Lower Your Anxiety and Stress
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“I feel overwhelmed. I am behind on a work assignment. I took on another assignment to earn some extra money. But Sharon is about to have a baby, and I’m working on finishing the baby’s room. I found mold under one of the walls and had to have that fixed. I’m upset that I've regained all the weight I lost. I’m not eating right or exercising. What should I do?”
When you feel overwhelmed, the first step is to create a to-do list and break down each task into smaller, more manageable parts. It is important to “box up” each problem. Here, you separate the problems and focus on resolving THEM one at a time. Work on seeing each issue as separate from the others. Resolution is the goal, so putting everything together into one cauldron doesn’t work. That’s why you’re feeling overwhelmed.
How Did This Happen?
An important question is how this happened—what could you have done to avoid being overwhelmed? When you look at the problems, you should reflect on what you did wrong to get where you are.
It’s easy to say yes when you should be saying no. You need to set boundaries and not commit to things that aren’t essential. What is important and what is not? You are one person. Unless you have someone to delegate tasks to, you should reflect on the problems and recognize what you shouldn’t have taken on. In the example above, my client took on more work to increase his earnings. Making more money is great, but is now the right time to take on the extra work? You are having a baby! What else could be more important than that? It is essential to prioritize the issues and let go of those you cannot. You should also assess how hard it is to resolve certain issues.
It’s All About Anxiety and Stress
Being overwhelmed creates anxiety and stress. It is this feeling of stress that is behind your feeling overwhelmed. This is about lowering anxiety. What else can you do? Deep breathing is easy, and meditation can alleviate feelings of stress and anxiety. Talking about what is on your plate is also helpful. When you talk to someone about your feelings of anxiety and why you are feeling stressed, you have the opportunity to hear what another person may do to address the problems. This is a classic example of “two heads are better than one.” Talk to someone you trust, like your spouse or therapist, and brainstorm to find solutions.
Self-Care
Proper self-care is essential to avoid anxiety and stress. Make sure you are taking care of yourself physically. When people feel overwhelmed, they tend to forget about doing things they love and only focus on their anxiety and stress. When you begin finding solutions to your problems one by one, your anxiety lessens, and your stress begins to subside.
Another issue is how quickly everything starts to blend together. Work, home, health, finances—it all becomes one problem in your mind. When that happens, it feels unmanageable. Separating each issue and dealing with them individually is what brings the intensity down.
Slow It Down
It’s also important to slow your thinking down. When you’re overwhelmed, your mind moves fast, jumping from one concern to the next. That speed creates more anxiety. Writing things down and organizing your thoughts forces you to slow the process and think more clearly.
People also tend to focus on everything that isn’t done. That keeps you under constant pressure. Instead, shift some attention to what you have completed. Progress, even little progress, reduces the sense of being stuck.
Another common mistake is trying to solve everything at once. That approach doesn’t work. Pick one task, complete it, and then move to the next. Momentum builds from action, not from thinking about everything at once.
Stop Avoiding What Feels Uncomfortable
There’s also a tendency to avoid tasks that feel difficult or uncomfortable. The longer you avoid them, the more they build up in your mind. Addressing even a small part of that task can reduce the anxiety tied to it.
Please also watch your internal dialogue. When you tell yourself, “I can’t handle this,” or “this is too much,” your body reacts accordingly. That kind of thinking increases stress. Shifting to something more grounded, like “I’ll handle one thing at a time,” can lower the intensity.
Control Freak?
Another factor is control. When you feel overwhelmed, it often seems like everything is beyond your control. Focus on what you can control in the moment. Even small actions—sending one email, making one call—can restore a sense of control.
It’s also helpful to build in short breaks. When you push yourself without stopping, your stress level continues to rise. Taking a few minutes to reset can improve your focus and make the next task easier to handle.
Sleep and nutrition also play a role. When you’re overwhelmed, these are often the first things to slip. That makes everything harder. Getting enough rest and eating regularly support your ability to think clearly and manage stress.
Finally, understand that feeling overwhelmed is often a signal, not a failure. It’s telling you that something needs to change—your workload, your expectations, or your boundaries. When you respond to that signal appropriately, you reduce the likelihood of ending up in the same place again. To learn more, read Anxiety and Worry and Becoming Mindful.