Do you sometimes feel like life is too much?
Sometimes, it feels like there’s just too much to do, too many problems, and too many demands on your time.
At times like these, it can feel like you have no space of your own, no time for yourself, and certainly not enough energy or resources to manage everything that’s coming at you.
I was at that same point just a few months ago, and I honestly had no idea how to deal with that feeling.
I started doing some research and I looked into what I could do when I feel overwhelmed with life. What I found has changed my life, so I don’t want to gate-keep that information:
1) Stop and take a breather
One of the first things you can do when you feel overwhelmed is to stop and take a breather.
This doesn’t mean that you should take a break from everything in your life and let everything fall apart.
It means that you should take a step back and re-evaluate your situation.
When you feel overwhelmed, it can be difficult to process the information that is coming at you.
You might be taking on too much, and you might be feeling the effects of that.
So, when you feel your life getting a little too much, you might want to consider taking a pause.
Put everything on hold for a while and try to get some of your thoughts together.
You might be surprised by what you can come up with when you’re not so rushed and pressured.
The thing is, when I was in that exact same situation, the last thing I wanted to do is take a little break.
I felt like I already had way too much going on, so how could I possibly afford to take a break?
Well, that’s the irony of it all.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, the worst thing you can do is to keep going.
The best thing you can do is to stop and take a breath.
You need to clear your mind, and you need to get back on track before you end up in over your head.
So, instead of feeling guilty about taking a little break when you feel overwhelmed with life, just remember that it’s a necessary step to get things back under control.
The thing is, feeling overwhelmed with life for an extended period of time is actually detrimental to your physical and mental health.
Worst case, it will lead to burnout, and then you’ll be forced to take a break for months, if not longer.
Best case, you have a chance to get things under control before your life spirals out of control.
So, choose to take a break now instead of forcing yourself to keep going.
Take a break, let yourself clear your head, and really just be unapologetic about it.
Your quality of life will thank you for it.
And the best part?
Once you prioritize that and really let yourself take a breather, you will notice that your productivity will skyrocket.
You will be able to get back on track quicker and tackle everything that you were feeling overwhelmed with, and it will all be easier than ever before.
So, really think long and hard about when the last time you took a break was.
If it has been a while, or if you feel that your productivity is suffering because of it, then it might be time for you to take a break.
You’ll thank yourself for it later.
2) Declutter your physical space
When you feel overwhelmed with life, one of the first signs is that you feel overwhelmed in your home.
You might feel like your house is a mess, your desk is a mess, or your room is a mess, or you might feel like you have too much stuff.
You might feel like you need to declutter your home and get rid of everything that isn’t necessary.
Maybe you need to declutter your desk, your room, or your computer.
Perhaps you need to get rid of some of the people in your life that are bringing you down.
You might need to declutter your social media, or you might need to declutter your email accounts.
You might need to declutter your time and cut back on activities that you’re taking on.
Whatever it is, you need to make sure that you’re not carrying around too much.
You need to make sure that you have room to move. If not, it’s going to be very difficult for you to get through your day.
I didn’t realize this in the past, but your physical space has a huge impact on your mental health.
If you are in a messy room, or if you have too much stuff in your room, then it will be hard for your brain to focus on anything.
You can’t think clearly if there is clutter around you.
And once you realize this and start cleaning up, you will notice that your productivity increases as well.
Your brain will be able to focus on what you need to focus on and you’ll be able to get things done.
So, if you feel overwhelmed with life, then it might be time for you to declutter your physical space.
Clear out all of the clutter and make sure that your home is clean and organized before you start getting back into life.
Once I did that, I immediately felt better, because even though there is so much out of my control happening, this thing, at least, I could control 100%!
3) Think out of the box
When you feel overwhelmed with life, it can be very helpful to think out of the box.
Often, when you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, you might think that there is only one solution to your problem.
Or, you might feel like there’s only one path for you to take in your life.
But, when you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, it’s helpful to think out of the box.
This doesn’t mean that you should change your entire life plan. It means that you should try to come up with a few different solutions to your problem.
Or, you might want to try to come up with a few different paths that you can take in your life.
Thinking out of the box is often helpful because you can see things from a different perspective.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re often so focused on what you need to do that you don’t even have time to think about other options.
But, when you’re thinking out of the box, you’re allowing your brain to look at your problem from different angles.
This can often help you to come up with a solution that you wouldn’t have come up with otherwise.
I learned all this from the shaman Rudà Iandê. To tell you the truth, I never thought I’d ever get help from a shaman, it just wasn’t really my cup of tea, you know?
But desperate times call for desperate measures, so I watched his free video for advice.
In it, he talks about how our social conditioning and the unrealistic expectations from everyone around us can really take a toll on our happiness.
Once you break free from that, there is no limit to what you can achieve!
In this excellent free video, Rudá explains how you can lift the mental chains and get back to the core of your being.
I was immediately fascinated by his approach. He wants you to think out of the box, and once I did, I didn’t feel overwhelmed with my life anymore.
I don’t know if this will help you as much as it helped me, but it’s free, so why not give it a shot?
Here’s a link to the free video again.
4) Set small, attainable goals for yourself
When you’re feeling overwhelmed with life, one of the worst things you can do is set large, unattainable goals for yourself.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s important to set small, attainable goals for yourself.
That doesn’t mean that you should lower your standards or stop dreaming big.
It means that you should make sure that you’re not setting yourself up to fail.
When you feel overwhelmed, it’s important to pace yourself and set small, attainable goals for yourself.
You might need to set smaller goals so that you can get back on track and finish what you need to do.
You see, you might need to set smaller goals to help you break down your larger goals and make them more manageable.
Setting small goals will help you to focus on what you need to do and make sure that you stay on track.
My problem was, that I had these huge things I wanted to accomplish, but it was overwhelming because I didn’t know where to begin.
Setting small, attainable goals helped me to take action, instead of sitting and thinking about all the things I needed to do.
And the best part?
Each goal you achieve is a tiny boost of serotonin.
5) Delegate what you can
When you feel overwhelmed with life, one of the best things you can do is delegate what you can.
This doesn’t mean that you should just give up on your responsibilities and let other people do all of the work for you.
It means that you should look at your schedule, your to-do list, and your priorities and see where you can let other people help.
Now, this doesn’t work for everything, but it works for a lot of things.
For example, if you’re feeling overwhelmed with your social media, you might want to delegate some of your social media posts to a friend or a member of your team.
Or, if you’re feeling overwhelmed with your kids, there is no shame in hiring a nanny to help out just a little bit on the days you’re working.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can be easy to ignore your own needs. But, it’s important to recognize your needs and let other people help.
This was a hard pill for me to swallow, I didn’t want to seem weak by delegating things to other people.
But, it’s important to recognize that you can’t do it all on your own.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s okay to ask for help and let other people help you.
6) Take care of yourself physically and mentally
When you feel overwhelmed, it’s important to take care of yourself physically and mentally.
Often, when we feel overwhelmed, we want to focus on other people and their needs, and we might not take care of ourselves enough.
This is especially important if you’re feeling really overwhelmed and stressed out.
When you’re feeling stressed out and overwhelmed, you need to take care of yourself physically and mentally.
You need to make sure that you’re eating properly, sleeping enough, and taking care of your mental health.
You see, when you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s easy to let your health slip.
You might not have time to make a healthy meal, and you might not have time to get enough sleep.
At the end of the day, you’re only going to be able to help others if you know how to help yourself first.
Your health should always come first, no matter what.
Don’t let your health slip just because you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Instead, try to make time for yourself every day and make sure that you’re taking care of yourself physically and mentally.
And the best part?
Focusing on yourself in those little moments will help you to feel more in control of your own life, too!
7) Breathing techniques
When you feel overwhelmed with life, one of the best things you can do is take a step back and try some breathing techniques.
Often, when we’re feeling overwhelmed, we’re so focused on what we need to do or what we’re thinking that we don’t even realize that we’re stressed out.
Or, sometimes we’re so used to being stressed out that we don’t know how to calm ourselves down.
At these times, it can be helpful to try some breathing techniques. This doesn’t mean that you should ignore your problems.
It means that you should take a step back and focus on calming yourself down.
When you’re overwhelmed, it can be helpful to take a break and try some breathing exercises.
For me personally, dealing with anxiety, breathing techniques have transformed my life.
One of my favorite techniques is box-breathing.
It works anytime, anywhere – whenever I feel anxious or overwhelmed, I take a few minutes to do this and I instantly feel better.
It’s quite simple – inhale for a count of 4 (or longer, if you want), hold it for the same amount of time, exhale for 4 counts (or longer), and hold the exhale for the same amount of time. Repeat.
It’s called box breathing because you can imagine your breath going around a square box, spending equal amounts of time on each side (inhale – hold – exhale – hold).
Do this for 2-5 minutes and you will feel much better!
8) Find a support network
When you feel overwhelmed with life, it’s important to find a support network.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can be helpful to talk to someone who is going through the same thing as you.
Someone who is going through the same thing as you can understand what you’re going through and can help you cope with your situation.
This could be a family member, a friend, or even someone online.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed with life, it can be helpful to find a support network that understands what you’re going through.
9) The power of communication
When you feel overwhelmed with life, it’s important to talk about it.
Talking about your problems is one of the most powerful tools you have.
How many times have you felt overwhelmed with life and just kept it inside? It’s so much better to talk about your problems because then they don’t seem so bad anymore.
Talking can be scary because it means being vulnerable and letting people know that you’re struggling, but it doesn’t have to be scary.
Think about it as freeing yourself from the burden.
When you feel overwhelmed with life, it’s important to talk about it.
10) Practice mindfulness
Last but not least, practicing mindfulness is an excellent way to deal with feeling overwhelmed with life.
Mindfulness is a practice where you focus all of your attention on the present moment.
When you’re practicing mindfulness, you don’t think about the past or the future, you just focus on what’s happening right now.
At first, it might be difficult to stay focused on the present moment because there are so many distractions in life that can pull your attention away from what’s happening right now.
But with practice, it gets easier and easier to focus on what’s happening right now.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed with life, it can be incredibly helpful to practice mindfulness and focus all of your attention on what’s happening right now.
This will make you realize that you are okay, and even if you have a lot of stuff going on, you can still be in the moment and enjoy it.
You got this!
I know, feeling overwhelmed is not fun and it can really make you feel like you’re going crazy.
I hope these tips will help you deal with feeling overwhelmed with life.
No matter what kind of overwhelm you are dealing with, there is always a way to work through it, and I wish you all the best in doing so.
Most importantly, remember that you don’t have to do it all alone. Talk to people, reach out for help, there is no shame in doing so!
Let me know how these tips worked for you and if you have any more tips to add! I really hope they help.
