How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed
What is Overwhelm?
Why am I feeling Overwhelmed?
How to stop feeling Overwhelmed
Ways to prevent feeling Overwhelmed
What is Overwhelm?
Feeling Overwhelmed is when you are overcome with thoughts or feelings with so much going on in your mind and life that you feel as though you have lost control.
Stress is a major factor in feeling overwhelmed as well as anxiety. When you are feeling overwhelmed you may find it difficult or impossible to make decisions, have trouble sleeping and eating or sleeping and eating more than usual as well as emotional changes causing you to feel easily irritated, angry, and unhappy.
If any of this sounds familiar and you would like help understanding why and taking steps to overcome feeling overwhelmed then please follow the steps below.
I know it’s easy to read the steps but, only when you put them into practice will they make a change.
Why Am I feeling Overwhelmed?
Grab a piece of paper or open notes on your phone so you can jot down anything that comes to mind with the following;
The What.
What is the cause of the overwhelm? Maybe you are working long hours, saying yes to things you don’t want to do, or struggling to make decisions.
The Why.
Ask yourself why these things are causing you to feel overwhelmed.
Do you feel pressured into saying yes to people even when you don’t want to through fear of disappointing people? Do you struggle to make decisions because you don’t trust yourself or value your own opinions?
These are all examples to get you on track of what to be asking yourself, Dig a little deeper and write down anything that comes to mind trying to find a What and a Why.
Once you have a few things written down, think about whether there are any patterns, maybe there is stress at work from saying yes too much as well as feeling like you have no time at home because you also say yes every time a friend asks a favor and you end up with so much on your plate and no idea how to finish it all whilst having time for yourself.
How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed
Firstly if you haven’t read the above section I would advise giving it a read and having a think about what is actually causing you to feel overwhelmed.
Once you know what is causing it we can look at why and how to prevent it and manage it.
Here are a few coping tools you can use when you begin to feel overwhelmed as well as things you can include in your daily life to help prevent feeling overwhelmed.
Notice your feelings - If you are becoming overwhelmed take a step back.
Accept your feelings - “I am becoming overwhelmed, that is totally understandable but I now need to look after myself and take a moment”.
Have go-to coping techniques - coping tools such as counting ten sounds you can hear, taking Three deep breaths or even going to the bathroom, or stepping outside and sitting alone for a moment.
Go to phrases in a conversation - (For my fellow people pleasers) “That sounds interesting but I'll need to check my calendar and get back to you”, “That sounds fun but I have a lot on at the moment, Thanks for thinking of me”.
Those are great in-the-moment tools but to work on ways to prevent overwhelm try some of the suggestions below.
Ways to prevent feeling Overwhelmed
Journaling - A highly undervalued tool in not only keeping on top of things but also helping your overall mental health, anxiety, and stress levels.
Breathing - Learning and practicing breathing techniques is one of the most efficient ways of lowering stress, calming the mind, and bringing you back into the moment.
Meditations - Making use of meditations can greatly improve your overall wellness, improving your mindset and allowing your mind and body the time to relax and better equip you with tools for self-calming when feeling overwhelmed.
Calander - Keeping a calendar and having clear set times for tasks, hobbies, and chores makes it easier to see where you are cramming too much in, where you have free time, and how better to manage your time all of which can help in preventing feeling overwhelmed.
Therapy - This doesn’t have to be expensive or a long-term commitment. There are many options for therapy to unload your worries, stresses, and feelings of being overwhelmed.
Whether you do a one-off session or monthly sessions I would highly recommend them, as not only can they provide a safe, judgment-free place for you to get out all that’s in your head but they can provide useful tools like the ones provided above and offer support in putting them into action.
Feeling overwhelmed is very common and in this fast paced society we live in it can become to much to handle alone. If you feel you need extra support please reach out to someone whether it be a professional or a friend.
It’s easy to get lost under a pile of tasks and responsibilities where you find you are loosing yourself, always remember you are the most important thing in your life so take the time to work on your own life, goals and happiness.
You have two hands one for helping yourself and one for helping others.