You just landed the perfect new job. You dive right in, relishing the projects you are assigned and waking up each day excited. Then, even though you're being as productive as you possibly can be, the work just keeps piling on. Suddenly, you're not jumping out of bed each morning, and the stress from your new job is following you home.

As a recent graduate, you might feel timid when it comes to approaching your boss to tell her that you're feeling buried under an endless pile of work. After all, at the beginning, you were handing tasks with ease, so more work was handed over. You should be pleased with your new responsibilities, and you don't want your boss to think of you as a whiner.

ADVANCE spoke to Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC, career, life and wellness coach and author of six books. Brown-Volkman, president of Surpass Your Dreams Inc., shared tips on how to handle a heavy workload, and one of the keystones of her advice is communication.

First, Brown-Volkman said, know that you're not the only one dealing with a big workload. "Everyone is busy," Brown-Volkman noted. "But, what you choose to do about your busy-ness is up to you."

One of the first things you should do is prioritize. Brown-Volkman suggested writing down the top three priorities that need to be accomplished the next day. Also, write down one step that will get you rolling with each one. While you might feel wiped out at the end of the day, this step can be a big boost. "The reward is direction and focus when you begin work in the morning," Brown-Volkman said.

When you get everything down on paper, it makes things more objective. You can see what's most important and also spy things that might be given to someone else or put off for the future. If you decide to delegate some of your responsibilities, this can get tricky, Brown-Volkman said. "Come up with what is in it for the company if you want to delegate some of your responsibilities," she advised.

Next, approach your list strategically. How can you solve the problems on the list? Are there ways you can be more efficient? If you can craft solutions during your day, you'll feel energized and also be in control of the situation.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they're feeling overwhelmed and overworked is the level of complaining they do. Some people complain too loudly and become part of the problem. Others don't complain enough and find themselves burnt out. Choose the middle ground, Brown-Volkman said, and let people know if you are overwhelmed. "Don't be afraid to communicate if you're overwhelmed at work," she explained.

Many people, even if they are overwhelmed, still can't say "no" to that project a co-worker wants you to help with or that extra task the boss assigned. Brown-Volkman doesn't suggest saying "no"--instead, say "yes, but." Rather than just a flat out "no," make it clear that you'd like to help, but you have other projects to work on, or that you can do part of the task but not the entire thing. "Overall, really communicating in a powerful, professional way that this is what's happening, at least you're setting expectations for people, and that should help with the workload," Brown-Volkman noted.

If you're feeling overworked and see no way out, don't be afraid to approach your boss to let him or her know. Take your list of projects, and sit down with your boss to work out priorities and remain positive during the meeting. "The good news is at least you're busy," Brown-Volkman said. "You're busy, you have a lot, so you have to communicate, because if you don't communicate, things are going to slip and you're going to look bad."

Another important tip is to take care of yourself. If you feel good and are healthy, you'll perform better at your job. "You cannot complete the projects you have on your plate unless you take care of yourself first," Brown-Volkman said.

That means taking breaks throughout the day, taking walks, eating healthy food, and drinking lots of water. If you plan for that 2 p.m. snack attack, you won't find yourself running to the vending machine for a chocolate bar or heading to the coffee machine. Instead, you can plan ahead and bring healthy snacks for those times when you feel you need something to munch on. "Do not be surprised if you see a shift in your attitude when you incorporate these simple practices," Brown-Volkman said.