How to Process and Handle General Overwhelm (Overwhelmed Series Part 3)

This post may contain affiliate links

First time here? Don’t miss out on the rest of this series. In Part 1, we defined overwhelm and discussed a few things that happen when you get overwhelmed.

Then in Part 2, we discussed the causes of overwhelm and their solutions.

In this final post, we will discuss how to process and handle general overwhelm.

Missed Part1? Check it out here: Dealing with Overwhelm

Missed Part 2? Check it out here: Causes and Solutions for When We Feel Overwhelmed 

Recap

We discussed how when we say something is overwhelming, or when we say we feel overwhelmed, what we mean is that thing or those emotions affect us very strongly, and we do not know how to deal with them. They overpower us.

You can be overwhelmed by both internal and external things.

If something is overwhelming you, it’s often in large quantities; it feels huge, and like more than you can handle at that moment! 

For instance, if you feel overwhelmed by your tasks, you likely have too many tasks to do and don’t know where to start or what next steps to take!

I find that when we’re overwhelmed, our brains freeze and we feel we can’t focus on that particular agenda. 

When we feel overwhelmed by internal things, we get flooded by emotion.

Emotional overwhelm is a state in which you feel intense emotion that is difficult to manage.

It immediately affects your ability to think and act rationally.

I’ve also found that, in some instances, it might prevent you from performing daily tasks.

When we’re emotionally overwhelmed, our brains start racing with thoughts. We feel rushed like our brain is on fire and under pressure! It can be a very uncomfortable feeling. 

What now?

So what do we do next?

• We are in a state and we feel stuck, stressed, and extremely overwhelmed.
• Where do we go from there?
• How do we get out of overwhelm and take action so we can have the results we want in life? 
• How can we move through life with less stress and overwhelm?
• How can we enjoy our lives in the midst of chaos?  

After years of experiencing overwhelm, I have discovered it is possible to manage overwhelm, get things done, and move on in life. Yes, it is possible to have peace and become productive despite the unpredictable attacks of overwhelm.

Here are the 6 best steps you can take to anytime you feel overwhelmed. 

6 Steps to Take any Time you Feel Overwhelmed

Step 1: 

Identify Your Current State. 

Identify that you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Recognising that you’re feeling overwhelmed is the first step towards getting out of that state. Sometimes you will not be able to recognise that the confusion in your brain is overwhelm.

Think back to the common signs of overwhelm I have identified here. If you notice any of those signs, it could be a signal that you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Recognising that you’re feeling overwhelmed creates self-awareness, which can help you look for a solution before you get in a state of overload.

Recognising that you’re feeling overwhelmed creates self-awareness, which can help you look for a solution before you get in a state of overload.

Look for the signs we mentioned in Parts 1 and 2 when you feel unsure.

Step 2: 

Define Your Next Move.

The best step, which I always take next and which works, is to change my environment if I can. 

Once you have realised you are feeling overwhelmed, change your environment. 

The main reason for the change of scenery is to make your brain switch from stagnant thinking. Trying to adapt to a new environment makes the brain start thinking. 

A change of scene or environment is usually my number one secret tip. When I feel overwhelmed, I always stand and immediately change my environment. If you’re wondering what to do if you’re at the office, my solution is to go to the bathroom. 

The idea is to move your body and let your eyes see something different from what they have been staring at for the last few minutes.

What I do is a bit crazier, but it works like magic. I like walking back and forth while thinking hard about moving my hands. This makes my mind start to think when my brain feels frozen.

I understand this will be different for everyone, so find what best for you. What will be your version of changing your environment? 

Now you have recognised you are overwhelmed and you have changed scenery. What’s next?

Step 3:

Identify Your Feelings. 

What are you feeling exactly? Start with a gentle self-analysis.

The best way to do this is to start thinking about what you’re feeling. Ask yourself how you’re feeling right now.

If someone asked you to use one word to express how you feel in this moment, which word would you use? Aim at finding a one-word emotion. 

Do you feel confused, overloaded, too happy, too sad, or tired? Find one word; when I can’t think of a single word right then, I use “uncomfortable” or ”overloaded.” 

When you have identified the emotion behind everything, you’re ready for the next step.

Step 4: 

Ask Why? Identify Causes and Triggers.

You now know what you feel, you have moved to a different scene, and you know the exact emotion behind the overwhelm. What do you do next?

The best next step is to figure out what is causing or triggering the emotion behind the overwhelm. Where is it coming from? Obviously there is something behind it and it’s our job to find the root of the problem.

Ask yourself why you are feeling the emotion you identified in the step above.

What you are trying to do here is get to the root causes of an overwhelming feeling. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

What’s making me feel all over the place?

• Is it the amount of work I need to do within the limited time I have?
• Do I have too much work to do and don’t know how to prioritize or where to begin?
• Am I impatient wanting everything to be done perfectly?
• Is it too noisy in this workplace or at this party?
• Are there too many people around and my brain can’t handle it?
• Is there too much clutter in my environment?

What is it? Get to the root cause by asking yourself why. 

(It can help to note down all the common things that can trigger overwhelm.)

Now that you know the cause behind the overwhelming emotion, move on to Step 5.

Step 5: 

Take Notes, Make a Plan, and Schedule it.

In your notebook, write down why you feel overwhelmed. You could also note this down in your phone. 

The point is to have a place where you can see what your brain is thinking about, in order to then be able to reflect on what you can do to ease your situation. For example, can you delegate your work to colleagues?

Think about the one thing you can do to make things better and do it!

Step 6: 

Final Step: Take Action. 

This is the final stage in which you should be doing the one thing that will get you unstuck when you’re feeling overwhelmed. This can be as simple as making time to plan out when to do certain tasks.

I also want to mention the importance of documenting how you feel after beating that overwhelmed feeling. Refer back to your process the next time you feel overwhelmed.

It might provide a formula for how to tackle overwhelm in the future because most of us all have common causes of overwhelm.

Things to Remember: 

• Prioritize progress over perfection.
• Remember, you can’t do it all. 
• Schedule reflective time to learn more about yourself.
• Try your best to stay organised. It’s as simple as keeping things where they’re supposed to be, no need to be a neat freak.
• Avoid crowded areas when possible if this can be overwhelming for you.
• You can get things done if you plan and schedule them.
• Multitasking doesn’t equal productivity.
• You can make the change you want even if you feel scared.
• It’s ok to say “No,” even when you love someone. Don’t overwork yourself so you can make someone happy. If your schedule is fully booked, don’t squeeze someone in just because you don’t want to make them feel bad or think of you as a bad person.
• Things change quickly when you start doing something.
• You’ve felt this way before. This is not new. You have been here before, and you thrived out of it. Think about the last time you felt overwhelmed. How did you overcome it? Was it really as bad as you thought?
• Offload your mind by writing things down. The habit of thought downloading can help ease your mind. 
• Remember, there is always tomorrow to do the non-urgent tasks.
• Remember, we all have different journeys in this life. Don’t compare your journey with someone else’s. Work on your own journey to becoming the best version of you.
• Manage what you expect from others, meaning don’t over-expect. Always remember that people can be anything at any time.

Wrap Up

I hope you learnt something new and that you will be willing to take action, not just read! 

If you liked this post and want to learn more about overwhelm and productivity, then make sure you join our free VIP community for overwhelmed and highly sensitive women. As a welcome gift, I will share with you 3 secrets that actually work for easily overwhelmed and highly sensitive people. 

Let me ask you something, do you ever feel easily overwhelmed by the amount of things you have to do every day? Enter your best email address where I can send the 3 secrets to productivity for overwhelmed and highly sensitive souls. 

Much love, 

Frida

Other Related Posts

• What does it mean to feel overwhelmed and how many types of overwhelm are there? Overwhelmed Series 1
• 4 Causes and Solutions for When You Feel Overwhelmed  (Overwhelmed Series part 2)