Resource · ~6 min read
Feeling overwhelmed.
In short
Feeling overwhelmed is the sense that there’s too much to cope with at once, so you freeze, rush or shut down. It usually comes from too many demands held in your head at the same time, plus thoughts that everything is urgent. What helps is steadying your body, writing everything down, sorting it, choosing one next action and removing at least one thing from the list.
Rose Markotic · Anxiety Skills Coach
Rose’s path here runs through more than a decade of clinical training and practice — graduate training at Santa Clara University and years inside Dr. David Burns’ TEAM-CBT group at Stanford, the home of the measurement-driven framework.
Why do I feel so overwhelmed?
Overwhelm tends to arrive when demands pile up faster than you can sort them: work, family, admin, a move, a health worry. Your mind tries to keep track of all of it at once and treats every item as urgent, so even small tasks feel impossible. It’s a common response to too much, not a sign you’re failing.
What to do when you feel overwhelmed
1. Steady your body first
Overwhelm is partly physical: a racing heart and shallow breath make every task look bigger. Breathe in for four and out for six or seven, five to ten times, before you try to decide anything.
2. Empty your head onto paper
Write down everything on your mind, big and small, without sorting it. Much of the feeling comes from trying to hold it all in your head at once. On paper, the list is almost always shorter than it felt.
3. Sort it into three piles
Go through the list and mark each item: must happen this week, can wait, or doesn't need to be me. Most people find the first pile is a fraction of the whole.
4. Pick one next action
From the first pile, choose one thing and write its very first step, small enough to start in the next ten minutes. Overwhelm freezes you; one concrete action unfreezes you.
5. Drop, delegate or delay one thing
Overwhelm usually means there genuinely is too much. Remove one item this week: say no, hand it over, or move the deadline. "Let me get back to you on the timing" buys space without conflict.
6. Watch the "I have to do everything" thought
Thoughts like "it all has to be done now" or "if I don't, everything will fall apart" feed the feeling. Ask what would really happen if one item waited a week.
Overwhelm, stress or burnout?
Overwhelm is the in-the-moment feeling of too much at once. Stress is the broader strain of demands over time. Burnout is what can follow when that strain goes on for months without recovery: exhaustion and a sense of having nothing left. If overwhelm has become your normal, see how to recover from burnout. If it shows up as putting everything off, see how to stop procrastinating. If it peaks on Sunday evenings, see the Sunday scaries; to wind down afterwards, see how to relax.
When to see a licensed professional
If you’ve felt overwhelmed most days for weeks, can’t function at work or home, have panic attacks, or have thoughts of harming yourself, please see your GP or a licensed professional. Coaching teaches skills; it isn’t a substitute for clinical care. The crisis resources page lists 24-hour lines for the UK and across Europe.
Frequently asked
Common questions
- What should I do when I feel overwhelmed?
- Slow your breathing first, then write everything on your mind onto paper. Sort it into must happen this week, can wait, and doesn't need to be me. Pick one small next action from the first pile, and remove at least one item by saying no, delegating or delaying.
- Why do I get overwhelmed so easily?
- Often because too many demands are being held in your head at once, and thoughts like "it all has to be done now" make every item feel urgent. Tiredness, stress and big life changes such as a move make it more likely.
- Is feeling overwhelmed a sign of burnout?
- Not on its own. Overwhelm is the feeling of too much at once and can pass quickly. If it has lasted for months and comes with exhaustion and a sense of having nothing left, it may be burnout.
- Can a coach help with feeling overwhelmed?
- Yes, with the practical and thinking side: sorting priorities, setting limits and testing the "everything is urgent" thoughts. Rose works online, in English, across the UK and Europe. The first 20-minute call is free.
Next step
One thing at a time.
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