The Overworked Mind Rescue Plan: 8 Strategies for Stress Reduction

Does your brain seem numb and foggy? These are the signs you’re stressed and have an overworked mind. It can often ruin your productivity. Let’s find ways to combat this.

An overworked brain can often lead to burnout. So, if you are suffering from the same and want to calm that overwhelming feeling, then you have come to the right place!

Causes and Effects of an Overworked Mind: What Your Mind Wants to Tell You

In this competitive world, most of us embrace the core beliefs of hustle culture. We tend to work more to grow fast and in order to put ourselves out there, we often forget how to stop overworking.

An overworked mind can take a toll on your health. Now, let’s find out what causes an overworked mind –

• Long hours at work
• Excessive workload
• High-stress levels
• Lack of sleep and rest
• Inadequate self-care practice

As we learn about the causes of overworking, let’s understand how overworking affects your mental health –

• Decreased productivity and creativity: One of the major symptoms of overworking is slowness. Your brain lacks productivity when you are overworking yourself.
• Increased anxiety and stress: Working too much can exhaust your brain, causing stress and worry.
• Depression and burnout: Overworking and depression go hand in hand. When you invest all of your time in work, you lose interest in other daily activities. It leads to depression causing physical and mental exhaustion, known as burnout. 
• Reduced ability to concentrate and make decisions: Working extensively can hinder your concentration level, leading to certain overworked brain symptoms like forgetfulness and difficulty in decision-making.
• Headache, fatigue, and muscle tension: Working extensively without any rest can often lead to fatigue, muscle tension, and headache.

Now that we have got a brief idea about what an overworked mind is, let’s find out some of the potential ways to relax it.

How to Relax An Overworked Mind

If you’re feeling overworked, here are some reliable ways to deal with it.

1. Work Out/ Exercise

Working out can be a very effective way to relax if your mind is on a race track. Research shows that exercise is very beneficial for your body along with your overworking mind. It can also help reduce stress. 

Celebrities like Khloe Kardashian, Ellie Goulding, and Demi Lovato often turn to exercise as a way to relieve stress and maintain a healthy balance in their busy lives.

From yoga and meditation to high-intensity workouts, they choose activities that suit their personal preferences and help them clear their minds and recharge their batteries.

2. Include Mindful Meditation in Your Routine

Meditation has been a tried and tested formula to deal with the signs of overworking such as stress and anxiety for years. It’s a simple yet effective way to calm your overworked mind. Not only that, it brings peace into our busy life. 

You can practice meditation for 10-15 minutes daily before sleep to decrease insomnia and fatigue. You just have to relax, sit straight, close your eyes, and take deep breaths. Try to maintain the rhythm of your breaths, and don’t stress your brain.

Whether you are a seasoned meditator or a newcomer to the practice, including mindful meditation in your daily routine will help you to relax your overworked mind.

3. Pause and Take a Deep Breathe

Deep breathing is one of the most effective ways to calm down your busy mind and anxious thoughts. 

Studies show that deep breathing helps you to relax your mind and body and reduce stress and anxiety. It also can help in managing negative emotions and thoughts.

The box breathing technique is proven to help calm your over-wrought mind.

There are a few simple steps to practice this method.

• First step: Inhale through your nose on the count of four.
• Second step: Hold your breath for a count of four.
• Third step: Breath it out for another count of four.
• Fourth step: Hold your breath again for a count of four.
• Repeat the process.

4. Try Reading a Book

Reading books can help you to escape repetitive thoughts. It is an excellent way to take your mind off of work. If you are a bookworm, you know how it feels to lose yourself in your favorite book.

Reading books is the best way to unwind and relax. You can practice reading a book for 30 minutes daily to de-stress your mind. 

5. Write It Down On A Paper

If overwhelming thoughts are all over your mind, then it’s better to jot them down in a diary or a notepad. We often find it hard to share our thoughts with anyone because we are afraid of being judged.

Writing down your thoughts would be a better way to vent your emotions and thoughts. So, pen it down rather than carrying them all in your head.

Writing journals is not always about planning your day or finding any solutions. Journaling at the end of the day can help release stress and improve sleep quality.

6. Talk to Someone

If you have friends or family to rely on, you can always reach out to them. When you share your feelings with someone, it can help you to gain a different perspective; and this, in turn, relieves stress, anxiety, and other emotional baggage. 

Communicating with someone who understands what you are feeling or going through helps you feel validated and comforted. Having someone who listens to you mindfully and with compassion can be a huge relief; it makes you feel understood.

7. Try Connecting with Nature

• Start gardening: You can go to the market, buy some saplings and plant it in your garden or terrace. Taking care of plants can distract you from impulsive thoughts.
• Take a walk: To connect with nature more deeply, you can walk in the park barefoot. You can also try the grounding technique. It is an effective way to relax your mind by connecting with the present moment through your five senses.
• Camping: Camping is another way to connect with nature. You should take a break and go camping or trekking in the mountains or any nature park.
• Create with nature: Try to do some creative stuff in nature, like practicing dance, exercising, creating clay art, painting, etc.

Nature can always calm your mind and heal your soul. Therefore, take a break from modern life and embrace it.

8. Get Enough Sleep

One of the significant negative effects of overworking is fatigue. No matter how hard you try, you can’t get enough sleep in such a situation.

You should sleep for at least 7-8 hours to relax your brain. Your brain stays active when you sleep, but it removes the toxins that build up in your brain while you are working. 

Relaxation is The Key To a Healthy Mind

Taking time to unwind and relax, can prevent burnout and helps you to maintain a work-life balance. Remember to take care of yourself and your mental health to restore your aura. 

Share your thoughts about this in the comments below!