Feeling overwhelmed often happens when the demands of balancing work, caregiving, and financial pressures, become too great. Overwhelm often begins when responsibilities  become too heavy and we are unable to find the time, energy, support, or emotional capacity to deal with it. During high peaks of stress, it is common to lose touch with oneself and as a result personal needs become secondary, and the varying roles we take on becomes prioritized over wellness. 

Feelings of overwhelm rarely exist on its own, oftentimes it is met with feelings of anxiety, frustration, guilt, sadness, and fatigue thus making it difficult to determine what to prioritize first. As a result, we might have ourselves stuck in a loop of "I have too much to do" without a clear path forward. Feeling overwhelmed is a natural response to environmental stressors and it serves as a reminder that your mind and body may need rest, support, or changes to help restore balance. 

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​​Feeling overwhelmed can also have negative effects on our mental wellness and our sense of self. Many people pride themselves in their ability to take on multiple roles at once: employee, student, caregiver, spouse etc but in many cases this can lead to being in a constant state of exhaustion, stress and in more severe cases blurred lines between your role(s) and your core identity. When your core identity becomes entrenched in your role(s), issues that might appear seemingly small are perceived as threats to self i.e. manager makes a comment regarding your performance at work and instead of viewing it through the lens of constructive criticism you might view it through the lens of judgement against your personal character; a minor project setback becomes a personal failure; a child's difficult day at school is interpreted as an attack on your parenting. When the roles become intertwined as part of your core identity (what you do vs who you are), there is no separation between professional setbacks and your core identity.

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Feelings of overwhelm can have negative effects on our mental, physical and emotional wellness and it is important to recognize when life stressors become too great. ​​

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• Mental Wellness: Feelings of overwhelm clouds cognitive function, leading to forgetfulness, poor concentration, indecisiveness, and an impending feeling of dread. It can spiral into clinical anxiety or depression, making it hard to find joy in previously loved activities.

• Physical Wellness: The body keeps score. Feelings of overwhelm can manifest as tension headaches, muscle pain, digestive issues, a weakened immune system (leading to frequent illness), high blood pressure, and chronic fatigue. Sleep often becomes minimal as stress and role fatigue increases, creating a vicious cycle where exhaustion diminishes our ability to cope.

• Emotional Wellness: As feelings of overwhelm increase we might become emotionally reactive, feel burnout, snapping at loved ones or withdrawing entirely. Patience tends to become spread thin, empathy for others and ourselves start to diminish, and we may experience a dulling of emotions as a protective mechanism, leading to a sense of numbness or apathy.

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The Dagara Medicine Wheel can be used as a holistic guide to help us  recognize the various elements of self that we need to pay attention to. When feelings of overwhelm arise, the Dagara Medicine Wheel can help serve as a tool on how to best navigate addressing feelings of overwhelm holistically.​

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1. Earth (Basic Needs & Safety)

The earth element on the Dagara Medicine wheel represents your basic needs and safety. When feelings of overwhelm transpire, the earth element is the first place to assess since the earth element is the foundation for all elements. When basic needs are unmet it is impossible to place focus on other ailments of self. 

•  Conduct a "safety assessment" on your current situation. Are you sleeping enough? Have you eaten a proper meal today? Is your living space cluttered to the point of chaos? Do you have a stable income or a clear plan for your next bill? 

• Create a simple, non-negotiable routine for sleep and meals. Declutter one small corner of your home. If financial stress is the root, break it down into the smallest possible next step (e.g., "Today, I will just open my bank account and look"). Stabilizing your Earth element creates the solid ground from which all other healing can grow.

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2. Mineral (Sense of Self & Belonging)

The Mineral element represents your identity, your values, your boundaries, and your connection to your community. Overwhelm erodes one's sense of self, making you feel like you don't know who you are outside of your role(s).

• Reconnect with your core values and your intrinsic worth. Ask yourself: "What do I stand for? What are my non-negotiables?" Then, examine your sense of belonging. Are you surrounded by people who see and value the real you, or only your "productive" self? Strengthen this element by setting firm boundaries (e.g., "I do not answer work emails outside of work hours") and carving out time to connect with a community where you are valued for your character, not just your output. Reaffirm to yourself that your worth is inherent, not earned through productivity.

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3. Water (Emotions)

The Water element represents your emotions i.e., grief, joy, and your capacity to easily transition from one emotional state to the next without extremes . When you are feeling overwhelmed, the water element often becomes stagnant, polluted with unprocessed anxiety, guilt, and frustration, or it evaporates quickly, leaving you feeling numb.

• Allow your emotions to flow freely rather than suppressing them. This doesn't mean acting on every feeling, but acknowledging them. Create a safe space for emotional release: write in a journal without holding back, allow yourself to cry, practice breathwork to move trapped energy, or engage in creative expression like painting or music. Name your emotions out loud: "I am feeling overwhelmed".

Water teaches us that emotions are meant to move, they come in waves, and if we let them pass through us rather than bottling them up, they lose their power to drown us.

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4. Fire (Behavioral Responses to External Stress & Burnout)

Fire is your behavioral response to external events and is reflective of your motivation, drive, and how you actively respond to the outside world. When your fire element is under too much stress, it stops being a warm, guiding light and becomes a destructive wildfire, consuming your energy and leading to full blown burnout.

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• Assess how you are channeling your fire. Are you in a constant state of "fight or flight"? Are you saying "yes" to everything and burning through your boundaries? To tend to the fire element, you must intentionally slow down. Introduce calmness throughout your day by truly honoring your break time and taking time for yourself to go on a short walk, or practicing a grounding breathing exercise. Learn to discern between urgent and non-important tasks. Choose where you want to pour your energy into. If you feel the heat of burnout rising, which is a symptom of feelings of overwhelm, actively withdraw yourself from non-essential commitments or make time for yourself and do something that will promote fulfillment and wellness. Protect your flame so it can guide you, not consume you.

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5. Nature (Transitions & Change)

Nature is the element of transitions and change. The nature element reminds us that life is not static. We are constantly moving through seasons of planting, growing, harvesting, and resting. Feelings of overwhelm often peaks when we resist a necessary transition/change or try to stay in one season (like constant work mode) when nature is calling for balanced change. Pouring all of our energy into one role can easily burn us out, similarly resisting welcoming change in a new role can make things feel more daunting and heavy. The nature element asks us to not become stuck in one season, It's important to take part in other meaningful activities, including taking some alone time for yourself, to avoid becoming stuck and/or overwhelmed. 

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• Look at your current state through the lens of seasons. Are you in a season of intense work (summer) but refusing to allow a season of rest (winter)? Honor where you are in your life's cycle. If you are going through a major transition such as a new job, a loss, or a move, treat yourself with the same grace you would give a friend in that situation. Practice surrender; nature teaches us that we cannot force a flower to bloom before its time. Let go of the illusion of control and instead, flow with the changes while also allowing yourself to recover during periods of rest. Ask yourself: "What is this transition asking me to release? What new growth is it inviting?".

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It is important to know when to reach out for support before feelings of overwhelm turn into a mental health crisis. While the use of the Dagara Medicine Wheel is great in promoting healing and wellness it is not meant to act as a substitute for professional intervention or as an isolated tool for support. When emotions feel too heavy it's best to reach out for help. At Lula Women's Helpline our goal is to prevent life stressors from turning into a mental health crisis. We take feelings of overwhelm seriously and will help you work through your emotions so it becomes more manageable. We also can connect you with further support from mental health therapist and legal professionals in the community should you need it 

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Consider seeking professional support if you experience any of the following:

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• Persistent Dysfunction: You have difficulty getting out of bed, maintaining basic hygiene, or performing your job duties for several days in a row, despite your best efforts to utilize coping strategies.

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• Unstable Earth and Water element: If you are currently living in unsafe conditions, experiencing job loss, financial insecurity that threaten your ability to function, reaching out for help is your main priority. There are supports available that can help assist you with ensuring your basic needs are met. Find resources in your area: Canada or USA.

• Severe insomnia (sleeping less than 4 hours a night) or hypersomnia (sleeping more than 12 hours a day), or you have a significant loss of appetite or are binge-eating to cope. Your emotions may feel entirely out of control or completely absent. Withdrawl from loved ones and social commitments, destructive thoughts, loss of hope and suicidal thoughts are all signs that require further help from crisis line 988 or emergency services 911 (or local Emergency Dpt in your area).

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Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do for yourself when feeling overwhelmed  is to reach out for help and offload some of the weight to someone who can help. Depending on your needs there are a lot of options for support that are available. If you are unsure on where to start, reach out to one of our ES Responders at Lula Women's Helpline.