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Think about how you treat a friend experiencing emotional overwhelm. Odds are, you do your best to be kind, patient, and understanding with them. You don’t shame them for feeling the way they do; tell them they have nothing to be sad about or minimise their pain.  

Yet, when it comes to being kind, patient, and compassionate with ourselves, we often lack the skills to do so.

If you are reading this article, you probably thought: ‘Why do I feel overwhelmed for no reason?’ Unfortunately, that question often means that you are a person who is having a hard time right now. And just like a friend in pain, you deserve kindness, patience, and understanding too.

Let’s get into some concrete steps you can take when you feel sad, emotional, or like something is wrong.

Why You May Feel Emotional Overwhelm  

1) Feeling Overwhelmed

Emotional overwhelm is a feeling you get when you feel you have too much on your plate and do not know how to deal with it. You feel as if you are being crushed, and your thoughts are rushing at a speed you cannot understand.  

One of the most common reasons why people feel like something is wrong with them is that they are overwhelmed.  

Life can be busy and stressful, and it’s easy to feel like you are being pulled in multiple directions. Feeling overwhelmed can be a constant battle, whether it’s because of work, family, or other responsibilities.

2) Feeling Stuck

Another sign of emotional overwhelm is feeling stuck. For example, perhaps you feel like you are not progressing in your career or are stuck in a relationship that doesn’t bring you joy.  

Feeling stuck can be a frustrating experience, and it is essential to take steps to identify what’s holding you back. For example, do you feel this way because you miss your ex? Or maybe you are dealing with peer pressure?

If you have a clear vision of your ideal life and believe you are not living up to it, you may begin to think something is amiss. You may also often find yourself on a constant trail of thoughts when you feel stuck.  

It’s Okay to Ask for Help

It is common to think that we should be able to handle our problems on our own or that we should be able to ‘get over’ complicated feelings quickly.

However, mental health professionals know that it can be challenging. Even if it does not feel like it sometimes, you are strong. And asking for help is one of the strongest things you can do.

It takes much courage to ask for help, and you should be proud of yourself for taking that step.

3) Dealing with Setbacks

Sometimes it can feel like nothing seems to work out for you no matter what you do.  

Setbacks and failures are a natural part of life and do not mean something is wrong with you. Sometimes, it feels like life is not going our way. We might try everything we can to change things, but it does not work. This is how we may feel the emotional overwhelm.  

When facing a challenging situation, start by thinking about what you can control. It’s important to accept that some things are not in our hands, which is okay.

4) Mental Health Issues

Feeling emotional overwhelm symptoms may also be a sign of any mental health issue you may be facing in life. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can cause a wide range of symptoms, from feelings of sadness and hopelessness to physical signs like fatigue and headaches.

If you are experiencing persistent symptoms, seeking support from a professional psychologist who can help you identify what’s happening and develop a treatment plan is essential.

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5) Experiencing Physical Illness

It is important to remember that physical illness can also contribute to signs of emotional overwhelm. You may be experiencing physical illness if your thoughts are like: ‘Why do I feel overwhelmed for no reason?’ or ‘What is wrong with me?’

Chronic pain, fatigue, and other symptoms can majorly impact your mood and overall well-being. Therefore, if you think these physical symptoms are affecting your daily life, you should seek medical attention to identify the underlying cause of your issues.

How Can We Cope With Unexplained Feelings of Sadness?

Even when we feel sad for no reason, or are unable to determine the source of our sadness, it is important not to dismiss our feelings or invalidate them. Remember that feeling sad is a natural part of life, and you are not alone in experiencing this way.  

You can still seek out coping methods that you know work best for you. This can be engaging in the different self-care techniques – physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, personal or professional (Teo, 2019), or seeking support from a therapist.  

1) Physical

Physical self-care involves taking care of our physical wellbeing and engaging in physical activities that we derive comfort and joy from. This can include exercising, dancing, singing, and even taking a nap.

2) Psychological

Psychological self-care involves caring for our psychological wellbeing. Some examples include making time for self-reflection, journaling and painting.

3) Emotional  

Emotional self-care comprises activities that allow us to consciously engage with our emotional overwhelm and mental health. This can include allowing yourself to cry, watching a comedy, or engaging in self-affirmations.

4) Spiritual

Spiritual self-care involves seeking deeper meaning in our lives. Some activities to facilitate this can include watching inspirational talks, meditating and volunteering for a cause.

5) Personal

Personal self-care involves activities that connect us with our loved ones. This can be spending time with your friends and family, confiding in a trusted friend and giving them a card to show appreciation.

6) Professional

Professional self-care involves making time at work meaningful for ourselves. This can include spending time to chat with our coworkers, rearranging our workspace and identifying projects that would interest us.

If your feelings of unexplained sadness are recurring, seeking therapy is another form of self-care that you can explore. Your therapist will provide a safe space to address any issues that may come to mind and can suggest coping strategies to help you manage low moods better. 

4 Ways to Cope With Emotional Overwhelm

1) Create an Action Plan

When emotional overwhelm symptoms start to take over, creating an action plan can help cope with them. This involves identifying specific problems and outlining steps that you can take to address them.  

An action plan involves you to:

• Be clear about your current state and the potential problem
• Create a realistic plan of action to tackle the problem
• Follow through with the plan

To manage emotional overwhelm, consider the following steps:

• Seek help from a professional psychotherapist
• Identify areas of your life that need improvement. These include finding a better job, improving relationships, or developing new hobbies
• Set realistic goals and break them down into actionable steps
• Read self-help books or online resources relevant to your goals
• Find an accountability partner to help keep you motivated and on track

2) Observe Your Body

Do you often think, ‘Why do I feel overwhelmed for no reason?’ This may indicate that you might be suffering from a physical illness.

It can be helpful to observe your body to avoid a negative spiral. When you are more aware of the feelings and sensations your body experiences, you will be better able to take action to improve your mood and outlook.  

Here are some things you can do to address specific feelings:

• Brain fog: Make a to-do list or plan of action to get everything out of your head and onto paper.
• Feelings of tiredness: Establish a consistent sleep schedule and ensure you are getting enough sleep.
• Inability to sit still: Exercise or try going for a walk.
• Pain: Identify the issue and seek appropriate solutions. For example, if you have back pain, you could consult a physical therapist to help identify the root cause of the pain and develop a treatment plan.  
• Anxiety: Practice deep breathing, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation.

3) Change One Thing About Yourself

If you're experiencing signs of emotional overwhelm, it may be time to make a change. From time to time, the thought of changing everything about ourselves can be overwhelming, but focusing on changing just one thing can have a significant impact.  

Take time to reflect on your behaviours and identify one thing you want to change. This could be something like being kinder to others, improving your mental health, or developing a healthier habit.

Once you have identified the behaviour you want to change, make a deliberate effort to improve it. For example, if you want to improve your mental health, you could start by seeking help from a psychotherapist.

The key is to make small, achievable changes that will positively impact your life. By changing one thing about yourself, you may find that other areas of your life also start to improve.  

4) Get an Outside Perspective

Occasionally, we can get so caught up in our thoughts and feelings that it’s difficult to see things clearly. A mental health professional, such as a therapist, can help you gain a better understanding of what’s going on inside you and help you develop strategies to cope with emotional overwhelm.

A therapist can provide an objective perspective and help you recognise behaviours that may not serve you best (eg maladaptive behaviours). They can help you identify which behaviours are productive, helpful, and serving you in your life and which ones are not.  

Therapy can also help you embrace your difficult thoughts and emotions. After all, being surrounded by people who are different can make us feel like we are abnormal or that something is wrong with us.  

But a therapist can help you appreciate your differences and the differences in others, which can be emotionally empowering.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) How do I stop being sad?

When we feel sad without knowing why, the experience can be overwhelming.  

However, it is important for us to remember that sadness is an emotion that we all experience at some points in our lives. There may not be a quick fix that can immediately remedy our sadness, but we can do our best to find means that help us manage the emotion when its comes.

2) What is the reason you might feel like the most emotional person in the room?

Each person is different. Some of us may be more expressive in general, and some less so. People sometimes assume that they are the only ones struggling with emotional overwhelm, which can feel very isolating.  

At the same time, you never know what someone else might be going through, that they are not necessarily stating openly. Different people may choose to share (or not share) different aspects of their lives with others.  

3) What is emotional overload?

Emotional overload or emotional overwhelm occurs when you experience more emotions than you can process, and coping becomes difficult.  

Take note that feelings are not right or wrong; all feelings are valid. Feelings are merely your body’s way of trying to tell you something. Instead of avoiding your feelings (they will still be there), try tuning in to your feelings to gain insight into your situation and learn more about yourself. 

Takeaway

Imperfections exist in every human being. People sometimes strive to do their best but still come up short. Other times, difficult situations can lead them astray. However, when we struggle with emotional overwhelm, it’s an opportunity to identify and cope with our thought process.

Key steps to feeling better include practising self-care strategies, creating a realistic action plan, and seeking professional help.

Moreover, some ways to overcome hurdles in life include learning relaxation techniques, listening to your body, and focusing on changing one aspect of your life at a time.

Remember, seeking help from a Therapist can improve your emotional resilience and provide insights into managing emotional overwhelm in a healthy way.