If you feel like you are drowning underneath your responsibilities, worries, and stress, you might be dealing with a bad case of overwhelm. This can seem like something everyone deals with, but it does affect your mental and physical health, which means you don’t have to just deal with it. There are ways to reduce your overwhelm, starting with mindfulness.

You might have heard of mindfulness before, as it has been a hot topic recently. Ryan Holliday has recently published a new book Stillness which emphasizes being steady of mind in the present moment.

The Stoics practiced prosoche, mindfulness that requires constant attention to onself and the actions. This vigilance is emphasized by Seneca

Moral Letters 16.1 you know also that a happy life is reached when our wisdom is brought to completion, but that life is at least endurable even when our wisdom is only begun. This idea, however, clear though it is, must be strengthened and implanted more deeply by daily reflection; it is more important for you to keep the resolutions you have already made than to go on and make noble ones. You must persevere, must develop new strength by continuous study, until that which is only a good inclination becomes a good settled purpose.

He writes further “Examine yourself; scrutinize and observe yourself in divers ways; but mark, before all else, whether it is in philosophy or merely in life itself.”

It can sound intimidating, but is nothing more than living and thinking in the present and helping your mindset to reflect that. There are many benefits of mindfulness, including helping to reduce stress and overwhelm.

Overcoming the stress in your life starts with noticing what your stressors are and working to reduce them, but you can’t prevent every situation that could potentially cause you stress.

This is your body’s natural response, which leads to a fight or flight response. You still need to get out there and live your life, so it is more a matter of how you react to stressful situations when they arrive.

Meditations 7.28 states “Retire into thyself. The rational principle which rules has this nature, that it is content with itself when it does what is just, and so secures tranquility.”

In other words when faced with stressful situations, relax for a moment and reflect. Think of situations with reason and rationally. Looking at situations from this perspective brings calm. There are different ways to go about this.

Are you dealing with a lot of emotional stress? Is it affecting you physically or mentally? If so, it is time to stop dealing with your stress, and start taking action to reduce it once and for all.

Even though stress is common, that doesn’t mean it is normal. There is a reason doctors ask if you are stressed when you go in for other ailments – because of closely linked stress is to your physical and emotional health.

The first thing you can do to help reduce your stress is to start daily routine. This helps develop  various habits that are good for your mind and body.

Any type of routine needs to be consistent and constantly practiced to be effective.

Discourses 2.18 states “Every habit and faculty is preserved and increased by correspondent actions; as the habit of walking, by walking; of running, by running. If you would be a reader, read; if a writer, write. But if you do not read for a month together, but do something else; you will see what will be the consequence. So, after sitting still for ten days, get up and attempt to take a long walk; and you will find how your legs are weakened. Upon the whole then, whatever you would make habitual, practise it; and, if you would not make a thing habitual, do not practise it, but habituate yourself to something else.”

Stoicism teaches that it is not things themselves but our impression and perception of them. But we are only human and even the ardent Stoic can have uncontrollable thoughts.

Uncontrollable thoughts are not uncontrollable, but they can feel like it. These are those intrusive thoughts that come when you don’t want them to, that you can’t seem to shake. It can be related to something that has you stressed out, something you worry about, a past experience you regret or dwell on, or fears about the future.

Intrusive thoughts often feel uncontrollable because they keep popping up in your head, which then leads you to over-analyze, stress, and overthink these thoughts. It unfortunately is a common cause for severe stress.

However you are able to gain control of these thoughts and keep them at bay. It requires vigorous attention to your thoughts and the emotions that result.

Meditations 8.13 states Upon each occurrence which affects the imagination, continually endeavour to apprehend its nature, and its effect upon our affections; and to reason well about it

I give up. You may have said this or hear other people say it. Some may say it nonchalantly or with meaning. The reason behind it may be overwhelm.

Overwhelm is defined as to overpower in thought or feeling and to feel defeated. It is a significant effect from stress.

Have you been feeling a lot of stress lately? If so, it has probably led to a good deal of overwhelm as well. These two things can often go hand-in-hand, often starting with a lot of stress that goes untreated, which can then lead to a considerable amount of overwhelm and burnout.

While this is very common, it can also be disastrous for your mental and physical state. Feeling of overwhelm means being at a low point.

It is possible to reduce overwhelm to get your life back and start living again. It starts with having a clear and focused mind and taking action.

Don’t look at overwhelm as a condition but as an opportunity. Just as the causes of stress do not cause overwhelm so too is the situation of overwhelm itself.

Meditations 8.7 “Every nature is contented with itself when it goes on its way well; and a rational nature goes on its way well, when in its thoughts it assents to nothing false or uncertain, and when it directs its movements to social acts only, and when it confines its desires and aversions to the things which are in its power, and when it is satisfied with everything that is assigned to it by the common nature. For of this common nature every particular nature is a part, as the nature of the leaf is a part of the nature of the plant; except that in the plant the nature of the leaf is part of a nature which has not perception or reason, and is subject to be impeded; but the nature of man is part of a nature which is not subject to impediments, and is intelligent and just, since it gives to everything in equal portions and according to its worth, times, substance, cause (form), activity, and incident. But examine, not to discover that any one thing compared with any other single thing is equal in all respects, but by taking all the parts together of one thing and comparing them with all the parts together of another.”

If you are someone that seems to be always stressed out, and is constantly looking for more to add to your plate instead of managing the stress you already have, you might be an addict.

It seems silly to be addicted to something that can make you feel overwhelmed and downright miserable, but this is often linked to being overworked, being a perfectionist, and having the thought that the more you try to accomplish, the better off you will be.

Stoicism can help with any addiction with its principles of self discipline and self control.

Moral Letters 47.17 staes "Show me a man who is not a slave; one is a slave to lust, another to greed, another to ambition, and all men are slaves to fear. I will name you an ex-consul who is slave to an old hag, a millionaire who is slave to a serving-maid; I will show you youths of the noblest birth in serfdom to pantomime players! No servitude is more disgraceful than that which is self-imposed."

If you have been feeling very overwhelmed with your life and responsibilities, it can take a toll on your mental health and wellbeing. This feeling often gets worse, even leading to more anxiety and worsening depression symptoms.

When stress occurs there are either two things you can do. Let stress take over you or find ways of coping. Stoic principles relate the importance of harmony and balance in life. Without it we are not living.

Fragments 6 states “But above all else this is the function of nature, to bind together and to harmonize our choice with the conception of what is fitting and helpful.”

It is easy for overwhelm to take control of your life. It is hard to respond. But a regimen of activities can help with relaxing and reducing stress.

Burnout is defined as physical and emotional exhaustion from chronic stress. Dealing with burnout or being overwhelmed are both consequences of high amounts of stress. With overwhelm, you might be experiencing stress for a long time, which leads you to becoming overwhelmed with everything you are thinking and dealing with at the same time.

Burnout is similar, though it is typically when you become so exhausted mentally and physically, then it can affect your work, motivation, and energy. But remember it is not things themselves but our perceptions that cause this to happen. By finding balance through experiencing hardship rather than suffering we can cope with burnout.

Meditations 2.17 staes "Of human life the time is a point, and the substance is in a flux, and the perception dull, and the composition of the whole body subject to putrefaction, and the soul a whirl, and fortune hard to divine, and fame a thing devoid of judgement. And, to say all in a word, everything which belongs to the body is a stream, and what belongs to the soul is a dream and vapour, and life is a warfare and a stranger's sojourn, and after-fame is oblivion. What then is that which is able to conduct a man? One thing and only one, philosophy. But this consists in keeping the soul within a man free from violence and unharmed, superior to pains and pleasures, doing nothing without purpose, nor yet falsely and with hypocrisy, not feeling the need of another man's doing or not doing anything; and besides, accepting all that happens, and all that is allotted, as coming from thence, wherever it is, from whence he himself came; and, finally, waiting for death with a cheerful mind, as being nothing else than a dissolution of the elements of which every living being is compounded. But if there is no harm to the elements themselves in each continually changing into another, why should a man have any apprehension about the change and dissolution of all the elements? For it is according to nature, and nothing is evil which is according to nature."

There are some other ways to help you to overcome both burnout and overwhelm.

We live in difficult times where we’re constantly stressed over our health, our safety, work, finances...the list is endless. And the constant release of stress hormones in our bodies means we’re constantly at risk of chronic diseases, stress-induced pains and aches and poor mental health.

Being aware of our bodies and the signals it sends us, helps us ward off diseases and break the cycle of stress. This is what strong, resilient people do when they’re faced with stressful situations. They know their weaknesses and strengths, play on both and they’re able to bounce back and recover.

If you ever exercise your body sends signals of reaching a certain threshold of when there has been enough. With running for example breathing becomes more labored. Legs and feet start to hurt. The body is saying “Enough”. Yet when having a good run there is a sense of contentment with the mind and body.

Moral Letters 121 6-7. We are apt to wonder at skilled dancers because their gestures are perfectly adapted to the meaning of the piece and its accompanying emotions, and their movements match the speed of the dialogue. But that which art gives to the craftsman, is given to the animal by nature. No animal handles its limbs with difficulty, no animal is at a loss how to use its body. This function they exercise immediately at birth. They come into the world with this knowledge; they are born full-trained. But people reply: "The reason why animals are so dexterous in the use of their limbs is that if they move them unnaturally, they will feel pain. They are compelled to do thus, according to your school, and it is fear rather than will-power which moves them in the right direction." This idea is wrong. Bodies driven by a compelling force move slowly; but those which move of their own accord possess alertness. The proof that it is not fear of pain which prompts them thus, is, that even when pain checks them they struggle to carry out their natural motions.

With Stoic principles we do not have control over our body. Health is an indifferent and of course good health is a preferred indifferent. But our body has a way to communicate to us when something may be good or wrong.

Adrenaline is a safety mechanism our body produces. It’s produced by the hypothalamus in our central nervous system. It comes from the days when we were hunters, and sometimes the hunted.

In addition, when we were in these types of situations, adrenaline coursed through our veins in what scientists refer to as the ‘fight or flight’ response. In addition, we either fled and ran away, or fought. It’s our body’s way of preparing us to act quickly.

When stress signals occur infrequently, it doesn’t harm our bodies since it’s easier to recover. In fact, in small doses, stress can save your life and help you get things done. Stress is what gets you to cram before a big test, or jerk your hand away from a hot stove.

However, nowadays, things have changed. We have the same surge of adrenaline pumping through our veins, but it never seems to stop. In addition, stress levels stay elevated for far longer than normal, never giving our body the chance to rest or recuperate.

This leads to tension, muscle aches and even more stress. It’s a vicious cycle of feeling overwhelmed, anxious, irritable, exhausted, which all result in tense muscle groups and uncomfortable aches and pains.

However this gives us a signal that something is wrong and we need to respond to it. Stoic principles show that even with sickness and body aches we should not lose our judgement.

Discourses 3.10.5 states Again; in a fever, we should have such principles ready as relate to a fever; and not, as soon as we are taken ill, forget all. Provided I do but act like a philosopher, let what will happen. Some way or other depart I must from this frail body, whether a fever comes or not. What is it to be a philosopher? Is it not to be prepared against events? Do you not comprehend that you then say, in effect, “If I am but prepared to bear all events with calmness, let what will happen”; otherwise, you are like an athlete, who, after receiving a blow, should quit the combat. In that case, indeed, you might leave off without a penalty. But what shall we get by leaving off philosophy?

The pain and tension is mainly because adrenaline causes blood vessels to constrict so muscles don't get the amount of oxygenated blood they need. In addition, since there is a vast amount of muscle tissue all over the body, the pain can be felt anywhere and everywhere.