128: 5 Reasons You Feel Stressed & Overwhelmed

If you ask yourself, “why am I overwhelmed” or “why am I stressed for no reason” daily, this episode is for you. Erica is diving into the 5 reasons why you feel stressed and overwhelmed—and they may not be what you think. 

5 Reasons You Feel Stressed and Overwhelmed

1 – You Don’t Have Enough Quite and Stillness 

First and foremost, as women, we go through our days with literally no margin or space for ourselves. It’s essential to give yourself regular space and time to neutralize feelings of stress. If you find it hard to sit quietly alone, you need it the most. 

2 – Everyone is relying on you 

Sound familiar? I’ll speak for myself and say that as a mother and wife, I feel purposeful when I am taking care of the people I love in my life. Putting others’ needs before your own can be really easy, but that is a recipe for complete overwhelm. As a type-A person, I found it hard to release control and allow for support in my life, whether that was with my kids or my work. 

Here’s the thing I want you to remember: you don’t need to be superwoman to be worthy. 

3 – You feel guilty about taking time to yourself 

Confession: I still experience this. Making yourself a priority is not selfish. Taking time and space to do something you love to refresh yourself will allow you to be more engaged and representative of the real YOU. 

4 – You don’t have enough support 

Women are expected to do it all: we’re supposed to be CEOs, volunteers, sexy wives, gourmet chefs, patient and nurturing mothers, all while having a spotless, Pinterest-worthy home. It’s just not possible to do it all on your own. As modern-day humans, we’ve forgotten about community and how important it is to have a support system for physical health and mental. Not having the support system you need can be one of the biggest things contributing to your stress and overwhelm. 

5 – Relaxation is an afterthought 

This really comes down to not scheduling in time to relax. Yup, I am saying that you need to make a plan to rest. I ask myself every day, how can I slow down today? How can I wind down tonight? And I make it a non-negotiable. It slowly became a habit after doing this for a while, and now I look forward to it. 

Check out our blog post, How to Create a Bedtime Ritual, to get some more ideas on how to make your nighttime sacred. 

Featured in this episode…

Why Am I So Tired