feel tired right now” helps you to relax slightly. By calling out the feeling, you can remove some of its sting Living under pressure is hard. Be compassionate towards yourself.
Cut yourself some slack where you can. Focus on what you have to do, and lower your expectations about the rest. It’s okay if the dishes pile up or you eat beans on toast for the third night in a row.
Now is the time to go easy on yourself. Observe your self-talk. Notice if you make sweeping statements like “I’m not good enoug.