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What is some advice to someone who tends to get overwhelmed very easily?

I'm involved in a lot in and outside of school. Sometimes it gets to me and I'll start getting super overwhelmed. It can sometimes affect my motivation levels and confidence levels. #school #entrepreneurship #college

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Thank you comment icon Hi Georgia! First, I want to tell you that what you are feeling is completely valid and makes sense when you're putting a lot on your plate. Something I've learned is that the best thing to do is think about having a balance with something you actually enjoy and something that you may need. However, your health (physical and mental ) come first. If there is something that is simply not making you happy and really taking a toll on you, maybe it's time to reconsider having it in your life. Also, after a long day, try to do something that helps you wind down before bed, or evens lifts your moods up a bit! Some people enjoy reading a book, watching a show, journaling etc. Wishing you the best, and hoping you find your balance. Stefania
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Sunny’s Answer

Hi Georgia,

I also experienced the same situation when I was in college. There were so many things on my plate and I always had very little time to tackle them all. So first I want to say it is normal to feel that way when you live a busy life. It helped me when I prioritized all the tasks in a list. According to how urgent and important, you can see which item should be completed first. From there, you can try to focus on one thing at a time. While you are doing one thing, it is better not to think about all the other tasks that you need to finish.

It is also critical to realize where your overwhelming feelings are coming from. Is it because you have a very short time? Do you think you need more information to finish your task? Asking self-evaluation questions can help you see where you are stuck in the situation. You could use some help from your mentor or friends or you might ask to extend the time to finish your work.


I hope this helps!
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Doc’s Answer

When you are not able to prevent overwhelming thoughts or feelings, therapy is a helpful way to address your response to them. In therapy, a qualified professional is able to help you sort through the issues causing your stress or anxiety and better understand its root causes. When you gain a solid understanding of what stressors and situations trigger this uncomfortable mental state, it helps cultivate a calmer frame of mind in the future. When looking for the right type of therapy to manage overwhelming experiences, there are different types of practices to consider. Certain forms of therapy incorporate meditation, hypnosis, and centering techniques to help teach people to soothe themselves during times of distress. In addition, a therapist may also recommend journal therapy or physical exercise, which are also found to help prevent emotional overwhelm. While there is no way to determine what life has in store at any given moment, there are ways to build up mental strength to better take on life’s challenges and build resiliency. When you take time to learn what triggers stress and anxious thoughts, you can better manage overwhelming experiences before they occur. With the right tools and hard work, you can help minimize the occurrence and impact of becoming overwhelmed.

No matter the reason, if you feel the onset of overwhelm, there are some ways to help address the emotions both on your own and by leveraging outside support.

Doc recommends the following next steps:

Take some deep breaths – When you consciously breathe in deep, it triggers your body’s relaxation response and can come in handy during particularly stressful moments. Additionally, practicing yoga, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation can help calm your body’s response to anxiety, as each exercise helps you to focus your breath.
Be in the moment – If your thinking is focused on what the future holds — whether in a few minutes or several years down the road — it may make you more susceptible to becoming overwhelmed. Think about one moment, task, and experience at a time, in the present moment, to help remove the possibility of uncontrollable thoughts that may or may not come about.
Thank you comment icon Thank You Ankita. “Our generation has the ability and the responsibility to make our ever-more connected world a more hopeful, stable and peaceful place.” — Natalie Portman Doc Frick
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EJ’s Answer

The simple answer to this, is to pace yourself. It takes mental discipline to not take on too much at one time.
One thing that I have learned in life is, “It is not always about working harder, but working smarter”.
Prioritize on things that are important to you. I feel that many people are not honest with themselves when constructing goals. Some people over burden themselves, going in too many directions.
I would always recommend being detailed with your goals on a daily basis. Be organized with your thoughts. Often times, a journey is not so overwhelming, if you make small steps first. Start small, but always know where you are going.
When things get really difficult, try to focus on one issue at a time. As individuals, our minds all work differently. Any time you feel overwhelmed, try to look at a different perspective. Try to find out what works for you.

We are after all only human.
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Nick’s Answer

I wrote a similar answer about achieving goals. Get a notebook and write down your short and long term goals and prioritize them. As you make progress, put a dot next to the goal. When you complete a goal, reward yourself with a check mark. Perhaps daily, make a list on a sticky note of the things you need to do today. Check them off as you do them. You may not get to everything in a day but soon you will see things getting done. Your confidence and ability about getting things done will improve. Since you ask this question it’s clear that you are a conscientious person and deserve the opportunity to take control of your responsibilities and turn them into accomplishments.
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Bryce’s Answer

Hi Georgia,

Some of the best advice I can give you is to remember to prioritize yourself. Make sure you are taking time no matter how busy you are to make sure you are doing alright and take mental breaks when you need them. Next, I would definitely make schedules to help deal with time management. Plan out everything that you are doing that day to help stay organized when busy. I hope this helped you out!
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Danalila’s Answer

Hey Georgia,

After reading your question, I can relate with you so well. I know that feeling when you just feel so overwhelmed by everything and don't know what to do. My advice regarding this is basically set some time in the day for yourself. I can't stress how important that is. Do what you like whether that is taking a walk, listening to some relaxing music, or maybe catching up with friends? Anything that kind of sets your mind away from all the stress will help. Personally for me when I am feeling overwhelmed I hit the pause button and try to just simply breathe for couple mins before getting back to work. Hope this helps! Don't worry you are not alone with this, all you have to do is sometimes find some ME time and everything will be okay!
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R’s Answer

Hello, the best advise I can give you is to plan out your schedule, especially for school. Get a plan and write down the dates of test, and assignments. By doing this you have a visual representation of what all you have to do. I have been in your shoes before, one thing I did was to schedule a "me" time. This was usually Friday evenings. And in that time I would do whatever I wanted, sleep, mediate, go for a walk, hang out with friends are just some examples. This will help with your stress levels and give you the energy to push on. Keep it the good work!
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Shujie Zhu’s Answer

Some of the things that I find helpful when feeling overwhelmed:
1. Take a deep breath
2. Break down the tasks into smaller chunks
3. Write down the talks in order of urgency and importance
4. Reward yourself with short breaks or fun activity in between tasks
5. Build in time to go for a walk or some type of physical activity to refresh the mind
6. Ask for help where possible and appropriate
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Kristi’s Answer

Hi,

If you are feeling anxious and overwhelmed, those are normal feelings and you should take care of yourself first- talk to a counselor or therapist. Mental health is very important to take care of, not just the physical health that we tend to focus on...

Life can be overwhelming. Always break up tasks in to small bites. Give yourself permission to not be perfect every time and at every thing. Often the pressure we feel is self driven.

I was working full time, a mom, a wife, and going to school at night for my degrees. Sleeping less and less as I tried to do everything perfectly. Lack of sleep and lack of attention on my own needs led me to doing everything poorly. I had to refocus on the areas that were important and the remaining areas I was going to do my best.

As a parent, I probably should not be giving this advice- but when you graduate and go in to the workforce... you are going to be working with and for C students. Why stress out about getting As? As a mom, we want our kids to do great in school... But you have to be focused on the bigger picture too. Your network that you build in college is very important.

The lift you will get from a school (work) life balance is more important that trying t be everything to everyone all the time.

Kristi recommends the following next steps:

Take some deep breaths and write out the important items.
Find the hardest challenge and work that first- in small pieces. Start it early in the day so you don't procrastinate.
Build time for mental relaxation and health.
Take care of yourself... you got this!
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Eleanor’s Answer

There has already been a ton of great advice here. So I won't rehash what's been said (though I echo all the sentiments). A few things I've done that have reduced the frequency of those feelings of anxiety and overwhelm have been:

1. Stop the doom scrolling. I actually uninstalled social media from my phone for 30 days to "detox" myself so that I would then be able to recognize when I was mindlessly scrolling and stop.
2. Healthy living. I get some type of exercise at least 6 days a week - a 30 min walk, joining a virtual group exercise class at Verizon, yoga, gardening, farm work, etc etc. I practice mindfulness, meditate and pray. I eat healthy portions and healthy foods without depriving myself of treats (because if you're living without red velvet cake, are you really living?).
3. No screens in bed. I read books at night instead of staring at a screen (the blue light actually impairs your body's ability to settle down and sleep). When I made this change in particular, I had an INSTANT improvement in sleep.
4. Socialize. I'm an introvert, so this looks perhaps different for me than for other people. But I still make sure to reach out to friends for a phone call, or lunch, or a night out. We all need social connection.

While these things will not treat mental disorders in and of themselves, if you're not doing them, you're not giving yourself a chance. Good luck!
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Shelby’s Answer

Hi Georgia! I've dealt with feeling overwhelmed a lot, so I understand why this is such a concern! With the way many parents and educational figure heads are emphasizing to children that doing more (and, on top of that, having to do everything "perfectly") in order to become well-rounded, students have this tremendous pressure placed on their shoulders. In recent years, I have noticed the education system finally shifting gears to make sure students are also giving attention to their mental health. Here are a few tips I have discovered as both a student and educator:

1) Don't deny yourself time to do things you like. For the longest time, I would be so scared to play video games or draw because of a lingering feeling of wasting precious time. However, I've found that taking an hour break and playing a game refuels my energy and brings me genuine joy!

2) Find support. Whether that comes in the form of family, friends, classmates, teachers/professors, therapists, etc. Find someone you can turn to for when you need to talk, ask for advice, or just rant to. Surround yourself with positive and genuine people who want the best for you and to see you succeed (but, also make sure you're reciprocating these qualities).

3) Don't bite off more than you can chew! Meaning if you don't have time in your schedule to even breath, drop something! It is so easy to say 'yes' to everything people ask of you, but you need to take time for yourself to recuperate. You can have a busy schedule, but giving yourself time to do things you want/need is important too.

I hope these tips help! It took me a while to understand that life isn't about being productive 100% of my life. I still struggle with feeling overwhelmed! But, using these tips, I feel I have been able to manage that feeling a lot better.
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Bridget’s Answer

I feel you! It's so easy to get overwhelmed in our world today.
I find that my "self talk" can make all the difference. Keep it positive!

Here's my advice.

First make a list of what needs to be done. Then SET IT ASIDE. Don't look at it holistically again.

Next, focus on the smallest task at hand. Don't let yourself think of EVERYTHING you have to do. Really look at each task individually.
Hunker down and get that smallest task done. Then give yourself positive feedback! You did it. Task accomplished! Take a small break. Get a glass of water, or use a timer (possibly on a cell phone) to allow for a short break. Now tackle your next smallest task. Rinse & repeat. Make sure you are celebrating internally for each task completed.

Tell yourself "I CAN DO IT", "This task is not so big". Then when its complete, tell yourself how competent you are. "I AM AWESOME".
If you have a really big thing to do, break it into small chunks. "WRITE OUTLINE", "WRITE FIRST SENTENCE", "WRITE FIRST PARAGRAPH" etc... Be sure you are coaching yourself with positivity and small breaks after completing each small task.

At first, this positive self talk can seem unnatural and odd. But really try to embrace it. It will actually help. Studies have shown that positive self talk can actually change your brain!!

Once you embrace this type of thinking, and really own and believe it, you'll find that your feelings of being overwhelmed will actually decrease.

Another idea is to use journaling. Don't use just one journal - but use two. One for POSITIVE feelings. One for negative.
When you are just drowning in negativity, open up your negative thoughts journal & write all that junk down. Then close it. Let it go.
Then, if you can, open your positivity journal and write down some positive self talk. Even if it is just "I dumped all my negative stuff in my negative journal. That was a positive step. I am awesome. I own my feelings and I control my narrative"

Remember, you become what you think!

I hope this helps in some small way. :)
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Estelle’s Answer

In order to minimize confusion or anxiety on busy days, I make a detailed list of all of my tasks. That way I won't forget them, but I can also have the opportunity to take a breath, rest, and complete each task in my own time.
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Jose Miguel’s Answer

Hi Georgia,

In a more tactical focus, many times I have been overwhelmed by the number of things that I have to do on a day. Fighting with this in your head every day, don't help to this overwhelming feeling.

What I do, is to use a "to-do-list", where I put in a paper all the tasks or things that I need to do. Doing this, I "get rest" on the paper, and at the same time, it is easier to visualize the things you need to do.

Best!
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TLAUREN’s Answer

Discover Distractions- One that numerous individuals find gainful is to just call somebody on your PDA. Chatting on a telephone is difficult for the brain to do while as yet zeroing in on your nervousness, hence diminishing your uneasiness from getting excessively wild.

Take a Walk- strolling can make it harder for your psyche and body to be as overpowered. Strolling additionally assists move with blooding around your body and is a decent apparatus for controlling your breathing and pulse.

Control your Breathing- The explanation controlling your breathing is significant is on the grounds that nervousness side effects can really make new tension indications. breathing out gradually) is an extraordinary method to control this nervousness.

Journaling-When your contemplations are excessively overpowering, another compelling thing to attempt is journaling. Working out your considerations in a lasting spot has been appeared to powerfully affect your brain. It's like your psyche unwinds about the contemplations since they're on paper.

TLAUREN recommends the following next steps:

Exercise-Exercise is likewise an amazing asset to battle feeling overpowered for two reasons. To begin with, it tires out your muscles and improves your breathing so your indications are not as serious. Also, it floods loosening up synapses into your cerebrum and tires your brain so you can't have the same number of overpowering musings. Exercise isn't only for your physical wellbeing, and can be an amazing asset to battle nervousness.
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Ken’s Answer

First, take a breathe and relax for a minute. Life is hectic sometimes. It is great to get involved in different activities both in and out of school. This helps give you a better understanding of what is going on in the world. I think that you should figure out how much total time you want to devote to your activities. Then prioritize the activities that you like being involved in the most and see how much time they take up. If you are over scheduled, it is okay to be honest and let some activities go. If you don't want to give up any of the activities, you can devote a little less time to each activity.
Thank you comment icon Totally agree with Ken's answer. Just want to add.... as he stated, "its okay to be honest and let some activities go," I would only add that its okay to say "no" as well. We can't do everything even though we may want to. Learn to prioritize what really gives you joy and go from there. The COVID quarantine has given some of us the opportunity to really reflect on what is important to them and focus their energies on those things. Our lives can sometimes feel like we are constantly on the go.... but with so much to do, its easy track of what is really important to us. So take a moment, stop, reflect and regroup. Nixia Alexis, CISA
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Christopher M.’s Answer

Hi Georgia,

This is an excellent question and I'm really glad you've asked it. You're certainly not alone in periodically feeling overwhelmed. I have found two habits particularly helpful in managing my anxiety and stress; breathing exercises and meditation.

I've found box breathing, or square breathing, helpful and I try to practice it daily. The practice of 'box' breathing involves patterned deep breathing, the pattern being equal time inhaling - holding - exhaling - holding (four sides of the box). The most common box breathing exercise is a four second inhale - four second hold - four second exhale - four second hold.

I've also found meditation, 5-10 minutes a day, hugely beneficial. I used to think that I couldn't meditate because my mind kept wandering. I've since learned that even those with years of experience meditating need to redirect their attention at times.

I'd recommend doing some research relating to these practices and trying to implement them for a week or so, while remaining attentive to how the practices are impacting your anxiety and stress.

Christopher M. recommends the following next steps:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfLuQ2arP48&ab_channel=TimFerriss
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Dana’s Answer

I would say find something or someone that makes you feel at ease. It's great to have a support system where you feel comfortable. Also, don't do things that you don't like! If you are not interested or if it's making you stressed, think about if it's gonna help you in the long run. If not, don't do it.
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Pro’s Answer

Decide on your main goal, & the actions that must be taken first, decline tasks that don't help achieve the goal, eliminate distractions to keep your focus, delegate/outsource everyday smaller tasks, take a break sometimes to improve your focus when continuing.
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