4 Questions to Assess Your Level of Feeling Overwhelmed
Life can seem overwhelming at times, can’t it? So how to do you asses your level of feeling overwhelmed? When is it all too much to handle and you really do need help – whether that is professional mental help or practical help from friends? There are probably mornings that your alarm goes off and you want to turn it off and slide back under the covers and hide away. Or, you drag yourself out of bed only to regret it within an hour of being awake. We all feel overwhelmed by life sometimes, there’s no shame in that. However, it’s important to asses when it’s happening so that you can do something about it before it goes too far.
It isn’t always easy to determine one’s level of being overwhelmed. And you don’t need more stress trying to figure this out, which is why we’ve put together four easy questions to help you assess that level accurately.
1. What Am I Feeling?
It might be difficult, but you need to be specific. Answering with feelings of stress is not sufficient, get more precise. Are you anxious, angry, sad, jealous? You can’t get to the root of your feelings if you can’t name the emotion. It might not sound much, but by naming the emotions that you are going through, you can create a healthy distance between it and you. It can help you recognize that you can work through those feelings.
2. Am I Truly Busy?
When you measure your level of busyness, it’s probably in how much you have to do. You have a long list to tackle and you feel as though you’re too busy. When you have little (or nothing) to do, you suddenly feel like you’re not busy anymore. Unfortunately, some of us convince ourselves we are so busy… even when we don’t have a lot to do. The way we define this can affect your stress levels and overwhelm. Usually, it’s the magnitude of the tasks that can impact which way that goes. Convincing yourself that you’re constantly busy can prevent you from properly unwinding.
Get a trusted friend to help provide perspective on the number of things on your plate if you aren’t sure whether you need to cut back on obligations.
3. Are My Emotions Intensified By the State of my Body?
Emotions aren’t just about your state of mind. Your body has a lot to say in how your emotions evolve, too. If you aren’t sleeping properly or eating well, your body will suffer and so will your mind. This will only increase your level of overwhelm and plunge you into chronic stress.
4. Can I Control My Circumstances?
One of the biggest reasons we feel overwhelmed is that we fundamentally struggle with control. Sometimes the ability to recognize that some issues are outside of your circumstances can help with your feelings of being overwhelmed. When you try to control everything all the time it’s a heavy burden. There is a reason the Serenity prayer is said by millions of people every day – God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. When you start to loosen the reins, that burden eases and that can help reduce your overwhelm. If it isn’t within your control, why are you trying so hard to take over?
A high level of feeling overwhelmed can quickly lead you to a feeling of emotional paralysis. It leaves you feeling unable to cope with the circumstances of your life and struggling to manage. You might want to consider why something is so important to you and what it is that’s causing you this upset. It’s important to determine what it is that truly matters to you because living your purpose is an important aspect of life. You don’t have to go it all alone, and when you try to you only increase your burden. Don’t be afraid to reach out to those around you for support.
