The overwhelm loop: why pressure builds and how to break the loop
Feeling overwhelmed, stressed and unable to switch off? Learn how the overwhelm loop develops and practical ways to release pressure, think clearly and recover properly.
Have you ever had one of those days where you've got loads to do, but the more pressure you feel, the harder it becomes to actually get anything done?
You're struggling to think straight, you put things off, you feel frustrated with yourself, then you get into bed exhausted but your brain is still going.
This is where the overwhelm loop starts.
And the more you tell yourself to just get on with it, the more the pressure can build.
What is the overwhelm loop?
Pressure builds> Your body responds> Thoughts kick in (more pressure)> brain cant think clearly> Can't switch off> Poor sleep> Wake up exhausted and loop begins.
Pressure builds.
Work. Life. Poor sleep. Too much to do. Constant demands.
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Your body responds.
You feel stressed, tense, on edge or like you're constantly switched on.
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Then the thoughts kick in.
"I should be able to do this."
"Why can't I just get on with it?"
"I've got too much to do."
Instead of taking the pressure off, we add more pressure.
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Your brain and body start to struggle.
You can't think as clearly.
You procrastinate.
Simple things feel harder.
You don't get as much done.
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Then bedtime comes.
You're exhausted, but still wired.
You struggle to switch off.
Thinking about the next day.
Sleep isn't great.
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You wake up feeling tired.
There's still everything to do.
So the pressure builds again...
And the loop starts over.
Signs you might be in an overwhelm loop:
Struggling to think clearly
Putting things off even when they're important
Feeling constantly switched on
Becoming more irritable
Finding small tasks overwhelming
Feeling exhausted but unable to switch off
Poor or disrupted sleep
Feeling like you're constantly trying to catch up
You don't have to experience them all, you just notice it's harder when life gets busy.
Why does this happen?
When you're under pressure for long periods without enough recovery, your body can start operating as though it needs to stay switched on.
Over time, this can affect:
Sleep
Focus
Energy
Patience
Breathing
Your ability to relax and recover
How you respond emotionally
Your capacity to deal with everyday demands
How do we break the cycle?
*Pause what you are doing.
*Notice "i am feeling stressed or overwhelmed."
*Shift how you are feeling: take 2x inhales and sigh out the mouth. repeat until body responds and feel lighter, think clearer.
*Settle: come back to natural breathing
Frequent overwhelm
We can all have moments when things feel overwhelming but If you notice overwhelm becoming more frequent.
Pushing through isn't the answer as this adds more pressure.
You may need to learn different ways to handle pressure and recover properly.
The answer isn't to remove all pressure from your life.
Life will always have pressure.
Work will get busy
Things will go wrong
Plans will change
It's to feel like you have more choice in how you respond when life gets busy.
The key is learning how to respond to it differently.
This is what i do with my clients, we look at what is causing you pressure in day to day life and give you personalised techniques to release some of that pressure.
So things don't feel quite so over whelmig.
You can think clearer
You can recover properly
You can respond differently instead of pushing through.
So you can feel more confident and more in control ( even on the busy days.)
Ready to release the pressure/Work with Laura
If you're ready to stop constantly operating at your limits and learn practical ways to handle pressure, recover and respond differently:.
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