11 Important Things To Remember When You Feel Overwhelmed

When you feel overwhelmed, it can be hard to think clearly.

Random, often unwelcome, thoughts come out of nowhere, and it feels like nothing is in your control. In such instances, some gentle reminders can bring your focus back to the bigger picture.

In this post, I bring to you 11 important things to remember when you feel overwhelmed.

OVERVIEW

• Understanding The Feeling Of Being Overwhelmed
• Habits That Cause You To Feel Overwhelmed
• 11 Important Things To Remember When You Feel Overwhelmed

For many of us, feeling overwhelmed is a recurring incident. It’s a mixture of worries, helplessness, and overthinking – all wrapped in a big bundle that nobody likes.

Knowing where this emotion comes from can help you tackle it head-on. By getting into the depths of something that bothers you, you take away its power from your life.

So before we dive into the important reminders to help you in your overwhelming moments, let’s try to understand where this emotion surges from.

Understanding The Feeling Of Being Overwhelmed

When you feel overwhelmed, things can seem scary. And this scariness brings with it a reckless sort of wariness.

Our rational thoughts get replaced by uncertainty, and we start feeling short of breath. Nothing seems to make sense anymore, because we’ve allowed overwhelming sensations to cloud our judgment.

What’s worse is that feeling comes out of nowhere, which is surprising, because shouldn’t something this powerful takes its time to creep upon us?

But that’s not how it happens. When you get overwhelmed, it’s a sudden moment that brings this emotion on.

One moment you might be typing at your computer, and the next second, you might find yourself panicking.

”Too much to do”, your brain might scream. And all you can do is nod and agree. Because yes, of course, there’s so much to do. How are you ever going to wrap up this work on time?

This is just one common situation in which you might get overwhelmed. On an everyday basis, life has many such moments where we might be prone to this emotion.

Habits That Might Cause You To Feel Overwhelmed

There are several habits and triggers in play when you get overwhelmed. Recognizing and understanding these triggers can help you deal with your emotions better.

Here’s a short list of unintentional practices that might be causing you mental overload. 

1. You overthink every aspect of your life

Work, personal life, family, friends, your schedule – nothing escapes your attention. As a result, your mind races at the speed of light and ends up jumping into an overwhelmed state.

2. You take on more than you can handle

Setting big goals is good, but you have to know when to draw a line. Set realistic expectations to avoid panic.

3. You don’t practice self-care

A lack of self-care can lead to self-doubt. This creates a need to rush yourself through the motions of life without pausing to tend to your basic needs.

4. You are going too fast in life

There is an innate need in humans to speed through the motions of life. Battling with time might seem powerful and appealing, but it can lead to feeling overwhelmed at countless points in life.

5. Your perfectionist’s streak could be the reason you feel overloaded

If you follow the all-or-nothing philosophy, you’re inadvertently setting your standards high. And when at times, you fail to meet them, you panic and feel overwhelmed.

So how do we deal with these feelings?

Denial isn’t an option, and running away won’t help either. But some real and strong reminders can help calm you down.

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This post is all about important things to remember when you feel overwhelmed. Let’s show your overwhelmed brain who the real boss is.

(Spoiler alert: It’s you.)

11 Important Things To Remember When You Feel Overwhelmed

1. It’s Okay To Step Back

Taking some time away from overwhelming emotions is absolutely fine. In fact, it might even be important to do so.

When your brain is overloaded with panicked thoughts, it becomes a necessity to detach yourself from your emotions. If you keep indulging, you inadvertently feed your emotions, making things worse for yourself.

So next time you find yourself freaking out over anything at all, tell yourself that it’s okay to step back.

And it’s okay to take a break from your thoughts. It’s within your rights to do so, and nobody can tell you otherwise, not even yourself.

Highly Recommended: 11 Signs You Need A Mental Break

2. Self-Care Should Be Your First Priority

In a negative or heightened state of mind, it can be easy to forget that self-care comes above everything else.

Your brain wouldn’t want you to remember this, because that would mean letting go of the overwhelming thoughts.

But tell yourself anyway – ‘Self-care is my first priority, and I have it in my power to use it to heal my thoughts.’

This is a powerful reminder because it pushes you toward what really matters in life – your overall well-being, which includes a healthy and calm mind.

Recommended: 7 Types Of Self-Care (And How To Practice Them)

Self-Care Tips For When You Feel Overwhelmed

• Listen to a song that calms you
• Take a long bath
• Read a self-help book
• Listen to an inspiring podcast
• Fall asleep to a guided sleep meditation
• Indulge in a hobby
• Go for a short walk
• Sit under a tree (or do anything that helps you connect to nature)

3. Getting Overwhelmed Is Natural

While struggling with an overwhelmed mind, it can be easy to forget that this isn’t an extraordinary situation you’re dealing with.

Feeling overwhelmed is one of the most natural things in the world. In fact, it even has a purpose for existing in the first place.

Any kind of emotion (good or bad), is your brain’s way of guiding you toward your next course of action. The same goes for when you feel overwhelmed.

If you’ve been pushing yourself too hard, or are stuck in a life situation that doesn’t suit you, your mind feels overloaded and reacts by making you feel overwhelmed. It’s how you realize that you need a break!

In short, getting overwhelmed is natural, and isn’t something you need to worry about.

Related: 121 Positive Affirmations For Mental Strength

4. Writing Things Down Can Help

Your brain races at a freaking insane speed. You can only process a few things at a time, and might still not get a clear picture of what’s going on in your head.

When you’re dealing with a mixture of emotions, it can be a good idea to write down your thoughts.

Putting words on paper can help you visualize your worries. You can analyze your emotions, see what’s going wrong, and ultimately realize you’re in charge of how you react.

Writing Prompts For An Overwhelmed Mind

These are some of the writing prompts that can help you soothe your overwhelmed mind:

• What were you doing right before you started feeling overwhelmed?
• What are you worried about at this exact moment?
• Out of everything that’s overwhelming you, is there anything you can control?
• How can you help yourself?
• Create a list of words/phrases that give you strength.

Related: 50 Bedtime Journal Prompts For A Quiet Reflection

5. Breathing Can Help You Heal

The primary tool you have in your control is your breathing. You need to start making use of it ASAP.

You can heal your energies, lift the fog off your brain, and change the direction of your thoughts, all through the power of deep breathing.

More importantly, the better tuning you have with your breaths, the faster you’ll control an overwhelming situation.

I know this because it’s the exact way I help myself in a slippery moment. And it works every single time.

Try it right now with me. Inhale deeply while counting to 3 in your mind, then hold for 3 counts, and exhale for 3. Then repeat till you feel your whole body relax. It works like charm, trust me.

Here is a breathing relaxation exercise I really like. You might find it effective when you’re trying to command your breaths. It’s hardly 3 minutes, so won’t take much of your time.

6. You Are Not Alone In This Feeling

In times when you’re struggling to make sense of your many thoughts, you might want to remind yourself that you are not alone in this feeling.

Everyone in this world feels overwhelmed at one point or another. As we’ve already realized, it’s a natural state to be in.

This realization can help you connect to others in the world. These are people who you’ve never met, but they’ve felt the same as you are feeling at this moment.

Close your eyes and imagine yourself being a part of this gentle group. Allow this feeling of togetherness to strengthen you, and use it to rise above your mind.

7. You Are Bigger Than This Moment

This message isn’t meant to undermine your feelings. Getting overwhelming can be…well, overwhelming. And it isn’t something to make light of.

Still, you might want to remind yourself of your own strength, by telling that you’ve been through worse. Whatever you’re overwhelmed about isn’t stronger than you. And it never can be.

Related: What To Do When You Feel Overwhelmed With Sadness

Don’t forget that you are what you think you are.

So, next time when you feel troubled by the symptoms of feeling overwhelmed, say these words out loud – ‘I am bigger than this moment, and I am fully aware of that.’

Hope you believe every word of that because trust me, it’s one hundred percent true. 🙂

8. Things Will Get Better (They Always Do)

After every moment of darkness, there’s always a flicker of light that spreads to light up everything. That is the order of this world. It has been, and always will be.

The same goes for our emotions. If things feel out of control right now, and nothing makes sense, you need to realize that life will get better, as it always does.

Also, keep in mind that you have the choice to turn the tide of your emotions. It might feel like your emotions are out of hand, but you are fully in charge of how you act.

Indulge in some other activity to help yourself get out of this zone quicker.

Go for a walk, do some exercise, play with your pet, or have a cup of green tea. Engaging in a hobby is also a great way to lift yourself.

Bookmark for later: 21 Ways To Lift Your Mood When You’re Feeling Low

9. You Have People You Can Turn To

It’s not possible to stay overwhelmed, once you understand that you have people in your life you can turn to.

If you realize the blessing of having a good support network, you can deal with any kind of problem that hurtles your way.

Instead of dealing with a bundle of confusing emotions on your own, reach out for support. Call a friend, or go meet them at their place. Meet someone for coffee or invite them to talk over.

You just need to take the first step of reaching out, and then you and your loved ones together will take care of the rest.

Even watching a speaker on youtube can help you lift yourself. There are people out there who’ve made it their life’s mission to help others with their emotions.

Find such people, and listen to them as they talk to you through social media. They truly care about you, and you’ll truly feel it in the way they express their care.

You might want to check out Mel Robbins. She has an extensive channel covering videos on self-growth, and you might find her useful in your next moment of overwhelm.

10. This Isn’t The First Time When You Feel Overwhelmed

Throughout your life, your emotions come back full circle. If happiness comes in packs of joyous moments, sadness also has its own time that comes and goes.

So, it’s only natural to lose control over your thoughts, gain it back, and lose it again sometime. It’s something that keeps happening because that’s how life loves working (in a full circle.)

Think of the other times when you’ve been overwhelmed before. The feeling must’ve been similar to how you’re feeling right now, even if the triggers were different.

But the best thing is that you stepped out of that zone in the past, and came out feeling absolutely fine (stronger, even, perhaps.)

That’s how you know the feeling of being overwhelmed is fleeting. It won’t last forever. Once it passes, you’ll be better.

Recommended: How To Be Kind To Yourself

11. It’s Always Powerful To Focus On The Present

Perhaps you’ve had a rough day, or have a deadline waiting for tomorrow that’s causing you to panic. Or maybe it’s a number of overwhelming things making you feel stuffed.

Either way, you must realize that you can’t tackle any of your problems if your mind is cluttered. To rid yourself of overwhelming thoughts, you need to stop worrying about what’s gone by and what’s yet to come.

Recommended: 35 Little Things That Can Make You Happy

Don’t linger on your past, stop obsessing about the future, and start living in the present (it’s the only truth you need to be aware of.)

If you find it difficult to stay in the present, I recommend you to read A Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle. It’s a perfect read for those who’re looking to master the art of living in the moment.

Still wondering what to do when you feel overwhelmed and depressed? Learn how to calm yourself down using 10 simple techniques that work for everybody.

When You Feel Overwhelmed, Breathe And Let Go

Remember that you can take a break by stepping back, and indulging in self-care instead of feeling swamped. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed at times, but writing things down can help put your emotions in perspective.

Take deep breaths for cleansing, and know you are not alone in this feeling. Also know this isn’t the worst moment of your life. You’re way stronger than this.

Things will get better like they always do. You have people who care about you and will listen to you if you reach out.

You’ve been overwhelmed before, but made it out every time. You’ll pull through this time too.

A golden reminder is to focus on the now, and slowly let go of every stray thought you’re holding on to.

Tell me the ways in which you deal with your rampant feelings of being overwhelmed. Write to me in the comment box, and I’ll get back to you ASAP.