Introduction
There are days when everything comes at once- your painfully embarrassing moments, situations where someone hurt you, traumatic reminders of struggle in the past or simply chaos in the world. When life becomes this loud, most of us reach out for generic advice- breathe deeply, count to ten, journal etc. But overwhelm rarely responds to cliches. When we feel overwhelmed, we need the motivation to do something about it, and sometimes generic activities that work for some might not work for all. Hence, this blog is about five unconventional yet deeply practical techniques - each designed to work in the moment, not after hours of reflection.
The Methods
- The “Two-Object Method”: Give your emotions somewhere outside your body When we feel overwhelmed, it can seem like our emotions have no boundary. They can originate because someone hurt us or we’re placed in a situation which angers us. But soon you’ll notice that they start spilling over to all the other aspects of our life. To prevent that from happening, here is a technique which will help you externalise your emotions onto an object. Pick up two random objects ( a pen, paper, key or a bottle) Assign: Object A = the emotion you’re feeling Object B = the pressure or expectation behind it Then hold them separately. You’ll notice something subtle: your mind begins to differentiate what felt fused before. The moment the emotion is placed somewhere, the internal chaos shrinks. It’s an immediate externalization technique that restores clarity without needing words.
- The “Opposite Micro-Action”: Interrupt the emotional momentum The state of being overwhelmed feels heavy, and when our body cannot tolerate the heaviness, it builds a momentum which starts spreading over other thoughts and situations: ultimately turning into a full blown spiral. In order to regulate our emotions before they gain momentum and turn into a spiral- try this technique. Choose an action that takes less than 20 seconds and is the opposite energy of what you're feeling. Examples: If everything feels too fast → slowly tie your shoelace. If everything feels too heavy → stand and stretch your palms upwards. If everything feels chaotic → arrange three objects into a simple line. The brain reads the micro-action as a signal: “We are not fully controlled by this emotion.” This breaks the emotional “sprint” without denying the feeling.
- The “What Needs Shelter?” question :Different parts of us have different needs and wishes. We have an inner child that wishes to be cared for and loved. We might have a perfectionist within us that is threatened by criticism. We might have an inner critic to take every opportunity it gets to turn the blame inward. These parts are developed and maintained by specific life experiences and the narratives people told us. It becomes very important then to recognise which part of us is triggered when and what it needs in that moment. When you’re able to recognise what part of you feels overwhelmed, try asking “what would shelter look like for this part?” and execute something which would give comfort to the hurt part. For example: If the overwhelmed part is the perfectionist → shelter = lowering the bar for the next 1 hour. If the overwhelmed part is the scared child → shelter = pausing input (closing notifications, stepping away). If the overwhelmed part is the exhausted adult → shelter = shifting to the smallest task possible. This reframes emotional regulation as care-giving, not control.
- The “One-Thing Ignoring Ritual”: Reduce overload by choosing what not to care about: When everything feels too much, our brain tries to hold all tabs open. Do this: Write down four things stressing you right now. Decide one thing you will ignore for the next 24 hours - deliberately, guilt-free. Create a small ritual for letting it go (closing a notebook, deleting a draft, turning off one app). We rarely realise the emotional relief that comes from consciously choosing what to drop.
- The “Reverse Check-In”: Ask your body what it wants from you : Feelings of dysregulation are usually escalated because we are unable to get out of our rut and do something differently which can calm our nervous system down. For example, if we are having a fight with our loved ones- the fact that we keep ourselves in the same situations and the same physical proximity makes us say things we later regret because we aren’t giving our body the time to regulate itself. Most often, our bodies will tell us what it needs to regulate. For example- if you store your anger in your chest, breathing deeply can help calm that anger down. However, humans are complex and hence different ways to release can be beneficial to different people. For someone, anger can also be released through engaging in a physical activity like working out or running. Hence, it is time for you to figure out what works best for you and the best way to do it is to listen to what your body wants and try various things. Some of the ways to try out to help your body regulate itself are- Sit differently Drink water Adjust temperature Move your shoulders Look away from the screen Regulation often begins with micro-rests, not grand self-care.
Conclusion
When everything feels too much, we don’t need to be calmer-we need to be anchored. These techniques work because they interrupt emotional spirals through physical choice, symbolic distance, and gentle self-stewardship. Overwhelm becomes manageable not when our feelings shrink, but when our capacity grows -one small, intentional action at a time
