How do I stop my emotions from becoming too overwhelming?
17 Answers
Last Updated: 04/12/2022 at 7:29pm
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Alex DS Ellis, MA, LMFT
Marriage & Family Therapist
Feeling depressed or anxious can be so overwhelming. I want to help you feel better and be able to enjoy life. You are not alone and you deserve emotional support.
Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
April 21st, 2015 5:44pm
Focus on the moment and live in it. The past cannot be changed, only learned from and the future failures may be experiences that direct you to another, more suitable path. Yes, this is one of the hardest things to learn how to do, but if you can live in the moment, it does help. It makes emotions easier to process when you focus on the current time and not worry so much about the past or future.
sometimes, i do yoga to keep myself calm or even do my breathing exercises to bring down my anxiety levels! I also make sure to map out the things that stress me out the most, and reward myself for completing them whenever i do!
To stop my emotions from becoming too overwhelming I have to stop and take a breather and just relax. Think about how I'm feeling and what made me feel this way. Think of possible solutions to overcome my feelings.
Anonymous
April 12th, 2022 7:29pm
To stop your emotions from becoming too overwhelming you can take a piece of paper and write out everything you're feeling or thinking. Write all your emotions down while being honest to yourself. You can also type it all out on a document if that works best for you. Another method is to vocalize your emotions as you are experiencing them. You can say out loud or to yourself, "I am experiencing feelings of anxiousness" or "I am experiencing anger and I think I know why." It's important to keep in mind that all your emotions are valid, but that doesn't mean that they have to take control of you. Re-center yourself and remember that it's okay to not feel okay all the time. Do what you can and feel as much as you need to. Sometimes it is also a good idea to take a walk outside and experience different aspects of life that may be unrelated to what you're feeling right now.
Every time you feel that your emotions might overwhelm you soon, stop, close your eyes if you can and breathe deeply. Try not to think about anything. Count 10 breathes in&out and then open your eyes and continue with your life. Sometimes what we need is to clear our mind, give it some time, and stop thinking for a moment. Overthinking usually contributes a lot into situations when ourt emotions seem overwhelming to us. We are thinking about every aspect that influences us so much we make it enormous and complicated. Stop the thoughts for a while. It can give you a new perspective and a new point of view. :)
Anonymous
June 5th, 2018 6:23am
You think about them sure, but try and get a more positive light on them if you can. Otherwise try and ignore them from your life if they are stopping you from moving forwards, create new emotions to help distract yourself and you can even do that on your own, make yur own memories and projcts to start feelin different about the thing you found so overwhelming. (:
Sometimes it's helpful for me to imagine my emotions as a storm in the sky, when you're sucked into the middle of them - it feels like its all encompassing and overwhelming. But once you remember your experience is that you are the entire sky - the clouds and storm is just moving through you - then it helps give a bit of breathing room to start to relax and watch the storm roll off, or start picking apart what might be making me so stormy presently.
You can think about why you are having said emotions. Take a break - such as doing a small yet beneficially breathing exercise. While counting to 10, breathe in and out slowly for each number you count.
Its not about stopping the emotions. More like how to deal with them. The idea is to give yourself space and time to do so.
Taking a step back and deep breaths help. Steadying yourself physically, will help emotionally as well. Distractions such as reading, drawing, playing games etc, all help to reduce the negative emotions. Being outside and surrounding yourself with friends/loved ones of your choosing can help steady your emotions and help you feel more relaxed and in control.
Anonymous
November 16th, 2015 1:50am
Get back to the basics. Look at the situation and consider whether you are making it larger than it really is. Take a few moments to just close your eyes and breathe. Think of happy or comforting thoughts. Practice maybe trying to see yourself from a different perspective?
I try to accept those emotions first, so I can cope with them in a healthier way. Breathing also helps to keep me grounded. I try to see the bigger picture, and more often than not I find myself dwelling in the past or afraid of what's yet to come...Switching my focus to the present really helps me overcome those emotions.
Sometimes I try to express those emotions by writing them down. It's beneficial in the process of releasing them, and it also helps me notice if there's certain patterns or cycles that I need to break.
Anonymous
July 28th, 2015 10:13am
Listen to music - music can directly impact your mood, so listen to uplifting or upbeat music, and avoid depressing/heavy music such as emo, screamo and metal.
Writing in a journal helps to express and sort emotions.
Hobby - Do a hobby you enjoy or think you'll enjoy. Immerse yourself in it. It doesn't have to be expensive or difficult. As long as it's interesting it will serve the purpose.
Anonymous
June 7th, 2015 7:02pm
Breathe through it. Remember you have felt this way before. You have survived these feelings before and you will survive them again, because they will pass. I find it helpful to recognize and acknowledge the feeling, to let it be with you for a moment, and then simply to let it move on. At a certain point, if the emotions continue to overwhelm you and don't seem to be moving through their course, you may find it useful to reach out to a friend or family member or to write in a journal in order to direct those feelings out of your head and into the world.
Anonymous
June 5th, 2015 8:56am
By listening to them. When our emotions become too overwhelming we try to ignore them, thinking if we ignore them, they will go away, but they don't. Listen to what your internal voice is trying to tell you.
A long time I tried to push negative feelings away. But there are no negative emotions there a just unpleasant one. I learned to embrace all emotions to welcome them and to accept them.
Anonymous
May 4th, 2015 4:01pm
It is important to take time to relax and find a way of expressing these emotions. https://www.7cups.com/help-managing-emotions is a guide on managing emotions that might help.
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