We all experience overwhelming situations from time to time. Everything piles up and your head can no longer keep up with it all. You can experience quite a bit of stress and that is of course anything but nice. These are the best things you can do in an overwhelming situation.
Back off for a moment
If everything becomes too much for you, it is good to withdraw from the situation for a while. Whether this is possible depends on the situation, but if you see an opportunity to withdraw for a while, we certainly recommend doing so. This allows you to breathe calmly and put the situation into perspective in your head. In the moment the situation may seem very big and frightening, but if you let it sink in for a moment, it will probably not be so bad. Even if you become overwhelmed by other people, it is good to withdraw for a while. This allows you to recharge and you don’t force yourself to be social.
Cut yourself off from stimuli
When you become overwhelmed, all the stimuli are suddenly a lot more present. Loud noises sound even louder, all the people around you suddenly feel very oppressive and every little thing suddenly becomes very big. When you have this feeling, it’s time to give your senses some rest. In such a situation, for example, put on noise-canceling headphones. This allows you to filter out a lot of stimuli.
Be kind to yourself
In overwhelming situations you can be hard on yourself. Sometimes you have to persevere or even go beyond your own limits. This is of course not fun and as far as we are concerned you can be a little extra kind to yourself in these types of situations. Give yourself that extra bit of rest you need now. Don’t let other people convince you that you are acting out. You know best what you need in these types of situations. So listen to this feeling.
Seek help from people you trust
Overwhelming situations are often moments that you have to go through alone. After all, you are the one who feels this way, others may feel it completely differently. But this doesn’t mean others can’t help you. Whenever possible, approach a friend, colleague, partner or family member and indicate how they can support you in this situation. Remember: you are not alone!
Distract yourself
Looking for distraction in stressful situations is often a nice way to calm your mind again. This ties in with our tip about cutting yourself off from the situation. Doing something different can give you some peace of mind. Even if you just read or listen to music. Make sure your mind can focus on something else for a while.
