When we feel overwhelmed, we have difficulty concentrating, sorting out what is important, and making decisions based on facts.
What causes feeling overwhelmed?
We feel overwhelmed when we are unable to organize our thoughts and emotions in order to make decisions. This may be caused by too many:
Responsibilities
Distractions
Choices
Emotions
Thoughts
To-Do Items
Information
Researchers at Temple University used functional MRI to find out that the brain processes complex information in the prefrontal cortex. However, as the information increases, the activity of the brain stops. Decisions made while overloaded with information did not make sense or where not based on factual information.
It’s like when we open too many apps or windows in our computer. First the system slows down until it freezes. Something similar happens to our mind when we feel overwhelmed. The emotions and information is too much for our brain to process.
If we are unable to process our thoughts and emotions, we may just make any choice to end the overwhelm or we may not make any decision at all.
Here are some signals that you may be overwhelmed. You may feel:
- Anxiety
- Nervousness
- It’s already too late
- Difficulty breathing
- Stressed and tense
- Irritable
- Exhausted
10 Easy Steps to go from Overwhelmed to Happy
1 – Take a couple of deep breaths
Taking deep breaths calms you down. It creates space in your mind because instead of focusing on your thoughts your brain is busy following your inhales and exhales.
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine identified brain cells that alter the mind according to the breath. Moreover, a deep breath will tell your brain cells it’s time to relax. In addition, focusing on your breath is a good way to get your attention off your thoughts.
2 – Limit the amount of information
When we receive too much data, our brain tends to get into overdrive. Limit the amount of TV, news, emails, people who talk too much, and social media.
Furthermore, too many positive events can also be overwhelming. For instance, you may have been hired for a new job, learn that you are expecting a baby, and find out that your offer to buy a house was accepted. Even if all of these events are awesome, it may feel overwhelming for our brain when it all happens in a short period of time.
By limiting the amount of information coming in through our senses, our brain will have fewer items to ponder, consider, and decide.
A quiet place, without electronics, where you can be by yourself is a good way to limit the amount of information.
3 – Write it on paper
Get all your ideas, thoughts, and concerns out of your mind and write them on a piece of paper.
There is so much information in our brain that we have a hard time keeping track of everything. Our mental to do list seems to swirl around our mind getting us more and more confused.
In addition, if you write on a piece of paper a list of everything that is on your mind, you will clearly see all the details of your overloaded brain.
4 – Prioritize
Take a look at the list you just wrote. Would someone die or get hurt if you don’t do a task right away? If this is the case, take care of it as soon as possible.
Everything else can wait.Â
From all the items listed ask yourself about:
- The most important tasks
- Essential values
- Tasks related to your overall life goals
Prioritize and focus on the 3 most important tasks.
5 – Schedule the tasks that need to be completed
We usually feel overwhelmed by all the little things we need or want to complete in a time period that is too short.
Schedule the 3 most important tasks. In addition, make sure that you have enough time to get them done without time constraints. Given your current circumstances, what are realistic expectations?
6 – Spend time alone
Try walking at a park, meditating, exercising, or doing a quiet activity to give your brain some air and space to rewire. Do an activity that calms you. This is usually something you do physically without interacting with others such as cleaning, gardening, decluttering, fixing an appliance, etc.
7 – Be mindful
Focus and complete one task at a time. Use your senses to guide you toward staying present. Here are some tips on how to be mindful.
8 – Say No
Don’t try to be overly nice by saying “yes” to every request. Make sure you have enough time and energy to complete the tasks.
This is to say, we underestimate the time and energy that certain projects will take. Babysitting for 2 hours may easily turn into 4 hours or organizing a birthday party may turn into an overwhelming task.
If in doubt, say no. You always can offer your help later if you have extra time.
9 – Self-love
What are some ways that you can show yourself some love?
Could you listen to your favorite music?
Could you exercise?
Be nice to yourself by respecting your feelings, emotions, and moods. It’s OK to feel overwhelmed.Â
10 – Put your life in context
If you look at your life from the outside, what do you see?
What are you trying to accomplish with your life?Â
What are your goals?
Taking a step back and observing our life from a distance allows us to better understand our current circumstances and decide if we are on the right track or if changes are necessary.
Keep these strategies handy for next time you feel overwhelmed.
How do you deal with feeling overwhelmed?Â
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Write it out and prioritize. Those are the two that help me the most. Today, I was feeling overwhelmed so I went for a bike ride after dropping the kids off at school. It was just me, and a way to clear my head.
What a great post, those tips are very very helpful. Sometime I find difficult to say no without feeling guilty.
I am always really happy, even when “overwhelmed” – and that’s because my mindset is such that I see the POSITIVE in everything, even my overwhelmed feeling! I also know the feeling won’t last!
Being overwhelmed is not a good place to be in. I’ve worked in mental health and I’ve seen many breakdown and fall apart. Your tips are great. Self love and saying no are key to maintaining balance.
Yes planning things down on the paper does helps a lot. I was not big about scheduling tasks and it was always a mess. Now I’m getting better at scheduling. And also when it’s overwhelmed, taking a deep breath does help
I have been feeling really overwhelmed lately. Your post really has helped me see some ways I can deal with my stress, thank you!
I get overwhlemed super easily and this is some really sound advice! Thank you so much for sharing!
oh I need to save this article!!! I am easily overwhelmed and I struggle with it. Thanks a lot for the tips.
I find that writing things down and then figuring out what to prioritize always helps me. There are (as you’ve shown) so many little things you can do to keep yourself from becoming too overwhelmed.
I am feeling totally overwhelmed these days, and while the back-to-school paperwork and e-form overload is contributing to this sense, I know the root cause is lack of sleep! Hoping to fix the sleep situation this weekend so I can think straight again 🙂
Such a great combination of tips to uplift spirits and live happily and peacefully. This is a wonderful topic to speculate on – how to eliminate our troubles. Often those are not ‘troubles’ at all.
It definitely helps to take small steps, chunk things up and prioritize. We can improve our mood by shifting our attitude about situations and taking action.
Very good suggestions to control emotions. We tend to get diverted when being overwhelmed. it happens with me too. Definitely your post is a big boost for me.
Although I am finally learning to say no to people, prioritizing is what always help me. You shared great tips.
These are all valid and effective tools to get the calm and peace from the organization we bring into our daily life. Such a powerful reminder.
I always want to be super productive and helpful so I always load my to-do list and say yes to everyone. It’s easy to sometimes feel overwhelmed. I’ve really been working on saying no and prioritizing.
these are some great tips to live by, literally and fuguratively… with Self Love being the most important
Prioritising and spending some time alone is so important to stop feeling overwhelmed!
I can get het overwhelmed sometimes and these tips will really help me. Thank you for sharing x
Laura
https://pinkfrenzymissl.blogspot.com/
This is a fantastic post! You are right – writing things down really helps. I also didn’t know that about the breathing – that deep breaths tell your brain cells it’s time to relax. I do some deep breathing, but this is encouraging me to get back into it. Thanks for sharing!
You know, starting my blog two weeks back has made me overwhelmed! I’m learning something new every day and it makes me feel like there is such a large distance to cover. I really need to keep your tips handy and ready with me to get through this!
I’m all about writing everything down!!! It’s the best way to stay on track and get things done
These are great tips for when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Mindfulness helps a lot.
I have to write absolutely everything down these days, otherwise it will fester in my head because I’m constantly worried I’ll forget and there’s no room for new information because I’m literally too busy trying to remember the other stuff. It’s almost like my thought process gets stuck on replay if I don’t write it down and then keep moving from there. It’s crazy how easily it happens too. This is such a wonderful post for people like me to refer back to when it starts happening for other tips to help as well.
Great tips to manage overwhelm – it can be so crippling, it’s good to have a range of ways to deal with it
Learning how to say no has totally changed my world – and knowing that I am NOT letting people down by saying simply and kindly, “I’m sorry, I just can’t manage another thing right now. How about xyz instead?”
It’s so easy to become overwhelmed, isn’t it? Life can throw so much at us. Learning ways to cope is so important. Your suggestions are excellent.
I’m working to be more mindful. I’ve multi-tasked for so long that just being mindful is a challenge for me! Fantastic article. Thanks!
It’s always best to take a deep breath and take a step back to reassess things and then sort things out.
I really like the analogy to the computer having too many windows open. Sometimes when I have lots of outstanding things to do I find it a bit overwhelming and it actually impairs my ability to do any of it. I need to slow down and approach things one at a time, ticking them off the list. That way each task seems more manageable.
This came at perfect timing for me. I’m about to have my second child and I’m feeling overwhelmed with everything I have to do. It was a nice reminder to slow down, take some time for myself, and everything will work out.
Nice one! Love how you have to break it down into smaller bite sized chunks and then do it one step at a time!
All great examples of how to reduce stress and be less overwhelmed! I know that writing things down, making lists and talking my anxieties out with someone always helps me when I am feeling overwhelmed!
I think information overload can definitely overwhelm someone! I think limited information can help a lot!
I get this a lot 😅 and i can say that spending a couple of minutes alone does help! 🙂
One thing I noticed here is that some of the items listed here are old school but most of them are happy with their lives.
Pursuit of happiness is so 2019 and it’ll soon be 2020 in a few months too.
I do agree that being overwhelmed actually blocks our mind and affects our performance. Some great tips some of which I use to get back to being normal. Good read.
I feel so relaxed now from reading your post and taking those deep breaths. I am going to write down what I need to do then prioritize .
Happy fall,
Kippi
I love this post. Thank you for making your blog informational with references!!! I want to add to the deep breath thing is legit — and if experiencing anxiety symptoms, it’s best to do a true belly breathing exercise…true as in the chest NEVER engages. This forces your body to stimulate the Calming nerve (whereas using chest breathing, even when deep breathing, stimulates the fight, flight, or freeze nerve).
This is a really good list! Another thing I find that helps me feel less overwhelmed is to reduce clutter. Eg when my work desk gets messy, I feel SO much more stressed and overwhelmed! I’m also trying to purge my home and have less clutter in general. As a mom, I find I get overwhelmed pretty quick and the clutter adds up fast, so it’s a constant struggle!
Kayleigh, That is so true. Reducing clutter makes us feel more calm and in control. Thank you for bringing it up!
Writing it out and taking one task at a time is definitely a key to reducing anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. Each small task that’s completed can certainly help one feel accomplished.
I became so overwhelmed today listening to the 6pm news and 7p world news re the Coronavirus especially hearing the public should be wearing masks and that you could get the virus just by talking to someone even if you are 6 ft. away!
This has all gone way over the top for me. I’ve got to take a break from the news for a while but I’m afraid I’ll miss important info re caring for myself and others during this stressful time in our lives. Staying prayerful is the only thing that works for me anyway.
I will try the steps in your article as well and will take a brake from the news this weekend. I did that a few weekends ago and felt much better, Thanks for your article,