Modern life is full of overloads:

  • You need to do a lot of work at work
  • Engage in personal projects
  • Deal with life changes
  • Face your fears
  • Spend time with your loved ones.

When everything is piling on us at once and the brain gets too much stimulation, there is a condition that is usually called nervous overload or overwhelm. Sometimes in this state, you just need to calm yourself down and get rid of the stressors.

Psychologists talk about calming down, similar to lulling a crying baby. This is when one of the parents takes him in his arms, gently stroking and rocking him, pressing him to his chest. When we are at the limit, very annoyed and literally ready to cry, we need to calm ourselves down. You need to gently pull yourself together and listen to your quiet inner voice.

But sometimes the system crashes, and there is a sense of emergency. Today we tell you what to do if there is too much.

What Can Be Done About The Overwhelm Right Now?

One in fourteen adults in the UK experiences stress and negative emotions every day, according to recent statistics. To help you sort out your thoughts, many clinics have created patient portals. Frequently asked questions can be found there.

If you are one of those highly sensitive people, follow our simple advice.

Get rid of mental garbage

Nowadays, we receive information from social networks, news, emails, and notifications on our smartphones. All this overloads unnecessary information and takes away resources for critical tasks.

If you have some feelings of overwhelm, designate for yourself a period of time during which you will not be distracted. This will help you clear your mind and complete the task, which will significantly reduce stress levels. Start with a half hour and work your way up to two hours.

Breathe with your stomach

Imagine a balloon in your stomach that inflates with each inhalation and deflates on exhalation. You can adjust your deep breathing and relax by repeating the exercise several times.

How To Deal With Overwhelm In The Long Run

When you feel that you are becoming overwhelmed, you can follow five simple steps.

1. Press pause

Forget about colleagues and reports, stop reminding yourself about upcoming tasks. Just take a break. This works both during an emergency and in a situation when you are headlong pursuing the desired goal. When a nervous overload occurs, you should stop, and not continue the race. Don’t try to catch up everywhere and redo everything. Slow down.

2. Focus on the next step

When you catch your breath, you can start acting again. Ask yourself which item on your to-do list will bring you satisfaction.

What can you spend your energy on now and feel that you have moved forward?

Select this item and forget everything else for a certain period of time. Don’t try to do multiple tasks at once. When you complete the current task, reflect on what you have achieved and be happy about it. The key point is to get rid of perfectionism.

3. Drop negative thoughts

When we are in a state of nervous overload, a variety of thoughts rush through our heads. They should be discarded if you want peace of mind. Concentrate on a single task instead of letting your mind wander.

4. Pay attention not to the content of thoughts, but to the behavior of consciousness

The content of thoughts is constantly changing, so it’s pointless to fight it. And when anxiety creeps, instead of struggling with the content of thoughts, try to pay attention to the behavior of consciousness. When it is full of anxiety or excitement, various unpleasant images inevitably arise in the head, and we feel nervous overstrain.

When the mind calms down, these obsessive images fade away. Stopping for a moment and seeing that the flow of anxious thoughts originates in a restless, overloaded consciousness, we begin to perceive everything differently. Listen to yourself and look for ways to improve your condition. Then anxiety will be replaced by peace.

By making a relaxing playlist or taking a hot bath, you can be your own psychotherapist. Remember that our mental and physical health are intimately connected. It takes a healthy one to heal the other.

5. Show yourself leniency

Often attempts to deal with everything at once lead to the fact that nothing works out because you feel overstressed and helpless. You should be more lenient with yourself at such times: do the best you can. This way you will achieve greater success than if you forced yourself to finish everything you had planned.

If it’s difficult to determine what to do next, you can use Descartes Square. This is a popular technique for decision-making without stress, doubt, or overwhelm.

If you want to avoid stressful situations that could ruin your mood or productivity, then you can also make an appointment with a mental health specialist. Nowadays, a therapist can help you remotely using practice management software.