Feeling Overwhelmed? Here’s How to Find Calm in the Chaos
Dealing with the feeling of being overwhelmed feels almost like a battle that can’t be won. All these obligations, deadlines, expectations… it’s as if you’re riding a train that never slows down. Do you know that feeling when your mind is full of thoughts, but you don’t even know where to start? According to a study by the American Psychological Association, 60% of adults admit to often feeling overwhelmed by daily demands.
But here’s the interesting part: the feeling of being overwhelmed isn’t always a reflection of how many tasks we have, but rather how we perceive them. Our minds have incredible power – it can drown us in stress or help us find a way to calm down even in the most chaotic moments.
And that’s exactly why you’re reading this article. Together, we’ll explore simple but effective ways to manage the feeling of being overwhelmed and regain control of your life. Ready? Let’s dive in!
How to Recognize When You’re on the Verge of Overwhelm?
Overwhelm often sneaks into our lives slowly – at first, we might not even notice that something is wrong. But if you’ve ever found yourself suddenly irritable, snapping at small things, or even “blowing up” over things that didn’t bother you before, that could be a sign that you’re struggling with the feeling of being overwhelmed.
You might catch yourself snapping at people around you or getting tangled in misunderstandings because you simply don’t have any more room in your head for additional burdens. These emotional reactions are like alarms – your inner self is telling you that something isn’t working.
Besides emotions, overwhelm also shows up in our bodies. Have you noticed you’re often tired, have headaches, or struggle with sleep? These are clear signals that your body is carrying the weight of your pace. When this combination of emotional and physical warning signs appears, it’s crucial to allow yourself a moment to pause. Dealing with the feeling of being overwhelmed doesn’t mean pushing harder – often, the solution is to take a step back.
8 Things You Can Do to Deal with Feeling Overwhelmed
When life feels like it’s drowning you, it’s important to take action and regain control. Here are some proven methods that can help you when you’re in the middle of chaos:
1. Take an Emotional Break
When overwhelm hits, the first thing you need is a moment for yourself. This is one of the healthiest ways to recharge your energy. An emotional break means stepping away from the sources of stress – whether it’s work, family, or even your own thoughts.
It could be a few minutes of peaceful meditation, a walk in fresh air, or simply closing your eyes and focusing on deep breathing. A study from Johns Hopkins University shows that even short meditation breaks are proven to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Try taking 5–10 minutes a day for breathing exercises – you might be surprised at how much lighter you feel.
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2. Organize Your Thoughts
When you’re in the middle of chaos, your mind is full of competing thoughts demanding your attention. Try getting it all down on paper. Make a to-do list – don’t worry about organizing it yet, just write everything that comes to mind.
Once you do that, sort the tasks by importance and urgency. The key is to start with one small step at a time. Dealing with overwhelm often means we try to do everything at once, which paralyzes us. But when you have a clear plan, it’s much easier to take that first step.
3. Set Boundaries and Say “No”
Have you ever said “yes” just to please others and later wondered why you’ve piled on extra burdens? Setting boundaries is key to overcoming overwhelm. When you make time for your own needs and clearly define what you can and cannot do, your life becomes much more balanced.
Remember: every “no” to others is a “yes” to yourself. And that’s not selfish – it’s healthy.
4. Start with Smaller Tasks
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, the sheer number of tasks can paralyze you. And yes, we all know that moment when it feels like everything is piling up and we don’t know where to begin. Here’s a simple but very effective trick – start with smaller tasks.
You might wonder why bother with the seemingly less important tasks. But you know what? When you tackle something you can quickly finish, you’ll feel an instant sense of achievement. This feeling helps build your confidence, and soon you’ll start thinking that maybe, just maybe, you can handle this chaos. Dealing with overwhelm is all about taking that first step, no matter how small, because that step means progress.
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Once you secure those small wins, it will be easier to move on to bigger challenges. When you see progress, the things that seemed incredibly difficult before become much more manageable.
5. Use the “Pomodoro” Technique
You may have already heard of the “Pomodoro” technique, but if you haven’t, let me explain how it can help you manage the feeling of being overwhelmed. The technique is simple – set a timer for 25 minutes and focus solely on one task. When the timer goes off, take a 5-minute break. After four cycles, take a longer break.
Why does this work? When you focus on just one task for a limited time, it becomes easier to handle the feeling of being overwhelmed. All you need to do is focus on the next 25 minutes. This method reduces the pressure of trying to figure out when you’ll finish all your tasks, which often leads to feeling overwhelmed.
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6. Let Go of Perfectionism
Now let’s touch on one of the biggest challenges we face when we feel overwhelmed: perfectionism. Are you the type of person who wants everything to be perfect? That everything must be done “correctly” and without mistakes? If the answer is yes, then you’re probably aware of how this constant need for perfection only increases the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Dealing with feeling overwhelmed often comes from stressing over things that aren’t necessarily important. Perfectionism forces us to set unrealistic expectations, and if we don’t meet them, we feel like we’ve somehow “failed.”
So take a moment and check your expectations. Are you setting unrealistic goals? Are you being too hard on yourself or others? Sometimes, perfectionism limits us and prevents us from enjoying our achievements. Believe me, we don’t have to be perfect to be successful.
The moment you choose to let go of perfectionism, you’ll feel a huge relief. Instead of focusing on ideal outcomes, focus on progress and the process.
7. Don’t Procrastinate
One of the biggest enemies when it comes to dealing with feeling overwhelmed is definitely procrastination. Remember those moments when you postponed tasks and left them for the last minute? Or perhaps worse – did you wait until the last moment to start a task, hoping it would all go smoothly? Well, we all know how that ends! Panic and stress just get worse, which only worsens the feeling of being overwhelmed.
The key is to avoid this vicious cycle. When we leave tasks for later, we pile on extra pressure, which increases the feeling of being overwhelmed. Instead, break tasks down into smaller steps and tackle them as you go, while they’re still manageable. This way, you’ll reduce stress and increase your productivity. Don’t let the feeling of being overwhelmed catch you by surprise – completing tasks on time will help you keep a clear head!
8. Don’t Skip Meals
It seems that when we’re overwhelmed, it’s easy to forget the simplest things – like meals. But dealing with feeling overwhelmed becomes even harder if we don’t take care of our body’s basic needs, like eating.
Sometimes we’re so immersed in tasks and responsibilities that we forget our body needs fuel to function. Skipping meals is not only a bad habit but leads to fatigue, reduced concentration, and often increased irritability. So always make time for meals and snacks.
Don’t neglect your body – even when your mind is overwhelmed with tasks!
9. Accept That You Can’t Control Everything
One of the biggest challenges when dealing with the feeling of being overwhelmed is the desire for complete control. However, as you probably know, dealing with feeling overwhelmed becomes even harder when you constantly load yourself with expectations that you need to have everything under control. It’s like a vicious cycle – when we try to control every aspect of our lives, we only increase stress and the feeling that everything is slipping out of our hands.
That’s why it’s so important to accept the fact that we can’t control every situation. Sometimes, when unexpected things happen, like a child falling ill, the best thing to do is focus on what’s truly urgent. The rest can wait. When we stop the constant battle for complete control, we start to feel more peaceful and less stressed.
Once you accept that you can’t have everything under control, you’ll notice that things become more manageable. Instead of fighting against the inevitable, you’ll begin to embrace that life comes with unexpected moments, and you’ll handle them with ease.
10. Learn to Say “No” to Yourself
When we’re faced with the feeling of being overwhelmed, we often find ourselves in situations where we take on too many tasks. Part of this comes from an internal sense of duty – a fear of missing out on opportunities or the feeling that we must always be productive. Dealing with feeling overwhelmed only increases when we load ourselves with additional commitments that weigh us down, even though we know we can’t take them on at the moment.
To free yourself from overwhelm, you need to learn to say “no” – not only to others but especially to yourself. Our ego often convinces us that we need to accept every task, either out of fear of missing an opportunity or due to the expectations of others. But are these opportunities real, or are they just fears we hold inside?
Before accepting a new task, ask yourself: “Would I take this on if I weren’t being rewarded for it?” and “How do I feel about this? Does this task overwhelm me or upset me?”
Fantastic post! I deal with overwhelm a lot, so I definitely need a few tips now and then! Thank you for sharing, I particularly like the idea of saying “no” and not putting pressure on yourself. You can only do what you can do, and everyone gets overwhelmed x
Thank you, I am very happy about your opinion.
Very well explained. Nicely written. Loved this post. Thank you so much!!!