What Does It Mean to Feel Overwhelmed?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSigns and SymptomsReasons Why You May Feel OverwhelmedCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Signs and Symptoms

Reasons Why You May Feel Overwhelmed

Coping

Do you feel like you have so much going on that you’re struggling to cope with it all? Or, are you going through something stressful that’s making it difficult for you to function? These are some of the signs of being overwhelmed.

Everyone feels overwhelmed from time to time and it is a completely normal response to everydaystressors, says Dr. Romanoff. Stress can sometimes be helpful, because it fires up your system and helps you be more productive.However, being chronically stressed out and constantly feeling overwhelmed can take a toll on your mental and physical health.

This article explores the symptoms and causes of feeling overwhelmed, as well as some coping strategies that may be helpful.

Get Help NowWe’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

Get Help Now

We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

Signs and Symptoms of Being Overwhelmed

These are some of the signs that you’re overwhelmed, according to Dr. Romanoff:

Being chronically stressed and overwhelmed can lead to physical and mental health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity,depression, anxiety, and addiction.

A precipitating stressor, an unexpected event, or poor mental health can cause you to feel overwhelmed, says Dr. Romanoff. She explains that you may also feel overwhelmed if a series of stressors accumulate and pile up on you. A lack of coping skills can also exacerbate symptoms.

These are some of the common triggers that can cause you to feel overwhelmed, according to Dr. Romanoff:

Having a mental health condition such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) might predispose a person to feeling overwhelmed, says Dr. Romanoff.

5 Effects of Stress on the Brain

Coping With Being Overwhelmed

Below, Dr. Romanoff shares some strategies that can help youcope, if you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Change Your Perspective

Take a step back from your thought processes. Recognize and accept how you are feeling and the situation you are in. Stop the vicious emotional cycle ofrumination.

Do what you can to get some perspective on the situation. You can try taking a break from the situation, going for a walk, changing your environment, speaking to a friend, or taking a few deep breaths.

Seek out resources to help you solve the problem. This could mean asking for help, doing something to recalibrate your perspective, or approaching the problem from a different angle.

The Best Online Therapy for Anxiety, Tried and Tested

Challenge Your Assumptions

When we’re overwhelmed, we tend to letirrational thoughtsand fears guide us, instead of being logical. For instance, if you’re going through a break-up, you may worry about what people may think about you, or you may stress about being single and ending up alone.

It can be helpful to identify illogical assumptions and articulate them, so you can examine them in the light of day and see that they don’t necessarily hold true. You can try writing them down in a journal or voicing them out loud to someone you trust.

We Tried 100+ Therapy Services and Apps—And These Are the 8 Best for Online CBT

Seek Support

Reach out to yoursocial support network. Your friends, family, and colleagues may be able to offer advice, support, and a different perspective.

Accept the help of your loved ones and let them be there for you. Even just talking to supportive people in your life can help you feel safer and more validated in the context of the stressor.

Try Mindfulness Exercises

Mindfulnesscan be very helpful when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Grounding techniques like the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise use your senses to connect you to your environment and help you get out of the chaos of your mind.

This exercise can help you calm down and step away from the overwhelming thoughts and emotions you’re experiencing. You can use it to take a break and then reapproach the issue later from a fresh perspective.

The 7 Best Meditation Apps of 2024

See a Therapist

Therapycan help you develop the skills you need to manage feelings of being overwhelmed. It also can help you understand why you tend to have this strong response to stressors, particularly if you have a history of feeling overwhelmed.

Therapy can also help you find ways to increaseconfidencethrough competence, both of which positively reinforce each other—the more competent you are, the more confident you feel, and vice versa.

The Best Online Therapy Services for Depression We Tried and Tested

A Word From Verywell

If you’re dealing with something stressful, you may start to feel overwhelmed and have difficulty coping. You may find yourself ruminating over the problem constantly and feeling frozen orparalyzed. You may even start to feel sick and experience other physical symptoms.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can be helpful to take a break from the issue, get some perspective on it, talk to your loved ones about it, and then come back to it when you’re feeling better. Therapy can also be a source of support that can help you understand your reaction and develop coping skills to deal with it.

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dhabhar FS.The short-term stress response–mother nature’s mechanism for enhancing protection and performance under conditions of threat, challenge, and opportunity.Front Neuroendocrinol. 2018;49:175-192. doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.03.004Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: A review.EXCLI Journal. 2017;16:1057. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480Harvard Business School.How to deal with constantly feeling overwhelmed.Harvard Business Review.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Manage stress.Harvard Medical School.Understanding the stress response.Harvard Health Publishing.

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dhabhar FS.The short-term stress response–mother nature’s mechanism for enhancing protection and performance under conditions of threat, challenge, and opportunity.Front Neuroendocrinol. 2018;49:175-192. doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.03.004Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: A review.EXCLI Journal. 2017;16:1057. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480Harvard Business School.How to deal with constantly feeling overwhelmed.Harvard Business Review.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Manage stress.Harvard Medical School.Understanding the stress response.Harvard Health Publishing.

Dhabhar FS.The short-term stress response–mother nature’s mechanism for enhancing protection and performance under conditions of threat, challenge, and opportunity.Front Neuroendocrinol. 2018;49:175-192. doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.03.004Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: A review.EXCLI Journal. 2017;16:1057. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480Harvard Business School.How to deal with constantly feeling overwhelmed.Harvard Business Review.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Manage stress.Harvard Medical School.Understanding the stress response.Harvard Health Publishing.

Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: A review.EXCLI Journal. 2017;16:1057. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480

Harvard Business School.How to deal with constantly feeling overwhelmed.Harvard Business Review.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Manage stress.

Harvard Medical School.Understanding the stress response.Harvard Health Publishing.

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?

Get Help Now#

Signs and Symptoms of Being Overwhelmed#

Coping With Being Overwhelmed#

Change Your Perspective#

Challenge Your Assumptions#

Seek Support#

Try Mindfulness Exercises#

See a Therapist#

A Word From Verywell#