Last Updated on 5 seconds ago by Donna Novak, Psy.D.
If you’re trying to figure out how to stop feeling overwhelmed, I want you to know that what you’re feeling makes complete sense. Overwhelm isn’t a sign that something is wrong with you. It’s a sign that you’re carrying more than your nervous system knows how to process right now, and that you need a different approach, not more willpower.
Most of us have been there. Burnt out, drained, running on empty, with a to-do list that never seems to get shorter. Everything feels unmanageable and out of control. Even the things you usually enjoy start to feel like obligations. And the harder you push through, the more stuck you feel.
But as an anxiety therapist in Simi Valley, I’ve learned that overwhelm is something you can actually work with. It doesn’t have to be your permanent state. Here are some real, practical ways to start shifting it.
Why Do I Feel So Overwhelmed?
Before jumping into strategies, it helps to understand what’s actually happening when overwhelm happens. Overwhelm usually isn’t about one thing. It’s about too many things competing for your attention at once, none of them feeling like they can wait, and your brain not knowing where to start so it shuts down instead.
Sometimes overwhelm is also anxiety in disguise. If you’re noticing that the overwhelmed feeling comes with racing thoughts, physical tension, difficulty sleeping, or a sense of dread that doesn’t quite make sense, anxiety may be part of what’s driving it. Our blog on 14 things not to do if you have anxiety is worth reading alongside this one if that resonates.
The first step to managing overwhelm is giving yourself permission to slow down enough to actually look at what’s going on, rather than just pushing harder.
3 Top Ways to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed:
1. Practice Time Management
One of the most common reasons people feel overwhelmed is that everything feels equally urgent, which means nothing gets prioritized and everything feels like it’s on fire at once.
Practicing time management doesn’t mean scheduling every minute of your day. It means getting honest about what actually needs to happen today versus what can wait, and building in enough breathing room that you’re not constantly running behind.
A few things that genuinely help:
- Use a planner or daily list: write down your top three priorities for the day, not twenty. When everything is on the list, nothing feels manageable.
- Build in transition time: rushing from one thing to the next without a moment to reset is one of the fastest ways to accumulate overwhelm throughout the day
- Set a wind-down time for screens: getting to bed at a reasonable hour changes everything about how you’re able to handle the next day. When you’re sleep-deprived, even small stressors feel unmanageable.
The goal isn’t a perfect schedule. It’s a realistic one that leaves room for you to actually breathe.
2. Maintain Firm Boundaries
Overwhelm often builds because we keep saying yes when we need to say no. To people, to obligations, to the endless creep of other people’s needs into the limited time and energy we have.
Maintaining firm boundaries is one of the most effective ways to stop feeling overwhelmed because it puts you back in control of your own resources.
This can look like:
- Saying no without over-explaining yourself
- Not responding to work messages after hours
- Letting a commitment go when your plate is genuinely full
- Asking for help instead of silently absorbing more than you can handle
Boundaries with yourself matter too. That means not procrastinating on things that are causing background anxiety, not letting your phone steal two hours of sleep from you, and holding yourself to the routines and limits you know actually help you function.
If work stress is a significant part of what’s driving your overwhelm, it’s worth taking a closer look at what’s actually within your control and what needs to change.
3. Prioritize Self-Care
When we’re overwhelmed, self-care is usually the first thing to go. And that’s exactly when it matters most.
Prioritizing self-care doesn’t mean spa days or elaborate wellness routines. It means the basics: sleep, movement, time that genuinely belongs to you, and activities that actually restore you rather than just distract you.
A few practical starting points:
- Reserve time that’s just yours: even one afternoon a month where you’re not available to anyone else makes a difference
- Move your body: even a short walk can shift the physical tension that accumulates when stress has been sitting in your body for too long
- Eat and hydrate: this sounds obvious but overwhelm often comes with skipping meals, relying on caffeine, and running on fumes in a very literal way
- Do something that doesn’t require anything from you: a show you love, a hobby you’ve been neglecting, time outside without your phone
Learning to trust your own signals, including the signal that says you’re depleted and need to slow down, is one of the most important skills you can build. Our blog on learning to trust your gut to battle anxiety speaks directly to that.
“Overwhelm is your nervous system telling you it needs something different. The answer is rarely to push harder. It’s to slow down enough to actually hear what it’s asking for.” — Dr. Donna Novak, Founder of Simi Psychological Group
Overwhelm doesn’t have to be your baseline.
Our therapists in Simi Valley can help you figure out what’s actually driving it and build a plan that helps you feel like yourself again.
When Overwhelm Becomes Something More
Sometimes what feels like overwhelm is actually anxiety or depression that needs more support than time management strategies alone can provide. If you’ve been feeling persistently overwhelmed for weeks or months, if it’s affecting your sleep, your relationships, or your ability to function at work, or if it comes with hopelessness, numbness, or a sense that nothing will ever feel manageable, it may be time to talk to someone.
That’s not a failure. It’s recognizing that you deserve real support, not just a better to-do list.
Our team in Simi Valley offers anxiety therapy for people who are ready to get to the root of what’s driving the overwhelm and build something that actually lasts. Contact us today or give us a call at (805) 842-1994 to schedule a consultation.
Dr. Novak is the group practice owner and licensed psychologist at Simi Psychological Group a therapy practice in Simi Valley, California. Simi Psychological Group offers a variety of services including trauma therapy, couples therapy, anxiety therapy, teen therapy, and more. Simi Psychological Group emphasizes the importance of creating real change by making sure to get to the root of your struggles.
