Overwhelm Is Reversible. Here Are the Best Strategies From Psychology and Neuroscience | Claudia Hammond
Claudia Hammond, Visiting Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Sussex, discusses how to define and cope with overwhelm. She shares evidence-based strategies, including a three-part recipe for handling overwhelm, antidotes for comparing mind, and ways to manage procrastination and news consumption.
Deep Dive Analysis
16 Topic Outline
Defining Overwhelm and Its Modern Causes
Accepting the Ever-Present To-Do List
The Power of Gratitude Lists
Why Perfectionism is Futile and Harmful
Balancing Confidence with Humility
Self-Compassion and the Comparing Mind
Reappraising Stress as Excitement
Understanding and Overcoming Procrastination
Strategies for Managing News Overwhelm
Learning from Regret Without Dwelling
The Liberation of Limited Choices
Effective Techniques for Worrying Less
The Critical Importance of Taking Breaks
The Psychological Benefits of Nostalgia
Cultivating a Flow State for Absorption
Developing a Personal Anti-Overwhelm Prescription
10 Key Concepts
Overwhelm
Overwhelm is defined as feeling that everything is 'all too much,' with an increasing number of tasks and limited time, leading to potential burnout or daily life pressure. This feeling can stem from both external demands like responsibilities and internal pressures such as perfectionism.
Cognitive Offloading
Cognitive offloading is the process of externalizing information from your brain, such as by writing down a to-do list. This action frees up mental resources, allowing the mind to relax and potentially helping individuals fall asleep faster by reducing the need to remember tasks.
Perfectionism
Perfectionism is the tendency to hold oneself to excessively high standards, believing one must be perfect and excel at all times. This trait is linked to a greater fear of failure, insecurity, self-blame, overwork, burnout, and increased risks of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, without actually leading to better performance or greater happiness.
Imposter Phenomenon (Imposter Syndrome)
The Imposter Phenomenon, commonly known as imposter syndrome, is the feeling that everyone else knows what they are doing, and one's own successes are undeserved or fraudulent, despite objective evidence of competence. It leads individuals to believe they are 'fake' and will eventually be exposed.
Self-Compassion
Self-compassion involves treating oneself with the same kindness, understanding, and acceptance one would offer a good friend, especially during times of failure or difficulty. It counters negative self-talk and the pressure to compare oneself to others, fostering a sense of acceptance and reducing internal pressure.
Stress is Enhancing Mindset
A 'stress is enhancing mindset' is the belief that stress can be beneficial, sharpening thinking and aiding concentration, rather than being debilitating. This reframing allows individuals to turn stress into an advantage, improving performance and leading to a more adaptive physiological response, such as a balanced cortisol profile.
Procrastination
Procrastination is primarily an emotion management problem, not merely a time management issue, often driven by a fear of failure or discomfort with a task. While it provides short-term relief by delaying the task, it typically causes more trouble and unhappiness later on.
Psychological Distancing
Psychological distancing is a technique to reduce worry by talking about one's concerns in the third person (e.g., 'Claudia is worried about X') rather than the first person ('I am worried about X'). This method can help generate more rational perspectives and reduce emotional intensity by creating a sense of detachment.
Nostalgia
Nostalgia is a bittersweet emotion involving a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past. When deliberately engaged with, it can boost mood, increase self-esteem and optimism, foster pride, connect one to their past self, and provide a sense of continuity and meaning in life.
Flow State
A flow state is a state of complete absorption and focused concentration on an activity, characterized by clear goals, immediate feedback, and a balance between one's skills and the challenges of the task. Individuals in flow often describe feeling 'out of time' and deeply engaged, leading to a sense of enjoyment and accomplishment.
14 Questions Answered
Overwhelm is defined as feeling that everything is 'all too much,' with an increasing number of tasks and limited time, leading to potential burnout or daily life pressure, stemming from both external demands and internal perfectionistic standards.
While the word 'overwhelm' is used more now and mental health problems are rising, historical figures like Socrates and Kierkegaard worried about busyness, suggesting the feeling is ancient, though modern factors like technology and global news amplify it.
Writing down a to-do list helps with 'cognitive offloading,' getting the tasks out of your brain, which allows people to fall asleep faster (e.g., 15 minutes faster in studies) because their mind isn't actively trying to remember everything.
Extreme perfectionism is linked to a greater fear of failure, insecurity, self-blame, overwork, burnout, and increased depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, without actually leading to better performance or greater happiness.
Self-compassion involves treating oneself with the same kindness and understanding as a friend, acknowledging that everyone is human and makes mistakes, which helps counter negative self-talk and the pressure to compare oneself to others.
Not all stress is bad; nerves can sharpen thinking and help focus. Reappraising stress as excitement, especially when it's for something that matters to you, can turn it into an advantage, improving performance and leading to a more adaptive physiological response.
Procrastination is often an emotion management problem, stemming from a fear of failure or discomfort with a task, rather than just a time management issue. It can be tackled by recognizing the pattern, breaking tasks into smaller parts, using 'if-then' strategies, reframing tasks, and practicing self-forgiveness.
To avoid news overwhelm, one can disable news alerts, choose specific reliable sources, set fixed times for news consumption, and opt for in-depth analysis over constant headlines, also acknowledging that excessive consumption can be more traumatizing than direct experience.
Regret is not always negative; it can be useful for learning from past decisions, as shown by studies where children who felt regret learned to make different choices. However, dwelling on regret for things not done can lead to rumination and idealization of alternative lives.
Too many choices can be overwhelming and tiring, increasing the opportunity for regret and decision fatigue. Limiting choices, especially for minor decisions, can free up mental energy for more meaningful choices and reduce overall pressure.
A successful strategy is to set aside a specific 'worry time' (e.g., 10 minutes a day) to sit and write down all worries, deliberately focusing on them during that period, and then postponing worries that arise at other times until the designated worry time.
Taking breaks and resting are hugely important for psychological well-being and mental health, improving performance and reducing stress (e.g., surgeons taking breaks during operations). One should not feel guilty about resting, as it is a necessary component of productivity and well-being.
Deliberately engaging with nostalgic memories can boost mood, increase self-esteem and optimism, foster pride, connect one to their past self, and even provide pain relief. It can also make people more empathetic and kinder.
A flow state is achieved when there's a balance between one's skills and the challenges of an activity, with clear goals, immediate feedback, and a sense of control. It's often found in creative pursuits, hobbies, or tasks that are absorbing but not overly stressful.
31 Actionable Insights
1. Cultivate Self-Compassion
Apply the ‘Would you say this to a friend?’ test to negative self-talk and practice compassionate self-touch to reassure yourself after mistakes, fostering self-kindness and alleviating pressure.
2. Abandon Perfectionism
Recognize that the pursuit of perfection is futile and often leads to fear of failure, insecurity, and burnout without improving performance, so focus on strengths and accept being ‘good enough’.
3. Reappraise Stress as Excitement
Reframe physical stress responses like a racing heart as excitement, understanding that these feelings often signify something important to you and can sharpen your focus.
4. Accept Ever-Present To-Do List
Understand that your to-do list will always exist and that’s okay; don’t feel oppressed by it, and accept that not everything needs to be completed immediately.
5. Write To-Do List Before Bed
Cognitively offload your next day’s tasks by writing them down before sleep, which helps you fall asleep faster by preventing mental rumination.
6. Practice Daily Gratitude
Each night, write down three good things that happened and reflect on why they were meaningful, actively looking for positives to counter negative biases.
7. Prioritize Breaks and Rest
View taking breaks and resting as crucial for psychological well-being and mental health, not as laziness, and actively work to overcome any associated guilt.
8. Prioritize Important Tasks First
Begin your workday by tackling the most important and difficult task before checking emails or engaging in other distractions, and prepare your workspace the night before.
9. Forgive Past Procrastination
If you’ve procrastinated, forgive yourself instead of self-flagellating, as self-forgiveness has been shown to reduce the likelihood of repeating the behavior.
10. Break Down Daunting Tasks
Divide large or overwhelming tasks into smaller, more manageable parts to make them less intimidating and more motivating, leveraging immediate rewards from completing small steps.
11. Use ‘If-Then’ Planning
Proactively decide how you will handle potential distractions or challenges by setting ‘if-then’ rules to stick to your goals and avoid being sidetracked.
12. Limit News Consumption Strategically
Disable news alerts, choose specific reliable sources, and set fixed times for consuming news (e.g., ’no news before noon’ or after dinner) to reduce overwhelm and emotional drain.
13. Gain Perspective on Worries
Practice mental time travel (imagining your future self looking back) or psychological distancing (discussing worries in the third person) to evaluate their accuracy and significance.
14. Schedule Dedicated Worry Time
Designate a specific 10-minute period each day to consciously address your worries, and during other times, actively postpone worries until your scheduled time.
15. Embrace Uncertainty
Cultivate acceptance of life’s inherent uncertainties, recognizing that nothing is certain and finding ways to live with that reality.
16. Adopt Altruistic Mindset
Focus on being of benefit to others, as an outward-focused, altruistic mindset can help mitigate personal fears and provide a sense of purpose.
17. Seek Flow States
Identify and engage in activities that allow you to become completely absorbed, with clear goals and immediate feedback, where the challenge balances your skills, to experience moments of focused concentration.
18. Deliberately Induce Nostalgia
Consciously recall and immerse yourself in positive, nostalgic memories (especially those congruent with your present self or from the recent past) to boost mood, self-esteem, and optimism.
19. Automate Small Decisions
Reduce decision fatigue by automating minor choices, such as daily attire or lunch, to free up mental energy for more meaningful decisions.
20. Understand Your Biology for Health
Get data from lab tests and track biomarkers to understand what’s happening inside your body, enabling you to make health resolutions based on your biology rather than guesswork.
21. Engage in Meditation Practices
Utilize guided meditations, meditation challenges, and live Q&A sessions to cultivate mindfulness, manage stress, and foster mental well-being.
22. Spend Time in Nature
Engage with nature or take ‘awe walks’ to experience a sense of wonder and gain perspective on your personal problems, reminding you that life continues beyond your immediate concerns.
23. Track Worry Resolution Time
Observe and note how quickly your worries are resolved in reality, which can help put their actual impact into perspective and reduce future anxiety.
24. Seek Nuanced News Coverage
Beyond headlines, actively seek out in-depth, nuanced articles or solution-focused journalism to gain a more complete understanding of events and avoid feeling helpless.
25. Avoid Counterfactual Regret
Once a choice is made, avoid looking for alternative outcomes or ‘what-ifs’ that might induce regret and undermine your current decisions.
26. Practice Psychological Distancing
Discuss your worries in the third person (e.g., ‘Claudia is worried…’) to create emotional distance, enabling a more rational and factual assessment of the situation.
27. Reflect on Past Coping
Recall past instances of resilience and how you dealt with setbacks to build confidence and motivate yourself when facing new challenges or temptations to procrastinate.
28. Challenge Worries with Evidence
Treat your worries as a case in court, asking for concrete evidence to support their likelihood, which helps you assess their accuracy and rationality.
29. Cultivate Expansive Realism
Develop an accurate understanding of your capabilities and limitations, accepting that you are ‘good enough’ and don’t need to excel at everything.
30. Practice Humility
Embrace humility, as it is valued in relationships and can lead to better self-assessment and reduced pressure to always be right or perfect.
31. Change Self-Imposed Standards
If experiencing internal overwhelm, identify and adjust the unrealistic standards you set for yourself, allowing for a more sustainable and less stressful approach to life.
6 Key Quotes
beware the barrenness of a busy life.
Socrates
of all ridiculous things, the most ridiculous seems to me to be a man who's brisk about his food and his work.
Soren Kierkegaard
We say much meaner things to ourselves than we would ever dream of saying to a friend.
Claudia Hammond
This stress is excitement. You know, I'm feeling excited here. And the reason I'm feeling excited... is because this matters to me.
Claudia Hammond
procrastination... is more of an emotion management problem.
Claudia Hammond
It's not like all of these different things will work for every single different person. So it is a question of developing your own anti-overwhelm prescription from all these different suggestions and to experiment a bit and see, well, which ones really work for me and which ones don't.
Claudia Hammond
3 Protocols
Gratitude List / Three Good Things
Claudia Hammond- Write down three good things that have happened that day.
- Think about why those things were meaningful or enjoyable to you.
Compassionate Self-Touch
Claudia Hammond- Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly.
- Take a couple of deep breaths.
- Bring to mind something that is bothering you, such as a mistake you've made.
- Spend a moment thinking, 'I tried my best. I am human. I'll learn from this. I won't do this again. But I was really trying.'
- Reassure yourself with what a friend would say: 'We're all human. We all fail sometimes. And this is me and that's okay. This doesn't mean I'm bad.'
Worry Time
Claudia Hammond- Set aside 10 minutes a day specifically for worrying.
- Sit at a table with a piece of paper and a pen.
- Write down your list of worries and actively think about those worries during this designated time.
- If worries arise at other times of the day, try to banish them and tell yourself, 'No, I'm not worrying about that now, because I've got my worry time for that.' (You must adhere to the worry time for this to work).