Feeling Overwhelmed? Why It's a Sign of Positive Growth (And How to Cope)

“I'm feeling really anxious right now. Like I'm not making the right choices or doing the right things in the proper order," my client confided, her voice tightening with worry. I offered her a reassuring smile.

"That feeling of being overwhelmed? It's actually a good thing."

Her brow furrowed in confusion, so I continued, "Overwhelm is a positive sign - it means you're experiencing energetic expansion."

When we find ourselves feeling overwhelmed, it simply means that we have expanded our energy faster than our human consciousness can handle in that moment.

It's like driving 200 miles per hour while our brain screams "Slow down! I can't read the signs!"

Overwhelm arises when there is unconscious resistance to new growth.

Overwhelm indicates friction between our expanded desires and the unconscious fears trying to keep us confined to the familiar. It serves as an internal alert that we are venturing into new territory that challenges our conditioned ways of being. It’s a sign that we are butting up against our ingrained limiting beliefs or emotional blocks holding us back from expansion. While quite uncomfortable in the moment, this friction is presenting an opportunity for positive change.

However, it's important to distinguish between healthy, necessary overwhelm that comes from growth, and unhealthy overwhelm stemming from unsustainable situations. As Eckhart Tolle said:

"Whenever there is resistance to the moment, there is unconscious overwhelm."

In?cases?of?healthy?overwhelm,?the?solution?isn't?avoidance?but?allowing?ourselves?to?reset.?Instead?of?falling?into?a?frantic?state?of?trying?to?"fix"?the?overwhelm?by?doing?more?in?less?time,?we?need?to?give?ourselves?permission?to?temporarily?retreat.

Fighting against the feeling of overwhelm only creates more friction and resistance.

Pause?and?do?something?different.

It's time to let go of external pressures, deadlines, and the expectations of others.

Take a break by doing something completely unrelated to the source of your overwhelm. Go for a walk, read a book, watch a comedy - anything that allows your psyche to catch up to the energetic expansion you are experiencing. You can also practice meditation or do some journaling to release tension.

During this reprieve, let your mind relax and release the pressure and urgency it has attached to tasks and timelines. As the poet Rumi wrote, "There is a life-truth that life is too short for anything but the highest bliss possible to soul."

When you return to your responsibilities, approach them from a place of ease by asking…

What feels good in this moment?

Where is my attention naturally drawn?

What am I inspired to do?

Follow the path of least resistance, accomplishing tasks that don't provoke struggle or friction. As you complete each item, that sense of being "behind" will dissipate. Continue cycling through this process until the overwhelm dissolves.

However, if the overwhelm persists despite attempts to reset, it may signal a bigger issue like anxiety, depression or burnout. In these cases, it's wise to seek outside support from a therapist or coach to explore the root causes and navigate a sustainable path forward.

?Overwhelm?surfaces?because?we?are?pushing?past?unconscious?barriers?and?protective?mechanisms?that?tend?to?keep?us?small.?

Our psyche raises internal alarms questioning "Why are you doing this?" It's a moment of stepping into unknown territory, and that unfamiliarity breeds anxiety. By pausing and giving ourselves space, we regroup and gain firmer footing to move forward.

The key is not fighting our emotions, but recognizing that feeling overwhelmed simply means "I can't keep up with the current pace of expansion."

A temporary retreat provides time and space needed to realign and refocus, just like an archer who must step back to draw the bow before releasing the arrow.

Three main culprits tend to invite overwhelm:

1. Fear

When the mind becomes fixated on a perceived threat or painful situation, such as business struggles, money challenges, or a personal crisis, it tends to engage in frantic, anxious thought patterns. The more the mind obsesses over worst-case scenarios, the more overwhelmed and frustrated we become. We start believing the situation is hopeless or the solutions are beyond our reach which makes it even harder to take constructive action.

2. Lack?of?boundaries

We place others' opinions, perspectives and priorities over our own judgement and desires. When we let external demands rule our manifestation, we lose our center and fall out of alignment with our own vision.

3. Exaggerated?self-expectations

We push ourselves harder than our natural flow allows, forgetting that inspired action arises from being, not forceful doing. When we place unrealistic demands on ourselves based on distorted beliefs about how much we "should" be able to accomplish, we override our body's innate signals about its true needs and capacities in the moment, leading to burnout and overwhelm.

To?overcome?this?cycle,?we?must?ask:?

What?resonates?with?me??

What?inspires?me?in?this?moment??

When we realign with our true desires and highest vision, manifesting becomes easeful rather than forced. The world conforms to our energy, rather than us manipulating reality through struggle.

Embrace?the?overwhelm,?for?it?signals?your?energetic?growth.?

Honor it by taking a conscious pause to realign. From this space of regained inner calm and clarity, you can then continue along your path of expansion.

What if this feeling of being overwhelmed is actually a sign that I'm energetically expanding and growing in amazing ways?

How can I lean into this new growth and release old beliefs that no longer serve me?

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Dagmar Fleming is the founder of Unlock Your Success Programs for entrepreneurs who want to accelerate their growth, increase their income, and realize their potential.

She's also the founder of The Athena Circle community organization for women who want to live a life of passion, purpose, and prosperity.