We live in very different times right now. We don’t need to go into detail about the way things are in modern society at the moment, but things aren’t like they used to be. With a lot of differences aside, I think we can all agree that it is so easy to feel overwhelmed by the world.
Let’s be honest: it’s hard keeping up in life. We have so many different roles & responsibilities that we have in our own little bubbles. Personal life. Work Life. Social life. We have so many different lives and so many roles to fill, it feels like we’re not living as the star of our own movie. That feeling of not being in control isn’t a pretty one.
Not being in control of your life isn’t really the worst part. The worst part is trying to maintain yourself when you have so much going on. When life hits us hard, we react. Some of us choose to better ourselves in these times. But oftentimes, we find ourselves feeling mentally drained and anxious as we plunge into not so good habits that drift us away from our personal growth.
Whether that be not feeling motivated, feeling stressed & worried, or just feeling like you don’t have enough time on your hands, that all-consuming emotional distress that we feel is just our body’s natural response to dealing with stressful situations. It’s okay to feel these emotions. However, it is not okay to let these feelings take you away from your life & growth.
Life is like an onion. Weird analogy, but our lives sometimes need a few layers to be shaved off to get to the best part. What this means is that we need to observe things in our lives that cause us negative feelings and further explore why and how we react to these circumstances.
Today, we are going to figure out what actually triggers the feeling of being overwhelmed and how we can deal with it more efficiently. Taking out the negative feelings that we have on a daily basis will ultimately make our lives feel more enjoyable and abundant.
Stressed vs Overwhelmed
We need to start off by distinguishing the differences between stress and overwhelm. While the two are very similar, the feeling of being overwhelmed can be a result of stress. So let’s take a look at the two:
Stress
Stress is our body’s natural response to fear and survival. We feel stressed when we are put in our “fight or flight” mode.
Stress is caused by outside forces a majority of the time. Work, family, romance, and other life situations tend to stress us out, especially when fear is involved like hard financial situations or losing a job.
Life happens just as it should, and our bodies react. Stress is inevitable, but with the right amount of help, you can learn how to tame it.
Overwhelm
Now that we understand what stress is, we can further understand how it can build up & create a sense of overwhelmingness in our lives.
This terrible feeling comes when we feel like our stress outweighs our life. We feel like we have so much to do with so little time that it can put a heavy burden on us and our life goals.
When you have so much going on, it can be hard to relax and properly address the problems that are causing the stress. Not taming down your stress can result in it growing to a point where it takes over your life.
How Overwhelm Affects You
Stress and anxiety are two very common natural body reactions that we all know about or live with on a daily basis. Feeling overwhelmed is a hidden topic that doesn’t get enough attention.
With our fast-paced society, it’s become the new norm for us to do a million things at once. But for what cost?
We shouldn’t be stressed 24/7. Even though it is natural for us to feel anxiety, we shouldn’t have to live with it. For most people, continuous stress can cause:
Exhaustion
Trouble sleeping
High blood pressure
Digestive Issues
When we have stressful situations going on with us, our body gets put into a high-alert state. We suffer when the body is constantly put under stress as our nervous system takes over. Most people who are enduring constant stress can see how it affects their bodies differently.
When the body is always in a survival state, it can do numbers to our nervous system and further cause harm to our bodies. This is why it is so important to try to relieve yourself of your stress so your body can function optimally.
How to Eliminate Overwhelmingness
We have discovered the top 5 ways to decrease your stress and destroy that awful feeling of having too much on your plate.
Identify The Source
The first step is to figure out where your stress is coming from. Reflect on your life and see what areas are causing you to feel stressed. Whether that be your relationship, work, or social life, you must locate where your feelings are coming from in the first place so you can address them.
Create Your Change
Once you understand more about what the problem is, it’s time to see what you can do to help gain control over the situation. What changes can you make in your life to ease the situation?
For example: if you are stressed about finishing your tasks for the day, try planning your day ahead of time. Or wake up early to have more time in the day to complete your specific tasks. See what changes you can make that will help ease the situation and execute them.
Try a new habit for a few months and see how it manages your stress. You are not only relieving yourself of the mental fatigue caused from feeling overwhelmed but also adding a new habit in your lifestyle to improve yourself.
Exercise
Okay, look. We all have heard by now on how working out can be beneficial to your mental health. It seems pretty obvious at this point. But here’s the thing, are you actually exercising for your mental health?
If you already exercise on a frequent basis and still feel stressed, try using your workout sessions as a time to release your emotions and stress. When the body is put under heavy amounts of stress, it needs to be active.
If you are constantly laying down during a rut, try going for a walk outside or do some light cardio in your room. Whatever works for you, just make sure you are focusing on using your exercise as a time to let go and relax.
Feel Grateful
This one is a hidden gem to starting your day off right. When you wake up, write or think of what all you are grateful for. Sometimes, we let our crazy life schedule get in the way, so it is crucial to take the time to appreciate what you have and your place in life. Even if you are not happy with your life, taking the time to focus on what you are grateful for can boost your motivation and clear your mind.
Meditation
This is another one that is talked about a lot but not a lot of people try. They think meditation is this wacky fad that health gurus are pushing. This is not the case. Meditating at least 5 minutes a day can help clear the mind and put you back on track. Taking a few minutes of your day to relax and clear your head will help you process thoughts more clearly as well as boosting your attitude to be more present in your life. The more present you are, the more you don’t dwell on stress-causing forces outside of you.
Conclusion
The main takeaway from this article is not to show you ways to stop feeling stressed and overwhelmed, but to help you get started adding more positive habits to your life. Just try one of the things on the list for 3 weeks. Just do it everyday and see if it works. Dedicate yourself to it and the results will follow. Not only do these habits help manage stress, they also help you in all areas of your life. Take the time to better yourself and you will be rewarded with the happiest life imaginable.