6 Steps you can take to stop feeling overwhelmed
Reading time – 5 minutes
In my first two blogs about feeling overwhelmed, I talked about 7 Things to Remember When You Feel Overwhelmed and How to Deal with Constantly Feeling Overwhelmed.
It’s 2 PM, and you are frustrated because you have accomplished nothing. Your list is still as long as your arm and more has been piled on your plate. Your heart starts racing while you get more agitated at your circumstances.
Then it hits – the feelings of overwhelm threaten to drown you. It’s possible to rein in those feelings of overwhelm and kick them to the curb. If you let these feelings get out of control, your body will reap the negative consequences, including poor eating, exercising and sleeping habits.
How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed
Are you ready to stop the feelings of overwhelm that threaten to overtake you? Put these six steps into practice:
- Determine What Is Triggering the Feeling of Overwhelm: What started these feelings? For example, were you late to work because you overslept after staying up too late watching movies or working on a project? You look around and your home is a big mess and you can’t find anything? Take note and write it down if you need to.
- Reframe Your Feelings: You will probably be full of negative thoughts and emotions. Instead of giving in to anger or hopelessness, replace it with empowerment and determination to tackle what is before you.
- Sit Up Straight: As you feel overwhelmed, you may respond physically by hunching forward and taking shallow breaths. Take a moment to straighten up and take several deep belly breaths. The change will reinforce to your brain that you are switching emotions. You are in control.
- Decide on One Small Step You Can Take Right Now: Look over your list, and decide on a tiny thing you can do at that moment, and do it. Once it is accomplished, pat yourself on the back and choose another task. With each one, you slowly tackle those items that have been weighing you down. Also, you reinforce to yourself that you can get things done.
- Get Over What You Can’t Control: Focusing on things you cannot control is a waste of time, energy, and emotions. If you can do something about a situation, then take action. However, if you cannot, why not relax and let worry slip away?
- Guard Your Calendar: Remember a significant culprit to being overwhelmed is not protecting your time. It is okay to say no and leave some white space on your calendar. It is up to you to ensure keep your calendar free from being overbooked.
You can beat the feelings of overwhelm by being proactive and getting your emotions under control. Once you do, you will be empowered to knock out that To-Do list and protect your time.
If you need help with these steps, let’s work together virtually to keep you accountable. Success is in your future.
Julie Stobbe is the 2024-2025 winner of the Harold Taylor Award for outstanding contributions to the organizing industry and Professional Organizers in Canada. As a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach, she brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides, mentors and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
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I love that matrix from Hazel! Everything is easier to understand in a matrix LOL!
I completely agree about the value of trying to identify where the overwhelm is coming from. This isn’t always easy!!! People who have been stuck for a long period of time may have many reasons that are all knotted together. Working with someone else is a great way to talk it out and dig down a bit to extract those various reasons from one another, which then allows you to start trying to solve them.
I remember one client I had who was overwhelmed by her garage. It was always overflowing. When we started to work together, I realized that a lot of the stuff in the garage was empty boxes. They accumulated because her husband planned to break them down and take them to the transfer station, but he kept getting behind schedule. I asked why she couldn’t put the smaller ones inside her recycle bin. Turns out, she had a tiny bin. Ordering a giant (on wheels) recycling container cost her about $60 and ended up solving at least 2/3 of the problem. It also empowered her to start improving the situation (instead of waiting on her husband). It was all about figuring out the source of the problem!
You are so right. Figuring out the source of the problem is key. Talking or working with someone can give the overwhelmed person a new perspective and an answer to the overwhelm that it is difficult too see when they are stuck in the situation. It is hard to step back and assess the situation on your own. Some people are very good at talking themselves through the situation, when do I feel overwhelmed, what is happening then, how can I change it and then taking action.
I agree, Julie, worrying doesn’t solve anything.
Sometimes, in addition to looking at what’s causing a person to feel overwhelmed, it’s good to acknowledge and accept that this is a feeling. It may be attributed to one or more things like too many things on a calendar or perhaps too many events happening at the same (or nearly the same) time. If this is the case, creating a schedule for addressing the things (in your control) will help that feeling as well as acknowledging when the events are completed the overwhelm will go away on its own.
Acknowledging and accepting that you feel overwhelmed and can’t handle everything on your plate is important. Asking for help, delegating, rescheduling are some ways to lighten the load. It is not a weakness to feel overwhelmed as some people may think. In this day and age there are so many requests, information, and chocie to make that it can easiely happen to anyone.
I hate being overwhelmed! It happens when I have too much to do and it all seems equally important. #4 seems to work well to get me jump-started.
I try to limit the amount of time I feel overwhelmed. I agree it happens sometimes when too many things all seem important. After a time of feeling overwhelmed I take a break and reset and get things back under control. It usually happens when I let my decisions cross one of my boundaries and let too much into my schedule.
I do feel that it is important to take the time and sit with yourself to figure out what is the cause of your overwhelm. Then asking yourself is there anything you can do. If it is completely out of your hands, then just acknowledge that and let it go.
I was working with a client yesterday that was completely overwhelmed by the starving in Gaza. We talked a while, and she did acknowledge that there was nothing she could do about it at this time. I also suggested that she turn off the TV station that keep repeating this news along with pictures. Her health and needed rest were more important so that she could continue to work both on her home and on her job.
News and information can be a big source of the feeling of overwhelm. Many people are limiting what they watch, read and listen to. Unfortunately some people cannot identify that feeling of unrest, sadness or defeat as overwhelm. Identifying the feeling is the start of making changes to be better able to spot what causes overwhelm for you.
Overwhelm is the number one reason clients reach out to me for help. I’ve experienced my share of overwhelm, too, and understand it from both experiencing it and helping others move past it.
I love ALL of your suggestions for changing that internal state! I never considered the “sitting up straight” one and how body posture can affect overwhelm. That’s fascinating. It’s not quite the same, but sometimes when I’m feeling overwhelmed, I’ll stand up and say some positive phrases out loud like, “OK, Linda. You can do this,” or “You’ve got this, Linda.” Just standing up can make a difference. Adding that out loud piece also helps.
I’m also a fan of taking a small step. Again, it can quickly transform the internal state of inertia and overwhelm. I wrote more about it this week and included a checklist as well.
I do alot of self-talk, out loud as well, when I feel overwhelmed. It helps me to reset and start taking small steps and getting things done so I feel less overwhelmed.
Ah, being overwhelmed! It is an area that I find many of my small business clients deal with daily. Great topic, Julie. Thanks for sharing your tips.
I prefer not to feel overwhelmed. I break things down into manageable steps to help me feel accomplished each day. Looking at the big picture and then working backwards, determining the steps needed seems to work best for me. It also helps me not miss anything, reducing my feelings of being overwhelmed.
I like how you identify the cyclic nature of overwhelm, look at the big picture, break it down into manageable steps, accomplish something, less overwhelm, repeat. Each time through the process the overwhelm is reduced. I think the idea of “what have I missed” can cause the feeling of overwhelm to spike. Realizing you have done your best and no one is perfect is key to reducing that trigger for overwhelm.
I love Hazel’s matrix. Funnily enough, I never worry about the Martians, just as I never worry about the plane I’m on crashing. I always worry much more when I have any control over the situation; if it’s out of my hands, I’m usually at my most calm! My overwhelm always seeps in when I fear that I won’t get it ALL done, or that I won’t do something (or all the sometimes) right.
#3 is surprisingly effective, and #4 is my favorite of all of the tips. #5 may be easier said than done, but the other tips help support that effort.
It is interesting how some people feel overwhelmed by the things they can control and other people can let that go. Some people feel overwhelmed by feeling they can’t get everything done and others will say I can only do so much in a day. It shows that is is important to know what tpyes of situations cause you to feel overwhelmed and identify them and make appropriate changes. I am like you if I can;t control it don’t worry see what happens and then make a plan. Having too much to do I need to sit tall, talk to myself and start taking small steps. It is amazing how quickly i can start to relax.