Copyright © 2022 Lee Spirit 

Do you ever go through a period of slowness…Like not much is happening, and then all of the sudden, everything is happening, and you feel overwhelmed by it all? That’s how it’s been for me lately. Things are getting a little hectic, and the only thing I can do is practice the things I preach right here in my blog posts – Mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and being out in nature. A regular practice of these things can really calm the nervous system, and prevent the feeling that your head is about to explode. So let’s get into how to stop feeling overwhelmed by life so you can get on with things and stay productive…

Step 1 – How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed By Life – Stepping Away

First of all, you have to be able to step back and away from all the things on your plate. If you can’t step away from the insanity, you must learn to do so, or you’ll get further and further into the abyss of overwhelm. Stepping away allows you to get a fresh perspective on things – a bird’s eye view of everything that’s going on, and how you feel about it. It also gives you some much-needed space to clear your mind and your energy centres in the body so you can see more clearly. It neutralizes, calms, and balances your nervous system so you can recharge and return to work and life in a productive way.

Stepping away can be anything different than the tasks you feel you need to accomplish right now. It can be a short 20-30 minute walk around the neighbourhood. One of my favourite ways to recharge is opening a great uplifting book that raises my energy. Perhaps like me, you might enjoy going for a kayak, as in this peaceful photo out on the calming waters. The key is to do something completely different than your tasks at hand, or to go somewhere where you can’t work overtime.

Step 2 – Stopping Your Feelings of Overwhelm – Move, or Don’t Move

If you want to know how to stop feeling overwhelmed by life, make sure you do the opposite of what you normally do. For instance, I’m quite physically active, and it’s a part of my daily routine to incorporate exercise into my daily life. While this is usually a healthy thing, there’s so much going on lately that I have been exhausted. I need to take a break from exercise, listen to my body, and just do what it’s asking for – rest!

It’s important to listen to your body, so if normally you don’t get much exercise, it’s time to get active! Regular exercise, even if it’s light, will give you more energy, even if you feel like you don’t have any energy to exercise. The key to most things in life is that you have to make it a regular practice. The energy will come with consistency. It may be yoga, walking, hiking, biking, skiing, kayaking, dancing. Whatever lights you up, gives you energy, and makes you happy, do that! You can’t expect to get energy from running if you hate running. Do something you love, and the energy will rise up from your soul.

Step 3 – How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed By Life – Meditate & Be Still

Stepping away, and doing some physical activity is great for your health and wellbeing, but it’s also important to regularly practice meditation and being still. For the same reasons, both exercise and taking time to be still are important for improving your ability to remain calm in the face of calamity. If you haven’t yet tried one of my free guided meditations, Click Here To Relieve Stress Now!

The benefits of regular meditation are enumerable. Here is a great way to start your meditation practice: Meditation in Nature: Benefits, Types, and How To Begin. The key to meditation, other than consistency, is to breathe. Awareness of your breath will take you away from your problems and will create a neutral space where creative solutions can arise.

Step 4 – Remembering Gratitude & Gratefulness As a Way To Stop Overwhelm

Once you get into that meditative space, there is an ocean of answers and creativity that will arise for you. It’s a great neutral space to also give thanks for your many blessings. Being grateful for everything you already have is a great reminder that you are more than okay, and you have everything you need in this moment. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember what you do have. I always give thanks for my health, my job, my home, my freedom, my friends, my family…Even feeling gratitude for the flowers that bloom in the Spring, the summer sunshine, the ability to take a vacation, and the fact that I can breathe. Maybe it’s that cup of coffee in the morning. Focusing more on the present moment will calm your nerves about other things that overwhelm you.

Step 5 – How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed By Life – Have a Good Giggle

When life gets intense, one of the best remedies is always laughter. Don’t forget to see the humour in all things – We’re only here for a short time, so may as well enjoy life, look for the good, and laugh at life’s absurdities. When was the last time you laughed out loud? Go on, share a good giggle with a friend! It will make you feel so much better and will help you see the lighter side of life. I need to heed my own medicine here – Don’t take life so seriously! Have some fun!

Step 6 – Remember You Don’t Have To Do Everything Yourself – Share the Load

Another thing I’m guilty of is feeling like I need to do everything myself. I don’t like to ask for help, and like to keep really busy with multiple tasks on the go. It’s hard to ask someone else to help you out when you’re overloaded when you actually like to be busy! However, remember that if you get to a point where your head might explode like I was feeling this week, you might want to divvy out the duties to a few others who might be able to help with the overload.

Step 7 – How To Stop Feelings of Overwhelm in Life – Planning and List Making

When you’re feeling overloaded, it’s hard to get things straight in your mind. You have a million things swirling around your head, so one of the best ways to overcome this overwhelm is just simply writing a task list. It may seem like just one more thing you have to do. However, it can really help you prioritize what has to get done, and what can wait a little while. Cross things off as you complete them to give yourself a sense of accomplishment. Make a plan of how you want things to proceed. Talk it out with a colleague or friend if it helps.

Step 8 – Engage in More Mindless Tasks

There are so many things you can do to stop feeling overwhelmed by life, but I’ll leave you with one last tip. That is to just try doing something that doesn’t take so much brain power. Sometimes doing more repetitive tasks can ease the feeling of overwhelm. If I’m feeling that way, I like to clean the house, do the dishes, take out the garbage, or fold the laundry. It gives my mind a breather and calms the nervous system down so I can get back to what I need to do with a fresh mind.

If you’ve found these tips beneficial, I encourage you to keep this list in front of you – Post it on a mirror, your fridge, or at work as a reminder of what to do when life gets out of control for you. It will help bring you back to what’s important, and the value you can offer to the world.

Lee Spirit is an avid outdoors adventurer with a love for nature, photography, health & fitness, wellness, and spirituality. She helps those who suffer from anxiety & negative thinking to become healthier in mind-body-spirit. Her own personal journey has led her to the  study and practice of mindfulness, health, wellness, yoga, spirituality, sound healing, meditation, and personal development for over 20 years. Get mindfulness, meditation, and personal development tips in her Free Natural Mind Healing Report.