DOSSIER With you in mind
I learned to prioritise and simplify
Tackling overwhelm is an ongoing process for Louisa Burford, who shares her methods
WORDS: ALEX LLOYD
‘R a familiar bubble of stress rising inside me,’ says Louisa Burford, 48, a freelance psychology translator.
‘It happened every few months when life became a treadmill of tasks and it all got too much for me,’ adds Louisa, who is originally from Sutton Coldfield and lives in Madrid, Spain, with her husband and two sons, aged 14 and 12.
‘My mind would fill with negative thoughts as I ruminated about the jobs I had to complete and the burdens I felt were being placed on me by ushing to make the children dinner after a hectic workday, I could feel others. I was grumpy and snappy and, I’m embarrassed to admit, played the victim too,’ she says. ‘But luckily, I’d learned over time to recognise those negative emotions for what they are and what actions to take to overcome them when necessary.