Feeling Overwhelmed?

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Feeling like there's too many things to do in the limited amount of time that you have to do them? Or maybe you have a huge task ahead of you (possibly multiple huge tasks) and are just finding that it (or they) is/are just getting on top of you both mentally and physically?
Well whilst it may sound a bit flippant to say don't worry, this feeling of being overwhelmed can cease to exist if you are able to cope with it.

There is a large quantity of people who feel overwhelmed on a regular basis and others that get it from time-to-time, but at one point or another everybody comes to know the feeling of being overwhelmed. Feeling overwhelmed in a seemingly overwhelming situation is not a pleasant experience and can lead not only to hindrance and avoidance but also procrastination and sometimes slight depression. If you are someone who gets worked up in these somewhat stressful situations or/and are unable to remain calm then my previous post 'How to Remain Calm in a Stressful Situation' may be of use to you. :)

Different people will be able to handle life experiences differently from others. There are those who can pile task after task onto their plate and still be firing on all cylinders. Then there are those who feel overwhelmed at some of the most simple of things. These are two different extremes on the scale to how people cope. Depending what type of person you are will determine where-bouts you fit on the scale. Remember though that people do handle situations differently to others, so if you are finding a situation easy whilst another is finding it overwhelming, don't belittle them about it because in another scenario that could be you.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when you feel overwhelmed or are getting into that state of mind.

1. Why am I Overwhelmed?

On the surface this seems like a seemingly simple question and 95% of the time you are going to be able to answer it. Sometimes though there are those times (5%) when you honestly have no idea to why you are feeling things are too much. Ask yourself this and really think about the root cause to this horrible feeling. Once you know the answer you can move on to the next questions.

2. Is it Really that Important?

Once you've figured out what's making you feel overwhelmed, now ask yourself whether it's really that important to be feeling this way. If its not then don't worry about it (easier said than done I know), if it is I'm not saying that you should feel stressed but that you should have an awareness to what actually is important enough to maybe warrant stress or anxiety. It's dealing with stress and anxiety that is the trickier problem.

3. Are you really Overwhelmed?

This may sound like an odd question because if you are feeling overwhelmed why should you ask yourself if you are actually overwhelmed? Well, often we can feel like we have too much on our plate and that we're too busy but actually when you look closer you can see that you aren't really that busy and haven't got as much as first seemed. This is as we can still feel busy even when we haven't got that much to do. So taking this closer look will reveal what does need to be done and how much time it will take. Often once you just get on and start you will find that there isn't that much to do and that you can manage perfectly fine.

4. Am I Alone

It's very easy to feel alone when feeling overwhelmed as you are the only one going through that emotion. However this isn't to say that you are alone. There are often people who you can turn to in these situations not only for advice about how to go about dealing with the situation but also for some practical assistance. It's having people like these to turn to that can turn the situation into something much more manageable. 

Conclusion

When you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed or when you are overwhelmed, try asking yourself these questions to help you look at the situation in a clearer fashion. Feel free to ask yourself other questions that you feel would help you cope with the feeling of being overwhelmed. Just remember that when you are overwhelmed that other people have gone through the same emotions and that you can help yourself get through these experiences.