How to Cope When a Busy Schedule Makes You Anxious

I've had a busy schedule in my work and personal life. I have noticed that when my schedule becomes so busy, I often find that my anxiety worsens. Because of this, I need to take steps to calm myself during these busy times.

Why Being Busy Makes Me Anxious

This was something I began to recognize throughout the years, but it became critical to address when I noticed that my anxiety was related to health issues. The work I do, though, is very important to me, so it also became important that I figure out how to cope with this anxiety.

I've had to really pay attention to my thought process when I feel anxious. It sometimes starts with thinking about things that I'm responsible for and things in my schedule that are coming up. And then this will also lead to obsessively checking my calendar and reviewing what I've organized for myself.

But I've also noticed that this anxiety is related to perfectionist standards. I tend to set extremely high standards for a lot of the things that I work on and accomplish in life, and when I don't reach the expectations I have for myself, I feel anxious. Constantly thinking about these standards leads me to feel greatly overwhelmed.

Ways to Deal with Anxiety Because of a Busy Schedule

And so, to maintain a busy schedule and juggle several responsibilities on my plate, it's been vital for me to identify ways to stay calm and cope with my anxiety to prevent me from feeling terribly overwhelmed.

One of the strategies that I use is blocking out time to deal with things. I block out time not only for meetings, presentations, etc., but I also block out time to deal with specific tasks. And I take those blocks of time very literally. For example, if I am planning to work on a specific project, and perhaps it is a project that I am worried about, I only allow myself to think and worry about it during the block of time I set aside for it on my calendar. This takes some practice, but it has been effective for me.

I also use mindfulness techniques to help me stay grounded. This involves simply focusing on what is in front of me at the moment and refraining from allowing my thoughts to drift towards worry about the future or thinking about the past. This keeps me from spiraling deeper into anxiety.

Lastly, I've noticed that the self-care strategies that I have been working on have been helpful. Focusing on exercise, nutrition, sleep, and other areas of self-care has been vital in helping me keep my anxiety at bay. This also includes taking time out for me to do things that I enjoy and being intentional about building resilience.

What strategies do you use to help you lessen anxiety related to a busy schedule? Please share them in the comments below.