Do you ever feel like you’re constantly juggling too many things and can’t keep up? Like you’re always running on fumes and feeling anxious and stressed? If so, you’re not alone. Many people feel overwhelmed in their lives. It can be hard to know where to start when trying to fix this feeling.
When you’re confronted with feeling overwhelmed, it can be hard to see a way out. Your mind is racing with everything you have to do, and you can’t seem to focus on one thing. You might feel like you’re not doing anything well or that everything is crashing down around you. This feeling can affect every area of your life, from work to school to relationships.
In this blog post, we will discuss six ways that you can stop feeling overwhelmed in your life.
Signs You're Feeling Overwhelmed
One of the first steps to feeling better is acknowledging that you’re feeling overwhelmed in the first place. Here are some common signs that you may be feeling overwhelmed:
- Fatigue: Feeling exhausted all the time, both mentally and physically
- Insomnia: Having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- Muscle Tension: feeling tightness in your muscles, especially in your neck and shoulders
- Headaches: Getting frequent headaches or feeling like your head is constantly throbbing
- Stomach Problems: Experiencing digestive issues like nausea, diarrhea, or constipation
- Physical Health Issues: Your physical health is suffering (e.g., you’re not eating well, you’re not exercising, you have trouble sleeping)
- Anxiousness: feeling anxious, stressed, or on edge all the time
- Brain Fog: You feel like you’re not present and have difficulty focusing or completing tasks
- Mood Shifts: You’re easily irritable or quick to anger
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, taking a step back and assessing what might be causing the emotions is important. Once you identify the source of your stress, you can start working on finding solutions.
So, let’s talk about 6 ways to stop feeling overwhelmed in your life.
Identify the Things That Are Causing You Stress
The first step to feeling better is identifying the things that are causing you stress. Once you know what’s causing your anxiety, it will be easier to find solutions.
There are two main types of stressors:
- Internal stressors: These are things that are happening inside of you, like feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list.
- External stressors: These are things that are happening outside of you, like a demanding job or a chaotic home life.
If you’re unsure what’s causing your stress, try keeping a Stress Diary for a week or two. Write down everything that’s causing you stress and how you feel each day. This will help you identify patterns and determine what triggers your anxiety.
Prioritize What Is Important and Necessary
Once you know what’s causing your stress, it’s time to start prioritizing what is important and necessary. This means making a list of everything that needs to be done and then ranking them in order of importance.
Start with the things that are absolutely necessary, like paying bills or going to work. Then move on to the things that are important but not necessarily urgent, like exercise or spending time with family and friends. And finally, focus on the things that can wait, like cleaning your house or getting ahead on your work projects.
By prioritizing what’s important, you’ll be able to focus your energy on the things that matter most and let go of the things that are causing you stress but aren’t really necessary.
Delegate or Eliminate Tasks That Are Not Essential
Once you’ve prioritized what’s important, it’s time to start delegating or eliminating tasks that are not essential. This means letting go of the things that are causing you stress but aren’t really necessary.
For example, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your work projects, try delegating some of the tasks to someone else on your team. Or if you’re feeling stressed about cleaning your house, hire a maid service to come and do it for you.
By delegating or eliminating the things that are causing you stress, you’ll be able to focus your energy on the really important things.
Take Time for Yourself to Relax and Rejuvenate
One of the best ways to stop feeling overwhelmed is to take time for yourself to relax and rejuvenate. This means taking a break from your work, spending time with your friends and family, or doing something that you enjoy.
It’s important to schedule some “me time” into your week so that you can recharge your batteries and have the energy to handle the things that are causing you stress.
Often overwhelm stems from being too focused on the future and feeling like you have to figure it all out now. But the truth is, you can’t do everything at once, and you don’t have to.
By taking a step back and focusing on the present moment, you’ll be able to relax and rejuvenate yourself so that you can handle whatever comes your way.
Ask for Help From Your Support System
Sometimes the best way to stop feeling overwhelmed is to ask for help. This means reaching out to your friends and family, hiring a babysitter, or asking your boss for a little extra help at work.
Asking for help can be challenging, but it’s important to remember that you’re not in this alone. There are people who care about you and want to help you succeed.
Breathe Deeply and Slowly to Calm Your Mind and Body
One of the quickest ways to stop feeling overwhelmed is to take some deep breaths and relax your mind and body. When you’re feeling stressed, your body goes into “fight or flight” mode, which means your heart rate and blood pressure increase, you breathe more quickly, and your muscles tense up.
By taking some deep breaths and relaxing your mind and body, you can reverse these effects and calm yourself down. For example, try the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique next time you feel overwhelmed.
To do this, go to a quiet space away from distractions and try to list:
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can touch
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste
This exercise will help you focus on the present moment and stop feeling overwhelmed by your thoughts. You can use it to take a break from work, calm down before an important meeting, or just relax when you’re feeling stressed.
Need help to stop feeling overwhelmed?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and you can’t seem to get yourself out of it, reach out to a Makin Wellness therapist. We can help you identify the things that are causing you stress, develop coping mechanisms, and create a plan to reduce your stress.
Don’t try to do it all on your own. Reach out today, and let us help you get back on track. Feeling overwhelmed can be tough, but with the right help, you can overcome it and start living a happier, healthier life. At Makin Wellness, we serve the Greater Pittsburgh, PA area, the Philidelphia, PA, region, and the entire state of Pennsylvania. To learn more about how we can help you, start your healing journey now.
Watch our YouTube video on 3 Ways to Deal With Daily Stress
This Post Has 2 Comments
I live in Oklahoma, can you still help me?
Hi Heather, we are only able to support Pennsylvania residents at this time.