When Everything Feels Too Much — Start Here

 


When Everything Feels Too Much — Start Here

By Niki Gent

We’ve all had those moments — the ones where the weight of everything becomes too much.
The emails stack up. The deadlines blur. The dishes are still in the sink. The phone keeps ringing. You’re tired but can’t sleep. You’re wired but can’t think.
And on top of that, someone tells you to “just take a deep breath,” and you want to scream.

When life feels like this — messy, overwhelming, relentless — it’s not because you’re weak.
It’s because you’re human.
And the systems around us often expect us to function like machines.

Overwhelm doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means your nervous system is overloaded.
And before you can move forward — with goals, therapy, parenting, or paperwork — you have to calm the storm inside your body.

So if everything feels too much, don’t start with the whole mountain.
Start here:

🌱 Step 1: Come Back to Your Body

When we’re overwhelmed, we leave our bodies. We go into our heads, our fears, our tasks. But your body is where grounding happens.

Ask yourself:

  • Can I feel my feet right now?

  • Can I take one deep breath, not to fix anything, but just to arrive?

  • Can I place my hand over my chest or stomach and say, “I’m here”?

This is not about “relaxing.”
It’s about reminding your system that you’re safe enough to pause.

📦 Step 2: Shrink the Horizon

When we’re stressed, our brains zoom out too far. We start thinking about next week, next year, every possible problem all at once.

Bring it back in.
Just the next hour. Just the next 10 minutes. Just the next step.

Ask:

  • What matters right now?

  • What can wait?

  • What is one small thing I can do?

Sometimes, that one thing is drinking water.
Sometimes, it’s writing one sentence in a report.
Sometimes, it’s putting on socks.

You don’t have to “fix your life.” You just have to take the next small step that creates a ripple.

🧭 Step 3: Check the Narrative

When we’re overloaded, our thoughts tend to get cruel.
“I should be coping better.”
“Everyone else has it together.”
“I’m failing.”

These stories are not facts. They’re survival-mode thinking.

Instead, try this:

  • “I’m doing the best I can with what I have.”

  • “It’s okay to need rest.”

  • “This won’t last forever.”

Self-compassion is not self-indulgence. It’s the fuel that gets you through.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Step 4: Reach for Connection

Isolation feeds overwhelm. Even a five-minute chat with someone who sees you can shift your entire day.

If talking is too much, send a message. Let someone know:

  • “I’m overwhelmed.”

  • “Can we talk later?”

  • “I don’t need advice, just a moment to feel less alone.”

You deserve to be supported — even if your story is messy, even if you haven’t figured it all out.

✨ Step 5: Remember — This Is Temporary

When we feel overwhelmed, it feels permanent. Like the fog will never lift.
But it will. It always does.

Nothing in life — no feeling, no storm, no challenge — stays the same forever.
And the fact that you are noticing it now means something inside you still believes it could be different.

That’s hope.
That’s resilience.
That’s your strength showing up, even when it feels invisible.

So, when everything feels too much:
Don’t aim for “better.”
Aim for gentle.
Start with presence, not productivity.
Start with grace, not guilt.

Start here.
And let that be enough.


About the Author,

Niki has worked in Child Protection, Family Law, Juvenile Justice and NDIS for over 20 years.  Having worked extensively with families, government departments, not for profits and privately owned large and small businesses, Niki understands the needs of families, the pressures of compliance, quality and sustainability, and the need to work smart, be resilient, and know who we work for and who we work with.



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