Overcoming Overwhelm

Feelings of overwhelm can threaten your happiness and your relationships. When you take on more than you can handle, your body reacts with elevated stress levels. Often it results in you being short with other people. You may also forget to eat as you focus on getting your list done.

Eventually, you may develop other mental health issues if you keep putting yourself through the same paces without any break.

7 Things to Keep in Mind When You Feel Overwhelmed

At times, everyone gets overwhelmed, but that doesn’t mean you are a lost cause. Here are seven things to remember when you start feeling overwhelmed:

1.     Your emotions are natural: Feelings of overwhelm are often a sign from your body that it is time to slow down and scale back. You can also control your feelings, so addressing this feeling and replacing it with better ones is possible.

2.     It isn’t the end of the world: This is part of life. The good news is that you can stop the feelings of overwhelm by recognizing it for what it is and taking proactive steps to prevent the cycle from happening.

3.     Now is a good time for a brain dump: Overwhelm leaves our minds cluttered. By writing down all of the things, you need to do or feel, you are alleviating some of the mental energy you have had to expend keeping it all in.

4.     Take action instead of wallowing in your thoughts: Action breeds more movement and will propel you out of your feelings of overwhelm. Additionally, new opportunities will crop up to help you chip away at your project.

5.     Avoiding digital stimulation is the better choice: Getting lost in social media will only leave you feeling worse when you realize you lost time to work. Notifications can leave you in a constant state of panic. Remember that it is okay to turn off notifications for periods of time and focus on what you need to get done.

6.     Stepping outside is a good thing: You do not have to be tied to your desk and laser-focused on what needs doing. Give your body the break it deserves to help you reset and recharge.

7.     You have been here before: More than likely, you have felt this way before. It won’t last, and you can shorten the timeframe by being proactive.

Feelings of overwhelm don’t have to stop you from being productive. Remember that this happens to us all, and you can take action to overcome it.

Have you had a stressful week? Did it seem like your to-do list was never-ending? Were you overcome with the sense that a wave was getting ready to slam into you? If so, you may be dealing with overwhelm, which is when you live in a state of intense emotions that are difficult to manage.

When you feel overwhelmed, your feelings are outmatched by your ability to handle them. Today’s society sees more and more people overreacting, feeling fatigued without a known reason, and having trouble focusing on simple things. Understanding what may cause your overwhelm is a decisive step to take.

5 Possible Reasons that You Are Feeling Overwhelmed.

Knowing how you feel is not the same as knowing why you feel that way. Many things can cause you to feel overwhelmed, including:

1.     Unrealistic Expectations: Many people are guilty of adding too many items to their list, expecting it all to be accomplished. Maybe it is the fear of missing out on opportunities or not wanting to look bad. However, you will feel worse if you drop the ball on your commitments. It will only add to your feelings of being overwhelmed. A better choice is to decide how much you can handle realistically and say no to the rest.

2.     Media Notifications: Our society is enamored by the smartphone. The device tells you when you have a text, an email, a phone call, and when your neighbor got back from vacation. If you are not careful, it can control your day and increase your anxiety. One way to help cut your dependence on your phone is to put it away during dinners or time with family. Engage with others and practice not answering every ding immediately.

3.     Unhealthy Boundaries: People pleasers struggle daily with wanting to be liked. They say yes to everyone and no to themselves. That may result in them overcommitting themselves so that they don’t look bad. It is better for you to put in boundaries and learn to say no more often.

4.     Lack of Self-Care: The more you add to your list, and the more time a demanding relationship takes, the less time you have for you. Often, an overwhelmed person can only handle basic hygiene to get through the day when they need a day off with a hot bath and a good book. Take time for yourself to recharge and ensure you stay healthy.

Feelings of overwhelm will threaten your happiness if you don’t put measures in place to stop it. The key is to understand why you feel overwhelmed and then take the needed steps to change things.

When you feel overwhelmed, your body will react. You may have shortness of breath. You may become angry, or you might start crying. Some people tell themselves negative stories that perpetuate what is going on.

Any of these reactions can make you grow more frustrated with your situation. You don’t have to let the feeling of overwhelm control your life. Learning different techniques to combat these emotions will take you a long way to enjoy life more and feel overwhelmed less.

How to Calm Down When You Are Overwhelmed.

Calming down is possible even when it seems everything is out of control. In fact, it is the single best thing you can do. Here are six ways you can calm yourself down when anxiety and overwhelm threaten your peace and happiness:

1.     Slow Down and Breathe: When you feel anxious and overwhelmed, you may sense your heart racing, and your breathing becomes shallow. Instead of giving into hyperventilating, stop what you are doing and start taking long, deep calming breaths. There are many different techniques. Find one that works for you and put it in your arsenal.

2.     Change Your Environment if Possible: If you have been working for an extended period, get up and go for a walk. Maybe you just need to go into another room. The goal is to switch your focus and give your body a much-needed break.

3.     Tune out the World with Your Favorite Music: Music can be very soothing and have a calming effect on you. It is okay to escape for a few minutes with your headphones and let all the overwhelm wash over you.

4.     Write Down What Is Bothering You: When you are in the midst of feeling overwhelmed, it can be tough to think rationally. Grab a piece of paper and jot down what is bugging you and what items you still need to accomplish. Now, you can plan your next steps and feel more in control.

5.     Eat or Drink Something: Being hungry or thirsty makes feelings of overwhelm exacerbated. Grab a snack, but take your time eating it. Enjoy each bite as you slow down and focus on the food or drink.

6.     Phone a Close Friend: Sometimes, you need a calming voice on the other end of the phone to help you calm down. Choose a close friend or relative, and give them a call.

You don’t have to let feelings of overwhelm take over your life. Use these tips and remain in control even when things seem to be going haywire.

Emotional overwhelm can leave you drained. It can threaten your happiness and cause problems in relationships. If you let it go on for too long, you may find that you are consumed with your emotions.

No one can function well for any period of time without addressing what is causing the emotional overwhelm. You can take charge of your emotions and set your life back on even footing when you learn how to deal with emotional overwhelm.

7 Suggestions to Handle Emotional Overwhelm.

Emotions can get in the way of living your life in a way that brings you happiness. Often, work, financial struggles, and family turmoil can leave you emotionally spent and ready to throw in the towel. However, you can put a stop to emotional overwhelm with these seven suggestions:

1.     Analyze What Is Going On: When you feel negative emotions build up, stop and consider what is happening. Try to figure out what may be causing the feelings. Are you hungry? Have you struggled to sleep well at night?

2.     Review What Is Going Well: You work hard to achieve things. Times will happen when you will overlook your needs and fail to celebrate what you are doing right. Rewrite the story in your head to include everything you are accomplishing and how far you have come.

3.     Accept Yourself: It is okay to consider what emotions are working within you at the moment. Avoid invalidating them. Acknowledge them; accept them, and move on in a healthy way.

4.     Journal: Writing down your thoughts, feelings, and moods helps you better understand what is going on in your life. It also gives you a record to which you can refer when things get harry later, and you need a reminder of how you overcame the last time this went wrong.

5.     Find a Health Outlet: You may need to regroup and refocus your emotional energy in a different direction, such as through exercise or a hobby.

6.     Reduce or Eliminate Stress: Look for those things that trigger your stress and consider what you can do to reduce or eliminate it.

7.     Make Sleep a Priority: A lack of adequate sleep will make your emotions run rampant and increase your stress levels. Focus on making sleep a high priority in your life. You might need to cut out caffeine, cut out naps, and make your bedroom conducive to a good night’s rest, but it will be worth it.

Don’t let emotional overwhelm rob you of your happiness and attaining your dreams. Learn to handle your emotions and enjoy the rewards.

What does setting boundaries mean? You may hear the term but have no idea how to put it into practice. When you put separations that help you feel safe, valued, and respected, you establish a boundary.

You verbalize those issues that affect your comfort level. It is about learning how and when to say ‘no’ to others or things that will cause you overwhelm. Boundaries are your safety net and can be expanded or constricted as you deem necessary.

Better Boundaries Help You Stop Feeling Overwhelmed.

If you have not set boundaries before, you think you don’t have it in you. Once you understand how establishing limits can help you from feeling overwhelmed, you will want to give the practice a second chance:

1.     You learn to be self-compassionate: One result of being overwhelmed is the lack of proper self-care. When you set boundaries, you realize that it is ok to have compassion for yourself and protect yourself from feelings that will arise when others push your limits.

2.     You learn to prioritize your needs and set goals: You need to set priorities to protect your time from others. Rest should be one of those priorities, as it helps you handle what is on your plate.

3.     You learn assertiveness: You may struggle with laying down boundaries because you lack assertiveness. As you determine your boundaries and put them into practice, you develop your confidence and self-assurance.

4.     You learn to say ‘no’ with no further explanation: Because of guilt, you may struggle to tell someone no. Failing to place boundaries may result in you saying yes to everything and no to yourself, which can be detrimental.

5.     You learn to put the phone down: Constant connectivity increases stress, anxiety, and other mental health problems. Turning the phone off removes the constant interruption to your day and adds to your sense of failure when you compare yourself to others.

6.     You learn to handle demands from your coworkers: If you have one of those coworkers who think they can make unreasonable requests, boundaries will help stop this. You will regain time and be happier once your team understands where your boundaries lay.

Boundaries help you put your wellbeing where it needs to be – first. They also aid you in keeping overwhelm at bay. Take the leap and put overwhelm away by instituting boundaries in your life and relationships.

It’s 2 PM, and you are frustrated because you have accomplished nothing. Your list is still as long as your arm and more have been piled on your plate. Your heart starts racing while you get more agitated at your circumstances.

Then it hits – the feelings of overwhelm threaten to drown you. It’s possible to reign in those feelings of overwhelm and kick them to the curb. If you let these feelings get out of control, your body will reap the negative consequences, including poor eating and sleeping habits.

How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed.

Are you ready to stop the feelings of overwhelm that threaten to overtake you? Put these six steps into practice:

1.     Determine What Is Triggering the Feeling of Overwhelm: What started these feelings? For example, were you late to work because you overslept after staying up too late watching movies or working on a project? Take note and write it down if you need to.

2.     Reframe Your Feelings: You will probably be full of negative thoughts and emotions. Instead of giving in to anger or hopelessness, replace it with empowerment and determination to tackle what is before you.

3.     Sit Up Straight: As you feel overwhelmed, you may respond physically by hunching forward and taking shallow breaths. Take a moment to straighten up and take several deep belly breaths. The change will reinforce to your brain that you are switching emotions.

4.     Decide on One Small Step You Can Take Right Now: Look over your list, and decide on a tiny thing you can do at that moment, and do it. Once it is accomplished, pat yourself on the back and choose another task. With each one, you slowly tackle those items that have been weighing you down. Also, you reinforce to yourself that you can get things done.

5.     Get Over What You Can’t Control: Focusing on things you cannot control is a waste of time, energy, and emotions. If you can do something about a situation, then take action. However, if you cannot, why not relax and let worry slip away.

6.     Guard Your Calendar: A significant culprit to being overwhelmed is not protecting your time. It is okay to say no and leave some white space on your calendar. It is up to you to ensure keep your calendar free from being overbooked.

You can beat the feelings of overwhelm by being proactive and getting your emotions under control. Once you do, you will be empowered to knock out that To-Do list and protect your time.

Do you get tense just thinking about all of the responsibilities you have? If so, you probably deal with feelings of fear, frustration, anxiety, and maybe even anger. Once in a while, you may deal with these feelings, but when it is each day for weeks or months on end, it is time to learn how to deal with them.

6 Suggestions to Deal with the Constant Feeling of Overwhelm.

Don’t let yourself get caught up in the struggles that come with an overstuffed plate. Instead, take these steps to help you deal with those constant feelings of overwhelm:

1.     Try to Find the Primary Cause: Think about what is going on in your life or career. Ask yourself what is causing you to feel stressed and overwhelmed? Do you have an enormous project weighing you down? Is there something that can be delegated? If you can hand off the task, do so. If it is a large project, break it down into manageable steps.

2.     Breathe Deeply: Feelings of overwhelm will leave you tense, and you may be breathing in shallow bursts. Slowing down to breathe from your diaphragm will help you lower your stress response. It will help you reassess what needs to be done.

3.     Establish Boundaries: You need to expect that you will disappoint people, but you will want to learn to tell people ‘no’ for your well-being. Do what you need to ensure your feelings of overwhelm do not overtake you. You may determine that you will not answer any email between the 9 and 10 AM hours so that you can focus on project work.

4.     Ask for Help: Sometimes, fighting overwhelm needs more than better calendar management. The listening ear of a friend or understanding HR personnel may be what you need to get through the day. They can help put things back into perspective.

5.     Keep a Journal: Journaling has many benefits. One of which is to help you clear your mind so you can process thoughts. Expressing yourself freely on paper will bring you much relief.

6.     Put Perfectionism in Its Place: We use perfectionism as an excuse to make some projects appear bigger than they are. It also encourages procrastination which means things pile up, and then you are overwhelmed at the mess. Instead, use your boundaries to determine if you really need to take on a particular project or if someone else can do it.

Fight back against overwhelm when you step back, assess the situation, take a deep breath, and ask for help.

Every one of us makes mistakes daily. For example, we may hit the send button too quickly on an important email. Writing the wrong date down for a meeting with the new company president is another example.

Living in a state of constantly feeling overwhelmed can make things worse. You will find that you are spending more time reacting rather than being proactive. It can also lead you to make additional mistakes that only compound your feelings of overwhelm.

4 Common Mistakes We Make When Feeling Overwhelmed.

We are always going to make mistakes. When it comes to feeling overwhelmed, it is helpful to realize the common mistakes made so that you can avoid them:

1.     You believe that you do not have time to do different things that will help you: You might be aware of tools and people that can help you when you are in the thick of being overwhelmed. Yet, you may feel you don’t have time to interview a new house cleaner or plan a girls’ night. Instead, you may think you will work on that when you have more time, which you won’t, but you are convinced you will. Sometimes, it helps to do ‘good enough’ and get help for your situation now, not later. Do you see the cycle?

2.     You force your mind to focus without breaks: Your brain needs a break from all the work you are putting it through. Letting your mind wander gives your unconscious thoughts time to surface. It helps your mind and your body when you step away and take a walk or doodle. You never know, but your brain could come up with the solution to a problem if you give it a chance to think.

3.     To you, feeling overwhelmed is a sign of weakness: One thought that may be coursing through your brain is, “I shouldn’t be struggling. This isn’t that hard.” You may start criticizing yourself for being unable to handle everything on your schedule. Take a moment to reign in your thoughts and practice some self-compassion.

4.     You withdraw into your shell: When you are overwhelmed, you may feel the need to withdraw from those who support you as you focus all your energies on getting your list done. Others will notice as you become edgier and potentially lash out at their attempts to help you. It is wise to take time to be with family and reconnect. You will feel refreshed and ready for the next task.

You do have time to get help, take a break, and spend time with others. Don’t let your mind or perfectionism lead you into these common mistakes.