Why am I Feeling Overwhelmed All the Time?

How often in life do we feel totally overwhelmed with all the demands on us? Stress can pile up fast when we experience these difficult chapters, finding us drowning in a sea of anxiety. If you are feeling overwhelmed all the time, these handy tips will help you manage those times of high stress.

Overwhelmed and Stressed Out

If high-stress levels have you experiencing mental health warning signals, you are not alone. The relentless demands of living in this fast-paced society can make us feel like we are overwhelmed all the time.

This is especially true for those who are of working age and raising kids. Juggling parenthood and career is hard enough, but add other stressors and it may even trigger a mental health crisis.

During times of high stress, it is always helpful to keep perspective. When we stop and realize that there are always others who have it worse than us, it can allow us to regroup. Sometimes, just taking time to prioritize your mental health and making some adjustments to your schedule will do the trick.

Is It Anxiety or Stress?

In some cases, the feeling of being overwhelmed all the time is a symptom of anxiety disorder. Stress is a transient condition that ebbs and flows with the demands of your life.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is a mental health condition that can persist even when stress levels are low. Anxiety disorder requires treatment to be able to manage the symptoms and improve daily functioning.

Here is a list of the various anxiety disorders:

• General anxiety disorder.
• Panic disorder.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Phobia
• Social anxiety.
• OCD

Each of these types of anxiety has its own unique symptom profile. Even so, here are some common features that all types of anxiety share:

• Feelings of excessive and irrational worry or fear.
• Feelings of dread or impending doom.
• Racing pulse.
• Shaking
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Sweating
• Hyperventilating
• Shortness of breath or holding your breath.
• Upset stomach or nausea.
• Feeling jumpy or restless
• Sleep problems.
• Short-term memory problems
• Trouble concentrating or mental confusion.

What is Burnout?

Burnout can be the end result of feeling totally overwhelmed all the time. It is caused by the physical and mental exhaustion that we experience after being under crazy stress for long periods. Work-life balance is totally out of kilter, and there is little time for self-care or pleasure.

What happens is that all that stress, and the feelings of being overwhelmed, causes you to finally shut down. After you reach that tipping point, you just don’t care anymore, and this often results in depression. Another reason is to stay on top of your mental health and not ignore signs of burnout or chronic stress.

10 Tips to Manage Feeling Overwhelmed

When you feel burdened with stress, there are some coping methods that can help you achieve a calmer state of mind. Consider these stress management tips:

1. Get active. Not only does it offer immense health benefits, but exercise is one of the most efficient ways to manage stress. Being active helps increase levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, which reduce stress levels.
2. Play relaxing Music. Having some soothing music playing in the background can do wonders for your state of mind. While listening, add some lavender essential oil to a diffuser to enhance the music’s soothing effects.
3. Deep breathing. When we feel stressed, our breathing becomes shallow, which deprives the brain of oxygen. Deep breathing techniques can reduce feelings of stress by reducing muscle tension, lowering blood pressure, and slowing the heart rate.
4. Mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness helps you cultivate a more calm state of mind by redirecting distracting thoughts to the present moment. Mindfulness helps rein in negative thoughts and worries and helps you focus on the here and now.
5. Yoga. Yoga is the practice of connecting mind and body through postures and movements while also concentrating on breathing. There are several types of yoga to try to help reduce stress and calm the mind.
6. Quality sleep. Getting good sleep is essential to your mental health. Create a healthy sleep routine, avoid rich meals after 7 pm, reduce caffeine intake, and put smartphones away before bedtime.
7. Help others. Want to take your mind off your troubles? Volunteer your time for helping others. Seek out a local charity you believe in and pitch in. Volunteering fills you with a sense of purpose while it distracts you from your own problems.
8. Meditation. Meditation helps you take a little break from daily chaos and stress and allows you to clear your mind. Meditation trains the mind to achieve a sense of peaceful serenity.
9. Keep a journal. Journaling provides immense mental health benefits. Keeping a journal offers a place to dump all the issues that might be causing stress and anxiety, while also assisting in processing the related emotions. Getting the thoughts out of the head on onto paper can help reduce stress.
10. Plant a garden. Not only is it fun to plant and nurture a garden, but it also gets you outside in the fresh air and sunshine. Watching your garden progress is very satisfying, and the sunshine helps produce vitamin D. All of these are great for your mental health.

When to Seek Professional Help for Feeling Overwhelmed All the Time

If you find that you are not responding to the relaxation techniques above, it is time to visit a therapist. Chances are you are struggling with anxiety, and if so psychotherapy and group therapy are excellent treatment modalities. In some cases, anti-anxiety meds can further assist you in managing those times when you feel overwhelmed. Go ahead and seek out the help you need and deserve to live a better life.

LifeSync Malibu for Residential Mental Health Treatment

LifeSync Malibu offers primary mental health and dual diagnosis treatment within a luxury holistic setting. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and anxious, please reach out to our team today at (866) 491-4426.