5 Underrated Coping Tools For When You Are Overwhelmed

5 Underrated Coping Tools For When You Are Overwhelmed

When things feel overwhelming the idea of stopping whatever you are trying to get done to manage it feels unrealistic.

You have people counting on.Things that have to get done. Expectations to meet.

For many folks that pressure has turned into a strategy to get things done. It has become the thing that helps you push through and get things done. And the idea of trying to change that feels scary because you have found ‘success’ by leaning into the overwhelm.

The goal isn't to take that away. It is to help you notice when relying on that pressure is pushing you past your limits and negatively impact other areas of your life - like your health and relationships.

These tools aren't about doing less for the sake of it. It's to protect your capacity so you can show up in a way that feels aligned for you.

1. Be intentional about where your energy goes.

It can be easy to fall into a rhythm that treats everything like it deserves 100% from you, but not everything requires or should get the same level of energy. Some days energy needs to be distributed differently.

Try asking:

• What would be "complete enough" for today?
• What needs my full attention right now?
• If I didn't give something my full attention today will a part of me regret it later?

The goal is direct your energy where it matters most instead of spreading it too thin. It will help you to create time for the things that keep your life meaningful - like being present with your partner at dinner, nailing the presentation at work, or joining the book club your friend has been asking you to join.

2. Get out of your head

When every task is living in your head, it can all feel urgent. Your brain is trying to help reduce the risk of you missing something by marking it all as high priority.

Try offloading what you're holding without any expectations:

• a running list in your notes app
• a quick voice memo between tasks
• writing everything down without organizing it

The goal isn't to immediately make sense of it all. It's to reduce the mental load so your brain isn't carrying everything at once. You can go back and look through the list when you have the capacity (or not).

3. Create a clear entry point

Overwhelm often comes from trying to hold the full scope of everything that needs to get done and keeping the focus on the big picture at all times.

Instead of constantly focusing on the end goal, ask:

• What's the next step?
• What is the priority for this morning/afternoon/evening/next hour?
• What would move this forward, even slightly?

You don't need to solve everything at once. You need a clear place to start so you can build momentum without getting stuck.

4. Reset physically

If your system is overwhelmed, you aren't going to be showing up as your best self. Thinking clearly, making decisions, and following through will all be impacted.

Pushing through will likely work in the short-term, but it usually comes at cost (even if it is down the road). Resets don’t have to be extremely time consuming or in depth.

When you feel overwhelm in your body try:

• stepping outside for a few minutes
• run cold water over your hands
• stretch, move, or change environments

Pausing to reset can feel like avoiding responsibility, but it's about giving your system what it needs so you can come back with more clarity and capacity.

5. Get specific about what's overwhelming right now

When everything feels like 'too much,' it's hard to know where to start. Since overwhelm usually has a specific source it can help to name it.

Try asking yourself:

• Is this a volume issue?
• Are there too many decisions?
• Is it the pressure to get it right?
• Do I feel responsible for how others will respond?
• Am I taking on things that others can handle?

When you identify where the strain is coming from it becomes something you can respond to, rather than something you just have to push through.

Final thoughts

If you are the person that keeps everything running and pushes through for everyone else, overwhelm doesn't always show up as falling apart. It often shows up as quiet exhaustion while everything still looks fine on the outside.

And if you rely on that pressure to stay on top of everything it will catch up to you. It may not feel like it is directly impacting your life in the moment, but for so many people they can clearly see the impact when they look back.

Need support in figuring out how to step back from that pressure? Therapy can help - schedule a free intro call to get started with someone from our team.