10 Ways To Calm Down When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed

When you start feeling overwhelmed, it is a sign that you need to take a pause and calm down. Whether its due to an abundance of homework, work, problems in your personal life, or even the current coronavirus pandemic, to name a few, it is very important to look out for your emotional and physical health by doing what we can to eliminate or reduce that negative energy. 

Now, with all of that being said, listed below are 10 Ways To Calm Down When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed: 

1. Meditate:

One cannot talk about ways to calm down when feeling overwhelmed without including meditation! Experts at The Mayo Clinic have said that meditation has proven to aid in both decreasing stress levels and making people much happier. Meditation will help reset your mind. With a much clearer focus, you will able to be more productive and complete whatever important tasks you need to get done. 

Dedicate a couple of minutes each day to sit down and do some deep breathing, mind clearing, and introspective thinking. There are many online apps and websites out there for people to choose from that conduct productive meditation sessions. 

2. Take A Nap:

If you are feeling drowsy while feeling overwhelmed over the work you are trying to get done, stop whatever it is you are doing and take a 15-30 minute power nap. The American Psychological Association has stated that getting enough rest is important as, “when we do not sleep long or well enough, our bodies do not get the full benefits of sleep, such as muscle repair and memory consolidation. Sleep is so crucial that even slight sleep deprivation or poor sleep can affect memory, judgment, and mood.”

3. Exercise:

In general, one of the best ways to calm down when you’re feeling overwhelmed (about almost anything) is to get some exercise in. Many benefits come from exercising, such as boosting your mood and energy levels, helping with weight loss, and protect your memory and thinking skills, to name a few.

Besides eliminating stress and any feelings of being overwhelmed, two other important benefits of exercising regularly is that it will help boost your immune system and keep your body functioning well. Research has shown that regular exercise reduces inflammation and supports infection-fighting cells. 

If your house has a home gym, you are all set with a wide range of exercise equipment to use. However, if your house doesn’t have a home gym, you can still get some exercise in with dumbbells, yoga, or some free at-home workout apps and videos, to name a few options. Getting some exercise in each day is an effective way to calm down and not feel too overwhelmed with the coronavirus outbreak currently going on. 

4. Learn To Say No:

Stop trying to please everyone all the time. Trying to do everything that others want you to do for them is a one-way ticket to feeling overwhelmed. Understand your limits and boundaries. Be aware of your time and stress levels and learn how to say no. 

5. Listen To Music:

If you start feeling overwhelmed, another easy way to calm yourself down is to stop whatever it is you are doing and put on some headphones to listen to some music! Listening to music will produce a very calming effect on both your body and mind. Be sure to enjoy your little break by listening to your favorite music genres and songs.

6. Munch On Some Snacks:

Foods that are high in carbohydrates stimulate the release of serotonin, feel-good brain chemicals that help instigate calm. If you are feeling overwhelmed with your work and hungry, step away from your work area and have a little snack break. Foods high in carbohydrates to eat for a snack include pretzels, crackers, and a bagel, to name a few. 

Besides the snacks mentioned above, click here to check out which food items that you should and shouldn’t eat when you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed. 

7. Talk To A Friend or Family Member:

Sometimes, the best way to calm yourself down whoever you are feeling overwhelmed is confiding into a family member or close friend about your problems and feelings. Knowing that they are intently listening and care about your situation is enough to eliminate feeling overwhelmed and stressed out about whatever issue(s) you are currently dealing with.

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8. Laugh:

Laughter is always the best cure whenever you are feeling overwhelmed! According to HuffPost, “Laughter has been shown to be powerful medicine for mental and physical health and healing.”

Having a good laugh and a positive attitude will reduce a person’s stress levels. The Mayo Clinic also revealed that looking for the humor in things can help ease physical pain, make connections with other people, and aid with coping with anxiety and depression.

9. Straighten Up:

If you are feeling overwhelmed, another beneficial way to calm down is to straighten while you are sitting down and working. When people are under huge amounts of stress, they tend to slump over as if they have the entire weight of the world on their shoulders. Slumping over results in a reduction of both the blood and oxygen flow to the brain.

Straightening your spine as you sit down and work has the complete opposite effect as it promotes circulation, lessens muscle tension, and increases oxygen levels in your blood. All three things will have you being more relaxed and not feeling overwhelmed. 

10. Count to 10:

One of the most simple ways to calm down when you are feeling overwhelmed is by stepping away from the stressor and going into another area/room to count to the 10. As you are counting to 10, use this “time-out” to collect yourself and to take a few deep breaths before going back.

Whenever we feel overwhelmed, our heads are not in the right space mentally and it increases the chances of doing something rash or stupid. Calming yourself down by counting to 10 is a great way to mage stress better as it will help prevent you from doing something that you will regret or say something that could make the situation worse. 

Which of these methods listed above will you use to help yourself calm down whenever you are feeling overwhelmed? Be sure to let us know which method(s) down in the comments section below!

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