Feeling overwhelmed? Strategies to Release Intense Emotions and Regain Control
Are you feeling overwhelmed by intense emotions?
Do you find it challenging to regulate your emotions and release them in a healthy way? If so, you're not alone. Many people struggle with managing their intense emotions, which can significantly impact their overall well-being.
Feeling overwhelmed is actually an important feeling as it gives us feedback about what’s happening, like feeling stuck or tension stored in our body, allowing us to assess and decide what and when to implement changes.
The demands of life can leave us with a mix of intense emotions and if not properly acknowledged, these emotions can build up over time. This is why we need to learn how to properly release emotions.
In this article, we'll delve deeper into understanding intense emotions, strategies for releasing emotions and the proper regulation of emotions in order to fend off feeling overwhelmed - ultimately taking control of our emotional landscape.
Feeling Overwhelmed is common
Feeling overwhelmed is a common experience that many of us have encountered at some point in our lives. It's that sensation of being swamped, mentally and emotionally, and feeling like there's just too much to handle. But feeling overwhelmed isn’t merely a negative reaction to an experience, it is also an important feedback mechanism from our bodies.
Feeling overwhelmed is our body’s way of saying that something doesn't work anymore. It provides us with feedback on what’s happening, what we need to look into, and where we’re feeling stuck. This feedback is an indication of whether we need to pay attention, either to our environment or to the parts of our body where tension is stored.
Over time, if left unchecked, the feeling of overwhelm can build up - especially for those who don’t know how to deal with feeling overwhelmed and “leave it for later”. The sense of overwhelm can come back, often leading to a big buildup of emotional tension bottled up in the body.
Reasons Why You’re Feeling Overwhelmed
Feeling overwhelmed often occurs when dealing with intense emotions. It is also a feedback mechanism, it's important to understand the reasons behind this experience in order to effectively address and manage it.
Here are some common reasons that contribute to feeling overwhelmed:
Excessive Workload: Having too much on your plate, whether it's due to work responsibilities, academic commitments, or personal obligations, can easily lead to feeling overwhelmed. The pressure to meet deadlines and fulfil expectations can be intense.
Time Awareness: Poor time awareness can contribute to feeling overwhelmed. We can get distracted by too many tasks and it gets challenging later to prioritise. This ends up with mounting responsibilities so we don’t take breaks, leaving the brain unable to calibrate and rest from being at full speed all day.
High Expectations: Setting unrealistically high expectations for yourself can create a tremendous amount of pressure. When you constantly strive for perfection or fear falling short of your own expectations, it can contribute to overwhelming feelings.
Emotional Stressors: Emotional stressors such as relationship issues, family conflicts, or personal challenges can take a toll on your mental well-being. When you're dealing with intense emotions alongside other responsibilities, it can be overwhelming to juggle everything.
Lack of Boundaries: Failing to establish boundaries in various aspects of life can lead to feeling overwhelmed. Saying "yes" to everything, taking on too many commitments, and neglecting your own needs can quickly become overwhelming.
Financial Pressures: Money-related issues, such as debt, financial instability, or unexpected expenses, can create significant stress and contribute to feeling overwhelmed. The constant worry about financial matters can affect your overall well-being.
Lack of Support: Feeling overwhelmed can be exacerbated when you don't have a strong support system or when you feel like you're going through challenges alone. The absence of emotional or practical support can intensify feelings of overwhelm.
Not making time for yourself: Failing to prioritise time for yourself and neglecting your physical and mental well-being can contribute to feeling overwhelmed. When you constantly put others' needs ahead of your own or don't make time for relaxation and self-care activities, it can take a toll on your overall resilience.
By gaining a deeper understanding of why you are feeling overwhelmed, you can begin to take steps toward managing and releasing intense emotions.
Understanding Intense Emotions
Intense emotions can often feel like a tidal wave, sweeping us off our feet and leaving us feeling overwhelmed. It can have a profound impact on our well-being, affecting our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
Intense emotions can often be triggered by external events or internal thoughts such as:
Challenging or major life events
Overwhelming responsibilities
Conflict or strained relationships
Uncertainty and change
Neglect of self
Ruminating and reflective thoughts
Memories and other emotions
Random out of the blue thoughts and situations
These triggers often lead to physical and mental signs that tell you that you’re experiencing intense emotions. Here are a few signs to recognise intense emotions:
Heightened physical sensations: Intense emotions often manifest as physical sensations in our bodies. These may include:
An increased heart rate
Rapid breathing
Tense muscles
Sweating
A knot in the stomach.
Paying attention to these cues can help us identify when our emotions are running high.
Emotional indicators: Intense emotions are accompanied by strong emotional responses.
Feeling irritable
Angry
Sad
Anxious
Overwhelmed
These are common emotional indicators of intense emotions. Anger, in particular, is an intense emotional reaction that informs us of underlying things such as danger and anxiety - and it’s something that we should learn to address and not suppress.
Cognitive signs: Our thoughts can provide insights about when we're experiencing intense emotions;
Our minds may be filled with racing thoughts
Negative self-talk
Difficulty concentrating
Sense of being overwhelmed mentally.
Recognising these cognitive signs can help us understand the impact of our emotions on our thinking patterns.
By understanding these triggers and recognising their impact on our emotions, we can develop a greater sense of self-awareness. This awareness enables us to respond to intense emotions with compassion and implement strategies for the regulation of emotions.
Letting It Out: Release Emotions In A Healthy Way
When intense emotions start to build up, it’s essential to find healthy outlets to release emotions when you are feeling overwhelmed. In order to do this, you must create a safe space for emotional expression and allow yourself to let it out without judgement.
There are various techniques and approaches that will enable you to release emotions in constructive ways. By incorporating these strategies into your daily routine, you can find relief, reduce stress, and restore a sense of calm:
Journaling: Write freely in a journal to express your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This helps you gain clarity, process emotions, and find insights.
Talking to a trusted friend or therapist: Reach out to someone you trust, such as a close friend or a professional therapist. Share your feelings and experiences, as talking it out can provide validation, support, and new perspectives.
Engaging in physical activities: Move your body to release pent-up emotions and reduce stress. Exercise, dance, or practice yoga to channel your emotions and release tension.
Creative outlets for emotional release: Explore creative activities like painting, playing a musical instrument, or writing poetry. Engaging in artistic expression allows emotions to flow and provides a sense of release and self-expression.
Sometimes intense emotions jump at us in the moment and there’s no time to go to the gym or pick up a pen. Or other times, especially when we don’t know how to deal with the intense emotions in the moment, we leave it to process ‘later’, at the end of the day or a few days later. But this can snowball into emotional tension in your body.
This is why you need strategies that will regulate the nervous system the moment you’re feeling overwhelmed. These strategies provide time and space for emotions to settle and includes cognitive techniques to process the sense of overwhelm:
Paper Hands: This strategy encourages us to sit with our emotions and observe them without judgement. Take a moment to identify the emotions you're experiencing and compare them to how you felt before. By acknowledging and understanding our emotional states, we can gain valuable insights into our current feelings and navigate them more effectively.
Shake it: Similar to the cooked spaghetti movement, this technique involves natural shaking of the body accompanied by music in the background. There are no scripts or right or wrong ways to shake. It's about allowing your body to move and release tension, stress, and intense emotions.
Hot Chocolate Breathing: This technique involves deep, slow breaths reminiscent of sipping a warm cup of hot chocolate. Breathe in deeply through your nose, allowing your abdomen to expand, and then exhale slowly through your mouth. This deep breathing activates the body's relaxation response, calming the nervous system and reducing the intensity of heightened emotions.
Name it: Labelling and acknowledging our emotions can be a powerful tool for self-regulation. Take a moment to name the emotions you are feeling and assess their intensity. Are you experiencing anger, sadness, fear, or something else? By recognizing and differentiating between emotions, we gain a clearer understanding of our internal experiences. This awareness helps us choose the most effective coping strategies and empowers us to navigate our emotions with greater ease.
A quick note on Anger. It is a misunderstood emotion. And is actually a very useful emotion. As Dr Soph, a well regarded clinical psychologist said, “Anger is not a problem. Mismanagement of anger is a problem.”
Anger is one of the most intense of the emotions we experience, alongside sadness and overwhelm. It provides the energy and motivation we need to protect ourselves and confront threats. Understanding what is triggering the anger is essential but can only really be done once you are calmer again. During periods of anger it’s difficult to rationally process what’s happening.
In our upcoming webinar, we will be discussing anger, stress and overwhelm and practical ways you can manage these intense emotions. We will take a closer look at these strategies that you can apply in the moment and at the end of the day so you’re not carrying these intense emotions.
Remember, the goal is not to suppress or ignore your emotions but to express and release emotions in healthy ways.
The Regulation of Emotions
Understanding the effective regulation of emotions is a powerful tool in managing feelings of overwhelm. Intense emotions are a warning sign from our bodies that something isn’t working properly and that we need to understand what’s happening to prevent too much tension being stored in our bodies. Emotional regulation involves the ability to recognise, understand, and manage our emotions in a healthy and adaptive way.
Effective regulation of emotions reduces the impact of intense emotions on our well-being and mental health. It enhances our ability to make clear decisions and solve problems effectively and it improves our resilience in the face of challenges. It basically helps us function as humans in a healthy way!
Here are some tips for effective regulation of emotions:
Setting realistic expectations and boundaries: Recognise your limits and prioritise self-care. Set achievable goals and establish healthy boundaries to prevent overwhelm.
Developing a toolbox of strategies to release emotions: Building a toolbox of practical techniques like the ones above is a great way to manage and effectively release emotions. These tools will empower you to navigate your emotions and regain control when you are feeling overwhelmed.
Cognitive reframing and positive self-talk: Challenge negative thoughts and reframe them in a more balanced and positive light. Practice self-compassion and encourage yourself with supportive, empowering self-talk.
Deep breathing exercises: Take slow, deep breaths to activate the body's relaxation response and calm the nervous system. Practise diaphragmatic breathing to bring a sense of calm during intense moments.
Upgrading existing coping skills: Being mindful of what we do, reflecting on past successes and failures, to avoid the repetition of ineffective strategies. Otherwise we keep doing the same thing hoping for different outcomes that can lead us in the perfectionist trap. Mindfulness and meditation techniques: Engage in mindfulness practices to observe your emotions without judgement. Meditation helps cultivate awareness and brings a sense of grounding and tranquillity.
Establishing a supportive network: Surround yourself with friends and loved ones who make space for your emotions. Engage in open, honest communication, seeking support and guidance when needed.
Regulation of emotions is a skill that can be developed and refined over time with practice and patience. By implementing these strategies, you can cultivate emotional well-being and find greater stability amidst the ups and downs of life.
Conclusion
Understanding and prioritising emotional regulation is crucial for managing overwhelming feelings and fostering overall well-being.
Proper regulation of emotions allows us to recognise, understand, and manage our intense emotions in a healthy and adaptive manner.
Developing emotional regulation skills brings numerous benefits, the main benefit being that it reduces the impact of overwhelming emotions on our well-being.
Having a toolbox of strategies and habits can go a long way in the long-term management of intense emotions and feeling overwhelmed.
In our upcoming webinar we will be talking more about anger, why it’s useful and how to manage it rather than suppress it. Join us on Friday 18 August at 1pm SGT (7am Europe) - "Let it OUT: Strategies to Release Intense Emotions," hosted by Beata Justkowiak.
In this empowering webinar, we will explore practical techniques that will help you regain control and find inner peace amidst the overwhelming storm of emotions.
Register for the webinar today and embark on a journey of emotional empowerment and resilience.
It's time to release emotions, regulate and rise above the overwhelming tide of intense emotions!