Dealing With Being Overwhelmed
Has life been too much to handle lately? Do work, school, or social obligations just keep piling up and you find yourself burnt out with no time to catch your breath? Do you feel like you’re stuck in a frantic, irrational state with a never ending to-do-list? If you answered yes to any of these you are most likely overwhelmed.
What does it mean to be overwhelmed?
Being overwhelmed is different from being stressed. A person who is emotionally overwhelmed is completely overtaken by their thoughts and emotions related to their current life problems and responsibilities, resulting in a loss of productivity and feeling frozen or stuck. Feeling overwhelmed is very uncomfortable and hard to endure and can impact your personal and professional life.
Why might you be overwhelmed?
Feeling overwhelmed can be brought on by an exceptionally stressful time at work/ school, a traumatic event, relational issues, and many other stressful experiences.
Some risk factors for becoming overwhelmed include:
- Poor nutrition
- Physical or mental illness
- Poor sleep
- Abuse or other personal traumas
- Financial stress
- Time constraints
- An extremely demanding job
What to do when you are feeling overwhelmed?
1) Acknowledge and accept your feelings: Brushing off your emotions and trying to push through the feeling of being overwhelmed won’t alleviate those feelings and can even cause more harm. Try to acknowledge the fact that you are overwhelmed and accept that this is a normal human experience. This acceptance can help reduce any shame associated with your emotions and help you work through your uncomfortable feelings.
2) Do breathing exercises: Step away from any activity or situation that may be causing — or contributing to — your feelings and try self-led or guided breathing exercises. Deep breathing is a great tool to help you relax and is suggested to promote psychological and physiological stress relief. Try this guided breathing exercise!
3) Prioritize yourself: Don’t feel obligated to attend an event you do not want to or do things that you don’t enjoy. Protect your time and make sure to take frequent breaks throughout your stressful days. Set time aside to do activities that will bring joy to your life and make you feel better such as going for a walk, cooking a fancy dinner, or listening to music.
4) Reach out for help: You don’t have to suffer through this alone. Reach out to a friend, family member, or a therapist to talk through these feelings and receive support.
If you are feeling overwhelmed please reach out to us. One of our trained therapists can help you identify the root cause of these feelings and help you alleviate this uncomfortable mental state.
