10 Smart Ways to Cope When You Feel Overwhelmed at Work

Overwhelmed at work is a common feeling many employees experience at various points of their careers. Whether caused by tight timelines, a lot of work, or simple incompletion, work as an employee can frequently become high pressure and it can pile up quickly affecting your mental process.

Have you ever sat staring at your computer screen with a racing heart and no idea how you were going to finish the items on your to-do list? Maybe an overflowing inbox, number of meetings, lack of motivation, or simple disinterest have contributed to this feeling, and that’s okay. If I lost you in the previous sentence you probably are dealing with the feeling of overwhelmed at work.

That overwhelmed feeling can certainly effect your emotional health and job performance. The longer you let that pressure build up without coping strategies the more risk you bring on yourself for burnout or anxiety, or even physical health issues. At least you aren’t alone in feeling this way and there are tons of practical and real ways to not only articulate these feelings but to also deal with those feelings.

In this article, we are going to look at the signs that you may be feeling overwhelmed at work, why you are feeling this way, and most importantly we are going to support strategies that will manage the feeling when it arises. We are also briefly going to look at how to build resilience over the long-term to help you manage stress in the future, as well as how managers can help to relieve stress to foster the feeling of control and workplace wellness.

Why You Might Feel Overwhelmed at Work

Recognizing why you’re experiencing overwhelming feelings at work is the first step to managing these feelings appropriate. Many employees experience a similar set of challenges that makes the work they do stressful, and exacerbates the feeling of being unable to keep up. Here are some commonly experienced contributors:

Tight Deadlines

Timeframes that are restrictive or show no flexibility can even make simple tasks seem impossible to complete on time. This uninterrupted check your watch and constantly rush adds to the stress and contributes to you feeling overwhelmed at work because you never feel like you are catching up.

Lack of Boundaries

When your work becomes part of your personal time or can’t say no to the extra work because of your own commitments the stress builds. When there are no clear boundaries, it is really easy to be out of control of your schedule which can mentally drain you.

Poor Time Management

Without a plan or priorities, everybody’s tasks get added to your to-do list. When the chaos ensues, it creates more stress piled on top of more stress and it becomes overwhelming at work, trying to determine what needs to be completed first.

High Expectations with No Control

Not having the ability or authority to make key decisions on what’s due for a deliverable and being expected to return great results can be disempowering. Whether you are unaware of all the requirements, deadlines and/or other key milestones this discord will create additional sense of overwhelm.

Workplace Stress

Stressors add egregious pressure that include office politics, feeling unsupported, or not knowing who to go to for support due to poor communication. These ongoing stressors contribute to chronic stress, but also exacerbate the feeling of being overwhelmed at work.

Once you are aware of these causes, you can figure out where to focus your energy to either work to improve your time management, set boundaries, or get support. Understanding why and how you are overwhelmed at work will solidify the steps you need to take to relieve it meaningfully.

Signs You Are Overwhelmed at Work and What to Do

Recognizing the early signs of being overwhelmed at work is crucial, so that those indicators do not become something bigger, like burnout. Knowing how to identify the physical, emotional, and behavioral signs of feeling overwhelmed at work can learn to mitigate and counteract it.

• Physical Signs: Your body is often the first to respond when you feel overwhelmed at work. You might have ongoing fatigue, frequent headaches, tight muscles, or trouble sleeping. These physical symptoms are common indicators of stress at work and are very important not to dismiss.

• Emotional Signs: If you are feeling constantly irritable, anxious, or feel emotionally drained; these are all strong emotional ones. You might also notice mood swings, helplessness, or even a lack of motivation during these stressful times.

• Behavioral Signs: You may begin to behave in a different manner when stress builds up. You may find yourself procrastinating more than normal, disengaging from your coworkers, or becoming sluggish in your productivity and quality of work. These behaviors can be signs that you are finding it difficult to cope.

It is important to take timely and considered actions when you notice the signs:

• Awareness: The first step is to recognize how you feel, without judgment. Understanding how you feel is important to helping with managing stress and stopping it from getting out of hand.

• Talk to Someone: Don’t be afraid to discuss issues or feelings with a trusted employee, mentor, or supervisor. If your stress is workload related, bringing this to another person’s attention may lead to supportive options, suggestions or accommodations.

• Make Small Changes: Simple tactics such as taking breaks, deep breathing exercises, or stepping away from your desk for a few minutes can usually help to diffuse immediate stress levels and help you reset.

Recognizing the signs of feeling overwhelmed at work as soon as possible and being willing to act on it in a pragmatic way will limit the chance of the occurrence evolving into an experience of serious mental health issues in the case of burnout or chronic anxiety.

10 Smart Ways to Cope When You Feel Overwhelmed at Work

Now that you know what feeling overwhelmed at work looks and feels like, here are ten practical strategies to help you cope effectively when you’re feeling overwhelmed when it happens:

1. Prioritize Tasks Using the Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is a great technique that helps you organize all of your tasks based on how urgent and important they are. Prioritizing task is it’s own challenge when you’re overwhelmed; using the matrix can help you see the clarity in all of it, and help relieve stress while you get organized.

• Urgent and Important: These are likely the things you need to do immediately. You want to focus on completing these tasks as soon as possible to help you avoid crisis decisions at the last minute.

• Important but Not Urgent: You want to put dedicated time on your calendar for these types of tasks. Although they might not be urgent, these tasks are usually very important in getting you towards long-term success; thus, they do run the risk of being overlooked when you are overwhelmed.

• Urgent but Not Important: These tasks are ones you want to delegate to other people, if possible. You don’t want to give your time (efforts) to things that aren’t high on your list of priorities.

• Not Urgent and Not Important: These tasks you can generally drop or postpone without too many issues.

Hopefully, using the matrix helps an individual feel less swamped as they direct energy towards what is really most important rather than towards everything all at once.

2. Adopt Strategic Breaks.

Endless blocks of uninterrupted working can be a fast track to burnout — it can also decrease productivity and slow you down. Planned, intentional breaks throughout your day can help you regain clarity and focus, as well as renewed energy.

• Microbreaks: Even a couple of minutes away from your desk can renew your focus and lessen tightness. If possible, take a short walk or stretch your legs and back, breathe deep, and reset your body into a calmer mode while you think of other things.

• Pomodoro Method: This technique allows you to focus on a task for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. After you get through four, take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. This methodology allows for sustained focus without being too taxing.

Strategic breaks allow for new energy for both mind and body so you can stay productive and engaged in action even during the busy or overwhelming parts of our work, both in school and beyond.

3. Practice Saying “No” with Grace

Taking on too many responsibilities is a consistent cause of feeling overwhelmed at work. Learning to politely and confidently say “no” is critical for your workload and your overall mental health.

• Set clear boundaries around your availability and capacity.

• Use polite but firm phrases such as, “I’d love to help, but I’m currently focused on X project,” to communicate your limits.

• Whenever possible, suggest alternatives, like delegating to someone else or postponing non-urgent tasks.

Saying no isn’t selfish — it’s a necessary skill for managing your time and energy effectively.

4. Break Large Tasks into Multiple Smaller Wins

Large tasks can often feel daunting, contributing anxiety and sometimes the sensation of feeling overwhelmed at work; taking a large task and breaking it into smaller tasks streamlines the progress of completion and makes it seem more achievable or realistic. For example, you could:

• Have a detailed checklist to track each step from start to finish of the project.

• Celebrate as you complete each smaller piece of the project making slight progress on your tasks creates additional motivation and confidence.

As a result, this approach allows you to see less of the bigger picture, lowers your anxiety, and helps you keep your momentum which, in theory, makes the project less overwhelming for you.

5. Speak with Your Manager or Supervisor

Discussing work-related stress or the feeling of being overwhelmed does not mean you are not competent enough to do your job; frank and honest discussions with management can be beneficial as most regard communication as an asset.

• Discuss your current workload and capacity – Be frank and honest.

• Discuss several solutions, such as adjusting deadlines, reprioritizing the tasks at hand, and/or if it is productive or helpful to involve others with some of the workload assigned to you.

• Frame the discussion around your desire to maintain work quality and efficiency, rather than around complaints.

Management generally appreciates when you communicate proactively, as there are often times when they may be able to provide additional resources or simply support in helping management manage you better.

6. Minimize Digital Distractions

Frequent notifications, emails, and social media can break your concentration and create stress.

• When working, turn off notifications on non-essential technology so you have fewer interruptions.

• Consider using an app or browser extension that will block distracting websites so you are able to concentrate.

• Keep your workspace organized and free from clutter so your environment is more calming.

When your environment is free from distraction, you work more best=faster while you feel less overwhelmed.

7. Establish a Workflow Routine Each Day

Building a daily routine that is consistent will create regularity which includes time and energy management, and will create order and decrease uncertainty.

• Each day can begin with you reviewing your tasks for the day and prioritize those task.

• You can include time blocks for focused tasks with breaks in between.

• Each day ends with you reviewing what you accomplished, along with planning for the next day.

A work routine builds patterns, and assists with staying organized and constant accomplishment, while you are feeling overwhelmed with work.

8. Practice Stress Management Techniques

Employing stress management techniques during your day can help prevent overwhelming feelings while at work.

• During times of stress, engage in deep-breathing exercises to regulate your nervous system.

• Writing in a journal takes your thoughts and clears your mind for more thoughtful and focused thinking.

• A brief desk yoga or stretch break helps release tension caused from sitting too long at your desk, as well as stress.

Using these techniques allow your body and mind to rebalance so you can manage stress at work effectively.

9. Seek Colleagues or Mentors Support

When a work situation is overwhelming, talking to trusted colleagues or mentors can create an emotional release and practical support.

• Be honest, talk about your challenges and listen to how they deal with similar situations.

• Mentors can help deal with heavy workloads, provides guidance on managing your career, and/or help with stress management.

When you build a network to support you, you are open to becoming resilient in overwhelming situations, and feeling less isolated.

10. Seek Professional Help if Appropriate

If feeling overwhelmed at work continues and/or worsens regardless of your attempts to manage and mitigate the situation, it may be time to seek assistance from a mental health professional.

• Therapists are trained to provide individualized coping methods and mitigation mechanisms as it relates to your situation.

• There is a social normalizing effect for emotional help-seeking, thus counseling aids your long-term emotional health.

Mentally healthy beings deserve mental health care as much as physically healthy beings deserve physical care; therefore, working effectively through workplace stressors requires mental health, because mental health can help you navigate stressors.

These ten strategies offer a toolbox of information to help address the challenge of feelings of being overwhelmed at work, and the ability to streamline your recovery and continue your well-being in the workplace.

How to Build Long-Term Resilience Against Workplace Stress

Dealing with overwhelm at work goes beyond quick fixes. While short-term coping strategies are important, developing long-term resilience helps you deal more effectively with challenges that come your way. Resilience does not mean the absence of stress; rather, it means the ability to rebound from adversity, and to accomplish this even while stressed and overwhelmed.

Below are some important ways to increase your lasting mental and emotional fortitude to combat workplace stress:

Develop Emotional Intelligence

Being emotionally intelligent means you can recognize, interpret, and manage your emotions, and those of others. Emotional intelligence can enable you to positively influence your reaction to stress, rather than react impulsively.

For example, if deadlines are piling up and you feel you are about to panic or feel overwhelmed, instead you can take a moment to pause and take stock of the situation. You can develop a plan, which means you are more likely to work on the problems at hand with a calmer and positive outlook, never mind the overwhelm.

Develop healthy habits outside of work

A resilient mind comes from a healthy body. When your everyday life integrates into your life with mental and physical health, you are better able to combat workplace stress.

Some healthy habits to develop are to consider getting 7 to 9 hours of good sleep, focus on developing healthy balanced meals, remember quiet or play time with hobbies or exercising. These practices make up your inner reserve against daily stress, or akin to an internal buffer against pressure.

Practicing gratitude and mindset shifts

Shifting your mindset can completely change the way you experience your stress. Practicing gratitude – such as writing down three things you are thankful for each day – can ground you especially when you feel most overwhelmed in the work environment.

The act of reframing your challenges as learning opportunities, rather than losses or setbacks can relieve your stress emotionally and keep the experience positive.

Reframe challenges

Giving a reframe to stress as a not a threat but instead as a signal for an opportunity to grow. Ask yourself, what can I learn from this problem?

By reframing challenges as opportunities for learning and skill building, you will not continue to get caught in negativity. By changing your mindset, the experience of being overwhelmed at work is now a point of personal development.

Building resilience is not a switch, it is a commitment to small improvements regularly. And over time these more intentional practices will be a way to respond to workplace stress with clarity and control: so that at the end of your most challenging days you may walk away feeling empowered rather than defeated.

With these intentional practices, you thoughtfully recharge and get centered on busy days.

How Managers Can Help Prevent Workplace Stress

Managers play a key part in creating a workplace culture where their employees can thrive. When employees are feeling overwhelmed at work, it is often because of, not only the workload but also how that workload is managed and communicated. How a manager communicates and assigns tasks can either add to the stress of the workplace or alleviate it.

Here are a few ways managers can do the work to help their teams and prevent burnout:

• Communication

Allow your team to have a safe space to have conversations about their stress, workload, or not understanding something. Regular check-ins and an open-door policy will allow for employees to feel they are being heard.

When employees feel they have permission to state their concerns early and openly, you are able to help remove the buildup of frustration and stress that causes them to feel overwhelmed at work or burnout. This level of communication is built on trust, and allows you to address concerns before they spiral.

• Set Realistic Expectations

A significant part of workplace stress comes from unrealistic deadlines and expectations. Managers should do their best to align employee goals with actual capacities.

When working on large, complex projects, work with your team to break large tasks into manageable phases with timelines so each phase has a clear expectation. Support your employees that will give them the resources, autonomy and support to finish the task on time and that will help reduce the pressure and feelings of being overwhelmed.

• Provide Employee Support Resources

Companies that support employee wellness are likely to have professional development trainings, flexible hours, wellness programs, or someone to talk to for counseling, etc. 

Reinforce the idea of taking mental health days, without guilt, and remind them of available support. These are simple yet powerful ways to show employees that they are not alone when they are feeling overwhelmed at work.

• Model Healthy Work Habits

Employees tend to mirror the people who lead them. When managers always make themselves available after hours, or can never take a break, the entire team may feel that they must adopt that normal. 

Be a good role model for your team: take time off, set boundaries with your work day, and talk openly about balancing workloads. This gives your team permission to proactively address their stress.

• Recognize and Give Thanks

The recognition of employees’ effort, acknowledging that extra effort might be required if the outcome is successful, can help when trying to keep morale high and employees engaged. Boasting your success to your boss, supervisor, or other colleagues with “thank you” will encourage others to engage in similar promotion of teamwork, collaboration, and success.

Ensuring to take the time to recognize successes, whether great or small, allows employees to feel valued by bringing down the emotional burden that leads to stress and feeling overwhelmed at work.

By being proactive within the areas identified, managers will have positively supported the mental well-being of their team, and developed a more resilient and motivated employee pool to achieve positive outcomes. Managing stress is not solely a personal responsibility; it is everyone’s responsibility and recognizing an employees effort is essential as an effective leader.

Conclusion

It’s a common struggle to feel overwhelmed at work, but you don’t have to let it take over your life. By being aware of the signs, knowing what may be causing your overwhelm, and implementing some smart coping techniques (like prioritization, breaks, boundaries, and seeking help) you can take back control and transform your mental well-being.

Advocating for long-term resilience building and supportive management is ideal for sustaining health at work. Start today! Identify your top stressors to see how you can apply one or two of the strategies outlined here.

Most importantly, remember that resolving overwhelm takes time — take it smart step-by-step.

If you liked this article, please share with coworkers or friends who may be feeling overwhelmed. Also, don’t be afraid to develop a personal coping plan that works for you!

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