How to stop feeling overwhelmed: 7 expert tips

Sometimes, when we go about our day and life in general, even the most frivolous of issues touch parts of us and make us lose our calm or balance. Whether it’s a dream you have, a milestone you want to hit, or something challenging at work, it’s natural to feel off-balance. Feeling overwhelmed isn’t just limited to the sad events of the day. Eve the good moments can drag us to the state of overwhelm. When we lose our inner balance, it gets tedious to ace tasks in hand, personal or professional, as we can lose the logical ability of the mind to witness things from a larger picture. If you are someone who struggles with feeling overwhelmed constantly, read on.

How to deal with feeling overwhelmed?

When you feel constantly overwhelmed in life, it is bound to take a toll on your mental health. Before you get to that point in life, follow these tips suggested by clinical psychologist Kamna Chhibber to stop feeling overwhelmed all the time.

1. Break up tasks into small, achievable units

The reason why most people procrastinate is because they always look at the one big end goal, and not the journey that takes them closer to their dreams. For instance, you dream of having that perfectly shaped body just like someone you know closely. You are standing at zero percent and you are eyeing a hundred percent. That vision will never bring you any good because every day you will procrastinate thinking that your goal is unattainable, considering where you are right now.

So, break your big dreams or tasks into small units that are doable every single day to not feel overwhelmed.

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2. Say “no” to multitasking

Refrain from multi-tasking so that you focus on one thing at a time, says the expert. When we multi-task, we give our limited energy to finite activities in hand, acing none at all. So, to avoid getting overwhelmed, focus on one task at a time, and then jump on to another.

3. Be a bit lenient with the timelines

Review the timelines you set for yourself and ensure that you are not too stringent about the same,” suggests Kamna Chhibber. When we are too hard on ourselves with the time deadlines, failing to achieve so will leave us feeling overwhelmed. So, don’t be hard on yourself, and be okay with taking some more time to perform the task to the best of your abilities.

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4. Do contingency planning

Do contingency planning to be able to accommodate when things don’t work out in the best way and if additional time needs to be dedicated. That will help you control feeling overwhelmed in any given situation. You will avoid panic and things would go smoothly.

5. Work on your inner critic

Work on the negative thought patterns and correct irrational patterns such as maximising worst-case scenarios in mind, having tunnel vision, and not looking at all the evidence, to name a few.

6. Engage in relaxing techniques

If you have an anxious personality, it is best to regularly engage in relaxing techniques like yoga, meditation, deep breathing, etc. Your stress levels will curb, and you ll be better equipped to deal with stressful situations calmly.

7. Seek support

Discuss and seek support from family and/or friends to build perspective and not allow situations to build up for yourself.