If you are someone who’s feeling overwhelmed by the roles and responsibilities life’s throwing at you, don’t worry; you are alone. Almost every one of us experiences it at some point in our lives. The only thing that you need to know is that there are practical ways to deal with it.
Just like a cell phone hangs when we try to open multiple applications at once, your human machinery can come to a standstill and will return to its normal functioning once you click the reset button.
Stick with us as we break down this complex concept into manageable chunks of information that you can understand and apply in the form of practical, actionable tips to help bring your life back on track.
What is it to feel overwhelmed?
When life becomes too much to handle, and every single role and responsibility feels like it’s dragging you down into a pool of worries and stress, this is when you start to feel overwhelmed.
Whether it’s emotions, responsibilities, or increasing demands making you feel clogged and you don’t find a way to attain balance—know it’s time to take a step back, reassess your priorities, and implement strategies that can help you regain control over your life.
What to do when feeling overwhelmed?
You will encounter several signs and symptoms telling you that you are doing more than you are made to do. These are when you become confused and forgetful, remain low on energy despite having your meals on time, experience headaches and stomachaches for no apparent reason, face difficulty falling asleep, withdraw from friends and family, and so on.
🎭 Fun Fact
Studies show that taking short breaks during intense work can improve productivity by up to 34%, highlighting the importance of stepping back when feeling overwhelmed.
Following these symptoms, you must immediately switch to make the prescribed changes in your life. It will not only help you regain a lost sense of balance and clarity but also empower you to cultivate emotional resilience and improve your overall well-being.
#1: Drop all your Worries and Concerns
When you are already feeling overwhelmed, it is a clear sign that you have become home to stress, anxiety, and other dense emotions. The immediate resort to relieve yourself of all the negative energy is to drop your worries entirely. It could be work stress, a relationship issue, financial concern, etc., causing a strain at the back of your mind. When you decide to drop them, you’re already halfway claiming your lost joy and peace.
On the constructive end, you can try relaxation techniques to ease your tensions. You can try yoga, meditation, deep breathing, and other healing activities to restore your lost calm. Once you manage to gain a normal course, you are better off building routines that work for you.
#2: Create a Healthy Routine
To regain your control over life, it is important that you work toward creating a healthy routine. A healthy routine should include a fair amount of time for the productive areas of life. It could be completing your nutritional needs by having your meals on time, taking out time to exercise, and giving yourself the window of some me-time so that you can renew and rejuvenate in that time period, and so on.
When you are swamped with a variety of emotions and feeling overwhelmed, it’s already a signal that you haven’t been indulging in an exhausting routine that caused your concern. That is why it becomes important to scan through your important areas and make sure they get your time and attention and not get sidelined in the chaos of daily responsibilities.
#3: Practice Self-kindness
When you have already reached a stage where you are feeling overwhelmed, it becomes all the more important to at least be kind to yourself. Imagine the level of pain and discomfort you will feel by not getting the required warmth and support from yourself!
You can find ways to ease yourself. For the time being, when you aren’t in your best mind frame, you can lower your expectations from yourself, ask for a work extension, prioritize your mental health over work, and so on. Giving yourself the grace time to recover from the overwhelming stage is not only important for your emotional well-being but also essential for enhancing your productivity and creativity in the long run. Try working with a gratitude journal, and it will work wonders.
SHOP ON AMAZON#4: Build a Supportive Network of People
Feeling overwhelmed comes from ignoring a lot of stuff that demands your attention. It could be any particular instance that triggered feelings of powerlessness, an issue taking a toll on your mental health, and so on. So, after hitting the stage of being overwhelmed, it becomes crucial that you open your heart with your close circle.
Venting out can do wonders to ease your immediate worries and concerns. Try to find people who lend you genuine support. Your friends, family, and people from the chosen communities may ease you and help you expand your perspective when you are already overburdened and feeling overwhelmed by the surge of emotions.
#5: Take out time for Physical Activity
Have you ever noticed how indulging in your favorite sport or exerting physical activity takes your mind off tensions and worries? This happens because our mind gets engaged in the physical activity that we are doing and loses track of all the pessimistic thoughts and worries that bring us down. So whenever you reach a point where you feel overwhelmed with the surge of emotions, involve yourself in a physical activity and watch yourself grow out of your discomfort and panic.
🎭 Fun Fact
Engaging in physical activity, even a short walk, releases endorphins, which can help counter feelings of stress and overwhelm.
In fact, create a routine where you give a portion of your time to a physical activity of your choice. It could be playing soccer, basketball, or badminton, following a daily ritual of brisk walking, going out for a jog, or anything that works for you. You can also join a gym or take yoga sessions to improve your overall well-being.
Quick Tips
- Deep breathing always helps. Try taking some time to practice breathing exercises; they will help you relieve the stress and anxiety that’s causing you to feel overwhelmed.
- Prioritize tasks and leave the rest. Understand that it’s not the time to be hard on yourself. Perform the tasks that are at the top of your priority list, and once you move towards their completion, it’ll make you feel better.
- Talking to someone when you are feeling overwhelmed can take away your unnecessary stress and worry. Prefer to fall back on your loved ones when a storm of emotions engulfs you.
- Limit screen time. Spending time in nature can really help you soothe your senses and allow you to reconnect with your inner calm and peace.
- Think and reset your boundaries. If you’re feeling overwhelmed in the first place, chances are you need to cut yourself off from the roles and responsibilities of others, which might be the real cause of your concern.
Final Reflection
Feeling overwhelmed in certain situations of life is perfectly normal. What’s abnormal is your stress, worries, and overwhelmed state, controlling you beyond a permissible limit. Understand that taking the right steps at the right time can help you get back to your normal course. Even if you feel disrupted by the pressures of life, you can always follow steps like practicing meditation, taking a rejuvenating break, creating a better routine, and so on to help you navigate overwhelming moments with greater ease. Remember, it’s okay to ask for help, and all this is happening is to build resilience within you.
What causes feelings of being overwhelmed according to the article?
