Overwhelm tends to sneak up on you.
The first thing any of us thinks is how do we make this feeling stop.
It all started with an innocent plan — three weeks of grandkid duty. We love our grandchildren, but as longtime empty nesters, we’re not exactly conditioned for life with a two‑year‑old named Mason in the house.
One night, I was juggling bedtime for Mason, a kitchen still in disarray, a granddaughter eager for me to watch her swim, and two wiener dogs trailing my every move. Halfway up the stairs, one of the dogs took a tumble — rolling lengthwise like a cylinder down eight or nine steps. I have never seen anything like it. My panicked yell brought my husband running, convinced the toddler had fallen.
At this juncture, he was fine.
But a little later Mason fell out of bed. It wasn’t a deep cut, but boy did it bleed. The funny thing is, he didn’t even wake up. By the time I got Mason cleaned up and settled for the second time, my heart was pounding, my mind was racing, and I found myself wondering, how in the world am I going to keep this up for three whole weeks?
That night reminded me that overwhelm doesn’t always come from one major crisis. More often, it’s a dozen small demands colliding at once — just like it does in your everyday life.
Your brain starts juggling too many ‘urgent’ things, your body goes into overdrive, and before you know it, you’re stuck in what feels like a spiral of overwhelm.
The good news? You can interrupt it before it takes you under.
What Is Overwhelm?
When your life spins with all of the things you are trying to balance, your mind and body both start sending distress signals. Your heart races. Your thoughts pile up. I personally get a tingly feeling in my head. You can almost feel the muscles in your neck and shoulders tightening into knots.
This is overwhelm. I think of it as a form of spontaneous anxiousness. And it’s sneaky. It doesn’t ask permission. But the good news is, you can train yourself to hit ‘pause’ before it takes over.
Tools to Pause and Reset from an Overwhelmed State
These are what I call interrupt habits — tiny, in‑the‑moment actions that stop the spiral, help you breathe, and let your brain reset so you can choose your next move instead of reacting to the chaos.
- The 5‑5‑5 Grounding Breath – Inhale for 5 seconds, hold for 5, exhale for 5. Repeat three times. This tells your body, “I’m safe,” even when things feel anything but calm. If nothing else, it helps your racing heart slow down and regulate.
- Scripture Swap – Replace the anxious thought with a short verse you’ve memorized. I like the simple, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Sometimes I just picture Jesus reaching his hand down to me.
- Movement Break – Stand, stretch, or walk around for 60 seconds. Roll your shoulders, unclench your jaw, and let your body remind your mind that you’re okay.
- Two‑Minute Brain Dump – Write down everything swirling in your head. No editing. Then pick just one thing to act on now.
- Reconnect With the Senses – Notice one thing you can see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. It pulls you into the present instead of the “what ifs.”
- Calendar Reality Check – Look at the next 24 hours and cross out what isn’t essential. Everything doesn’t have to happen today.
- Gratitude Focus – Name three specific things you’re grateful for right now. Gratitude shifts the whole internal conversation.
Faith and the Anchor in Chaos
The truth is, life won’t always slow down just because we want it to. And ultimately, we are not the one in control, but even in the whirlwind of life, we can choose to anchor ourselves in God, He never changes. Interrupt habits help us catch our breath, but it’s God’s presence that truly restores our peace.
As Psalm 62:5 reminds us, “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.”
At my age, I do know “this too shall pass”, but for some reason, in the height of all the colliding needs, it sometimes feels too big to handle. It can sneak up on any of us.
Life spins. But God stands still.
And that’s where we find our anchor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the first signs of anxiety, and how can I respond in the moment?
Early signs of anxiety often show up in the body before we even notice them mentally — a racing heart, shallow breathing, tight shoulders, or a general sense of restlessness. Emotionally, you may feel overwhelmed, irritable, or like your thoughts are racing faster than you can keep up.
When you catch those signals, that’s your cue to pause. Try an interrupt habit like the 5-5-5 Grounding Breath (inhale for 5 seconds, hold for 5, exhale for 5) or a quick two-minute brain dump. These small actions give your mind and body space to reset — and help you choose your next step more calmly.
How can I calm anxiety quickly without medication?
Calming anxiety naturally starts with engaging your nervous system through grounding and movement. Breathing deeply, stretching your body, focusing on your senses, or even stepping outside for fresh air can make a real difference in just a few minutes.
For many, anchoring in faith also brings powerful peace. Repeating a short verse like “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) or simply whispering a prayer helps re-center the heart. These small practices can break the cycle of anxious thoughts and bring a moment of calm into even the busiest day.
Why does anxiety feel worse at night?
Nighttime anxiety often feels stronger because the distractions of the day are gone, and your mind finally has space to process everything it’s been holding. That mental quiet can quickly become a storm of racing thoughts, worries, or what-ifs.
To manage this, try a nighttime version of an interrupt habit: write down your thoughts in a brain dump, do a short breathing exercise, or say a calming verse out loud. Even something simple like dimming the lights, stretching, or turning on soft worship music can help signal to your body and mind that it’s time to rest — not spiral.
What role does faith play in managing anxiety?
Faith may not erase anxiety, but it gives us something solid to hold onto when life feels shaky — reminding us that God holds us, even when we can’t hold everything together. Believing that God is present — even in the chaos — can anchor your soul and help you access peace, not just calm. Scripture, prayer, and spiritual practices remind us that we’re not the ones holding everything together.
As Psalm 62:5 says, “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.” Faith reframes anxiety: it’s not just something to get rid of — it’s a place to meet God.
