Dear Kanchan,
Being overwhelmed and stressed compromises our mental health and immunity in the long run. So, it's important to address the stressors in our life at the earliest.
It is common for these feelings to occur as part of the life stage we are in, especially adolescence.
The first step to addressing the stress is to accept that you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
Second, take a pause. It could also help to physically isolate yourself in another space, away from the setting that is causing stress, such as stepping outside for a few minutes or going to another room where you can be alone and quiet for a few moments. Then take a few deep breaths to calm down.
Next, prioritise and schedule time to organise. This helps sort the chaos in our heads. Take a book or writing pad and list everything on your plate. Once every single task, however small, is listed, you can arrange it on another fresh page by starting the list with the most urgent and important things and continuing the list so that the least urgent and least important thing is at the bottom. Once you have your priorities charted, half the battle is won.
Break tasks to do into smaller, actionable steps. Once you know what needs to be done first, next, and further on, divide it into actions that can be done by you on a daily basis.
Then act on those actionable steps. There is no other way around this.
Also, once you have most of this sorted and cleared, a lot of your feelings of confusion or anxiety will reduce, as now there is a plan of action. It may still feel like a lot, but at least there is a direction.
Despite all of the above, if you are unable to experience a reduction in your stress, do talk to a well-wisher who can help you with it or even seek professional guidance.
Also, regularly take time out. Going for a walk, playing a sport, listening to music or doing something creative will help ease stress.
Once you develop a habit of doing the above, it will be a natural way of coping with stress.
