Why am I so easily overwhelmed? Causes and useful techniques

Life's hectic — you’ve got professional and personal obligations, plus hobbies you care about and dreams you’re pursuing. It’s no wonder you feel overwhelmed sometimes. 

But you might wonder, is everyone else feeling the same way? You could be experiencing negative thoughts, self-doubt, and poor well-being, which might make you wonder, “Why am I easily overwhelmed?” 

Don’t worry — it’s not just you. Approximately 73% of Americans say stress affects their mental health. But by learning what causes you to feel overwhelmed, the consequences, and how to deal with it, you can take control back. 

What does it mean to feel overwhelmed?

When you feel overwhelmed, you're overcome by emotions because something feels too stressful or hard to handle. Your emotional response, often combined with a physical reaction, inhibits your ability to think clearly or plan how to handle a situation.

The physical reaction often feels similar to stress and anxiety — shallow breath, chest pressure, a racing heartbeat, sweating, etc. Or, you might shut down, trying not to think about stressors — like a meeting or job interview — to avoid feeling overwhelmed. 

This experience often stems from feeling like things are out of your control — like life’s happening to you and you’re not an active agent. You have too many emails, social events, or obligations, and the mountain of things feels impossible to tackle.

Feeling overwhelmed also often causes procrastination. You see the mountain of tasks in front of you and think you can’t handle them, so don’t work on any of them. 

Why do you feel overwhelmed?

Feelings are personal — why you experience overwhelm likely differs from others. 

It takes self-awareness to tune into your stressors and how they make you feel. Noting what triggers your overwhelm is the first step to removing certain types of stress from your life or learning how to handle them better. 

Stress isn’t always a bad thing. The positive form of stress is called eustress (as opposed to distress), and it’s a feeling that helps you stay motivated and focused and perform to the peak of your abilities. But when stress causes you to feel overwhelmed and impacts your well-being, it’s worth pinpointing and reducing the cause. 

Here are four causes of emotional overwhelm to consider:

1. Too many tasks and responsibilities

Life is full and complex — you have professional roles and responsibilities, personal obligations, passions, and hobbies. But sometimes, you might take on too much, and the never-ending task list will make you shut down. 

A conflict between your professional and personal life can also result in emotional overload. Things like covering during a coworker’s vacation time while managing grad school activities, or leading a high-visibility project at work while trying to support a family member, might be too much. 

2. Life changes

You’ll experience plenty of change throughout your life — it’s the only constant. Sometimes change is exciting and positive, but it can also be overwhelming. Moving to a new city, starting a new job, or returning to school are big shifts. These new situations might make you feel overwhelmed. 

3. Traumatic events

Undergoing trauma is always overwhelming, and remembering those traumatic events often triggers this overwhelm. Losing loved ones, being in an accident, or natural disasters are examples of traumatic events.

4. Fearful situations

You fear things for a reason. Situations like public speaking or being in large crowds can create overwhelming feelings because you think you can’t handle these situations. Avoiding your fears is also common, which might make you feel less prepared when confronted by them.

4 consequences of emotional overwhelm

Being overwhelmed isn't something you should ignore. The consequences will impact your mental health, physical health, mood, and daily habits. Perhaps you thought you were free once you overcame that moment of overwhelm. But just as stress can have long-term impacts on your health and wellness, so does feeling overwhelmed repeatedly.

Here are four consequences of emotional overwhelm:

1. Difficulty taking care of yourself: When you focus on what's overwhelming you, you sometimes have trouble taking care of yourself. You could forget things like making a doctor's appointment or making time to practice self-care.

2. Lower ability to think rationally: Overstimulation brought on by fears or stressors can take over your mind. As a result, you can’t process things rationally or think critically. This can lead to procrastination or seeing something as more complicated than it is and giving up. 

3. Negative impacts on your social life: Feeling overwhelmed by things in life might lead to loneliness or social isolation. You might not socialize with friends or family because adding another item to your list is just too much. 

4. Increased fatigue: It’s exhausting to be constantly overwhelmed. Being so tense and stressed drains your energy and makes you feel sluggish and unmotivated.

These mental health issues can worsen your feelings of overwhelm

Other co-existing health issues often contribute to one feeling overwhelmed. Here are six common mental health conditions that either contribute to feelings of overwhelm or make you less able to function effectively under pressure and stress:

1. Anxiety disorders: Anxiety disorders can cause panic attacks when you feel overwhelmed. They also contribute to feelings of being on edge, difficulties concentrating on tasks, and sleep problems.
2. Depression: When you're depressed, you experience lower energy levels. This worsens any overwhelming feelings because you don't have the energy or motivation to overcome these emotions. Additionally, you might feel pessimistic and helpless while trying to manage your emotions.
3. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Trauma is one of the main causes of overwhelm, and PTSD can cause you to relive traumas, becoming a recurring source of stress and anxiety.
4. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): ADHD symptoms amplify difficulties staying motivated and focused when you feel overwhelmed. They can also cause you to forget deadlines and struggle with organizational methods.
5. Anxious attachment: When you become attached to specific people or routines, you struggle when you're apart from them and begin to feel uncomfortable. Self-esteem lowers, and self-doubt rises.
6. Borderline personality disorder: Borderline personality disorder can influence your mood, values, goals, and behaviors, making you overwhelmed easily. 

If you struggle with any of the above conditions, consider reaching out to a mental health professional for support. They’ll help you navigate the underlying conditions that amplify your feelings of overwhelm and other symptoms.

How to deal with overwhelm at work

Workplace mental health is important to prioritize so employees feel healthy, happy, and prepared to ask for help when necessary. A study found that in 2021, around 66% of surveyed Americans mentioned mental health struggles to someone at work.

Feeling overwhelmed at work interferes with productivity, workplace satisfaction, and how much you learn.

But try some of the following strategies to see if any reduce the frequency and intensity at which you experience overwhelm. 

1. Learn to say “No”: If you find it difficult or scary to say “No" to events or projects, even when you know your plate’s too full, think about the consequences of once again accepting more than you can handle.

   Think about what you’re actually saying “No” to, whether that’s going to bed early or getting in a workout when you say “Yes” to something else. Disappointing someone by saying “No” can feel scary, but overwhelming yourself trying to deliver what you promised isn’t the best alternative.

2. Stop all-or-nothing thinking: Prioritize tasks and responsibilities and scale efforts to match. Not everything needs or deserves your full attention, and often completion is more important than perfection.

3. Delegate: Just because a project needs to be done doesn’t mean it has to be done by you. Consider whether you’re the best, or only, person for the task. If not, delegate the responsibility to take something off your plate. 

4. Accept your feelings: Sometimes you’ll feel even more overwhelmed when you’re also embarrassed or disappointed in yourself for your reaction and inability to “just deal with it.” Denying the validity of your feelings only makes you feel more stressed and unhappy.

   Prioritize positive thinking and be proud when you slow down and show care for yourself.

5. Try meditation: When you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re unbalanced, and your life seems destined for chaos, meditation and other mindfulness exercises can help you return to a place of tranquility.

   They do so by turning your attention inward, easing tension in the body, and clearing your mind. Once you regain your calm, you’ll be better prepared to handle whatever life throws at you.

Learn to control overwhelm so it doesn’t control you

Feeling overwhelmed is normal, and stressing about it only makes it worse. Instead, with your new understanding of this experience, you’ll be able to stay motivated to work on stress management techniques and avoid overwhelming yourself. 

Practicing progressive muscle relaxation methods, questioning your inner critic to let go of perfectionism, and saying “No” can all help you develop a new relationship with this feeling.