When You Feel Overwhelmed

For some of you, looking at this picture gave you a physical sensation in your body. Maybe you experienced some anxiety because, after all, anxiety manifests itself in the body. You may have felt your muscles tighten and a swirling in your stomach. You may have even had to turn away for a moment by scrolling up, so the picture wasn’t in view.

What is Anxiety?

For those who consistently have overwhelming feelings, it may be anxiety. Anxiety is that uneasy feeling you feel when you have some type of fear or worry – big or small. We all have anxiety to some degree. Think about the last time you had a test to take and realized you hadn’t studied because you had other responsibilities, like work or playing a team sport. It wasn’t because you were lazy, you were busy! And then you realized you have that test coming up, and you begin to feel tension in your body. That uneasiness feeling serves a good purpose – to help you begin saying no to other things so that you can have the time you need to study.

On the other hand, if you notice you have a headache and your mind begins to race and lead down the path of catastrophizing with a life-threatening illness, it can feel like you are no longer in the driver’s seat. It can seem as if Tigger has taken over the wheel of your mind slinging you all over the place on a bumpy ride that leaves you exhausted and drained, unable to focus, and worried that your worries will never end. Your fears are intense and all-consuming. You might even start to avoid places and/or people.

When you notice a pervasive sense of intense and persistent worry or fear coupled with bodily signs such as a fast heartrate, increased breathing, or sweating, you may have an unhealthy level of anxiety that requires the help of a professional. And this can come from a variety of sources like medication or a medical condition, past trauma, stress, family background of anxiety disorders, or the misuse of substances – just to name a few. There is no one size fits all.

What Can I Do?

The bad news is that anxiety produces more anxiety, and you can end up training your brain to look for more anxiety. Unfortunately, you can’t think your way out of it. The good news is that in same way that you can train your brain to be anxious, you can also train your brain to be able to self-regulate your nervous system and bring back into a feeling of safety. Now, remember what I stated earlier, the goal is not to have no anxiety. The goal is to be able to have a healthy level of anxiety that prompts us to take action and then have it resolve.

Pervasive and intense anxiety usually requires the help of a doctor or therapist. If you find that you are feeling overwhelmed from the symptoms of anxiety, here are some things you can try while you are waiting to get help from someone who can give you tools and strategies to overcome anxiety. (And if you ever feel unsafe in your body and find you want to harm yourself, call or text 988 if you aren’t in immediate danger but need to speak with someone. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or go to your local emergency room department.)

Things You Can Try

First, begin to focus on your breathing. One of the quickest ways to reduce anxiety is deep breathing. Try slowing it down. Inhale to a count of 4. Pause for a second or two, and then blow out through your mouth like you are blowing through a straw to the count of 8. The important part is to slow down your breathing by making your exhalations longer than your inhalations. When you get anxious you tend to start to breathe shallowly from your chest, and your body begins to crave oxygen. You begin to breathe faster, but not necessarily deeper. Slowing your breathing down and placing your hand on your belly will help you to breathe from your diaphragm. See this guided breathing exercise if you want help with your breathing. You will know you are doing diaphragmatic breathing when you see your belly rise and fall. If you have trouble with this, lie on the floor, place your hand on your belly and watch it rise and fall as you breathe in and out.

The second thing you can try is the 3-3-3 rule. Begin by identifying 3 things you see and 3 things you hear. Next find 3 things you can touch or move. Describe each of those things. What is the sensation of the things you touch? Although I couldn’t find any scholarly articles supporting the clinical effectiveness of this technique, it has been found helpful by many who use it. The reason it may work is because it helps to bring you back to the present moment instead of allowing your mind to continue to spiral with “what if’s”. This technique tells your brain that it needs to shift to something tangible instead of allowing you to “stay in your head”.

The third thing that may be helpful is making sleep, exercise, and diet a priority. There are studies that show that depression is related to a diet that is high in sugar and processed foods. You can read more about how foods affect the body here. And yes, it can feel overwhelming to think about changing all of those things. So, my encouragement to you is to choose one thing that you can change. Maybe it’s not your whole diet, but perhaps you could change what you eat for breakfast. Instead of sugary cereals or high carbohydrate pastries, you might consider choosing to eat a breakfast made from whole foods such as eggs, fruit, cheese, and maybe a slice of whole grain toast with a teaspoon of real butter. The goal is to make one change that you can stick to and go from there.

FREE Download

Once you realize that you may want some support in working through anxiety, you usually want it right now! So, if you’d like to try some things on your own using a guide, feel free to download, “3 Tips to Help Reduce Feelings of Anxiety” here. It’s not a substitute for professional counseling, but it may be able to help you gain some traction until you can go in for an appointment.

Conclusion

All these things may help anxiety, but, again, they are not a substitute for professional help. Talk to your doctor or therapist if your anxious symptoms are causing you distress. Help is available. You can experience the freedom you desire from the debilitating effects of anxiety. And don’t forget, stay in contact with people who make you feel refreshed when you leave their presence; and, as much as you can, spend less time with those who leave you feeling depleted. Don’t isolate yourself as that can worsen symptoms. Healing happens in community with safe people who will support you on the journey to wholeness and health. Reach out and connect with them this week!