What to do when you feel overwhelmed or helpless?

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1. What is the feeling of being overwhelmed and helpless?

Here are some symptoms to let you know you are feeling overwhelmed by overload:
Feeling forgetful; Easily confused; Difficulty concentrating ; Fantasizing thoughts; Solve the problem of lack of sharpness; Negative thinking and pessimism; Feeling low on energy; Headache; Stomach pain ; Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much; Away from family and friends; Let go of habits or activities you used to enjoy. If these overwhelming symptoms persist for 2 weeks or more, they can lead to depression and affect daily life. If this is the case, see your doctor or mental health professional for help.
You are not alone , many people have experienced the feeling of helplessness . It is a feeling that can appear after a period of stress or as a response to trauma. In other cases, it can be a symptom of a mental illness such as depression.
When you feel helpless, it's hard to get motivated to change your situation. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to feel better so you can face life's challenges.

2. What to do when you feel overwhelmed or helpless?

2.1. Identify the problem that overwhelmed you

If you feel overwhelmed, stuck and can't do anything to change the situation, try to examine and assess the source of the problem with the following questions:
Have you been dealing with a lot of stress lately straight? Have you had a recent injury or failure? Is there something out of your control? Are you battling other symptoms such as sadness, sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest? Assessing a number of factors that may influence your feelings of helplessness can help you decide which tactics may be most helpful. For example, if daily stresses make you feel helpless, finding ways to manage long-term stress can help bring back flexible thinking to you.
If the problem is out of your control, controlling the relationships and how you react to the problem will help.

2.2. Do not hesitate and do not want to change

When you are faced with negative emotions or difficulties such as feeling powerless, acknowledge the reasons why you hesitate to take the initiative. Of course, this doesn't mean that you choose helplessness, but that you refuse to change because the difference worries you.
Not feeling helpless also means you are ready for a big step in life. On the other hand, overcoming those negative feelings can force you to accept challenges, which can be difficult, challenging, or even overwhelming. Changing mindsets is not easy and always brings its own challenges. But it also opens up a new world of opportunities and rewards worth pursuing.

2.3. Focus on what is within your control

Spending too much time thinking about the things you can't change only increases feelings of helplessness. Focusing on those constants only makes you feel more like a failure.
However, paying attention to the things you can control can help you feel more competent. It gives a greater sense of self-control and can give you the motivation and energy to work towards making a change.

2.4. Remember that your assessment is not necessarily correct

Cognitive distortion is the brain's way of misinterpreting facts, drawing wrong conclusions, and believing completely wrong things. So when you're dealing with a difficult emotion like helplessness, it's important to remember that the brain doesn't always tell us the truth.
So next time you find yourself thinking “nothing will change” or “there is nothing I can do to make a difference” about negative thoughts, try to take a step back and have a more realistic view.
It is not always easy to change these thinking patterns. However, learning to recognize them is the first step to changing them.

2.5. Challenge your feeling of helplessness

Once you recognize those helpless thoughts and feelings, it's time to start proactively challenging them and replacing them with more accurate thoughts and feelings. Look for evidence to the contrary. For example, if you feel powerless in trying to achieve a particular goal, think about times when you have accomplished something that you set out to do, look for evidence that proves the feeling of helplessness. your self, think about situations that demonstrate your agency.
By positive thinking that makes you feel more empowered and capable, you'll be better off getting rid of a helpless mindset.

2.6. Remember your strengths

Use your sense of helplessness as leverage, realizing your own unique talents, strengths and abilities. Emphasizing these abilities is a great way to gain strength and motivation to deal with challenges or insecurities you may face in different areas of your life.
Consider making a list of the things you are good at and then think about how you could use those skills to solve a problem. Instead of brooding over your weaknesses, focus your time on appreciating and honing your strengths.

2.7. Consider what you can gain from growing hope

On the other hand, consider what you can achieve if hope is stronger. How could your life change? What would you do differently if you had hope? Then you can go ahead and start acting as if you were hoping.
Example: You may find that if you have hope, you will go out and meet new people. Or you are applying for a new job. Do those things, even if you don't expect them to work.
Sometimes you have to change your behavior first and emotions may follow. So if you act with hope, you may eventually start to feel more hopeful.

2.8. Participate in problem solving

By definition, despair is the belief that things won't get better or that you can't succeed. However, there is always something you can do to solve a problem or to change the way you feel about it. Take a moment to think about potential solutions to the problem. Brainstorm ideas and memorize them, you don't even have to have good ideas. Just see if you can come up with as many strategies as you can to solve the problem.
If you can't solve the problem (as in the case of a sick loved one), consider ways to change how you feel about the problem. Could spending time with family members help you feel a little better? There's always something you can do to make things a little better or help yourself feel a little better.

2.9. Talk to a trusted friend or relative

When you're having a hard time identifying possible solutions or having trouble troubleshooting, reach out to a trusted friend or family member. Let them know what you're going through. They can help you see things from a different perspective or offer strategies that can help you feel better. It can be difficult to tell people what you're going through. Talking to someone can be the key to giving you a little more hope about your situation.

2.10. Implement a remedial plan when you feel overwhelmed

After you have developed an idea alone or with a teammate, make a plan, decide the first step you will take.
Remember that if plan A doesn't work, you can always have a plan B. Treat your plan like an experiment and it's your job to run as many tests as you can until you find out. what works.

2.11. Action plans

Once you have a plan, it's important to take action. Nothing will happen if you choose to sit still. Instead, you will have more hope when you start to step out of your insecurities and take action.

2.12. Get medical help

Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness can be a symptom of a mental health problem, such as depression. So, if your feelings of hopelessness persist for more than 2 weeks or you are concerned about your mental health, talk to a mental health professional.
A psychiatrist can assess your needs and discuss treatment options, such as talk therapy or medication. Most mental health problems are very treatable. Getting the right treatment can help you feel more hopeful about the future.
Overwhelmed or helpless are negative emotions that make it difficult to deal with the obstacles you face in life. If your feelings of helplessness cause distress, make it difficult to function, or are accompanied by other symptoms, talk to your doctor. Such symptoms may be indicative of a condition such as depression or another psychotic disorder. Your doctor can recommend treatment options like psychotherapy, medications, and lifestyle modifications to help you start feeling better and improve your health.
Whether you feel desperate about your ability to get out of debt or feel hopeless about almost anything in life. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do when you feel hopeless to get better—no matter how bad things may be.

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References: webmd.com, verywellmind.com, verywellmind.com