When Life Feels Like Too Much: How to Regain Control When Anxiety Creeps In

Lately, things have felt… full.

Not necessarily in a bad way, just layered. Multiple responsibilities pulling in different directions. Life moving quickly. New challenges arriving before old ones are even wrapped up.

And in the middle of it all, I find myself thinking about time.

How sometimes, what keeps us moving is the quiet decision to keep going. To take the next step when things feel uncertain. To remember how far you’ve come, even when the road ahead feels long and daunting.

In these moments, anchoring yourself back to what you can control is that figurative light at the end of the tunnel.

That’s how mentally strong people navigate anxious seasons — by choosing clarity over chaos.

What you’ll take away from this piece:

• A practical tool to help calm anxious thoughts

• Why naming your emotions creates instant relief

• The mindset shift that turns pressure into perspective

• How to refocus when everything feels overwhelming

1. Learn the Power of Naming It

Contrary to popular belief, the first step to calming your mind isn’t trying to think your way out. It’s naming what you’re actually feeling.

“I feel like I’m behind.”

“I’m worried I’ll mess this up.”

“I’m scared I won’t be able to keep this up.”

Why does this work?

Because naming the emotion takes it out of your body and puts it in front of you. It gives shape to the fog.

In psychology, we call this affect labelling. Studies show that when you name an emotion, the amygdala (the part of the brain that triggers stress) calms down. You're shifting from raw emotion to regulated understanding.

It’s your way of telling your nervous system: I see you. And I’m not ignoring you anymore.

2. Anchor Yourself to the Present

Anxiety is future-focused.

It thrives on what ifs. What if I fail? What if I fall behind? What if it’s not enough? What if I'm not enough?

That’s why high performers often feel it most. Because their mind is always racing toward what’s next.

But the way out of that spiral is to return to the now.

No matter how small, what’s one thing you can do today that moves you forward?

What’s one win you can recognise from this week?

Zoom out, what’s one thing that’s still going well?

Sure, grounding yourself in the present doesn’t fix everything — but it slows the mental chaos down enough for you to think clearly.

3. Focus on Direction, Not Speed

This one is personal.

There have been times where I’ve felt overwhelmed. I thought I wasn’t moving fast enough.

It took a long time understanding that progress isn’t fast. That progress is built in seasons. And some of those seasons are seasons of endurance.

So if you’re feeling stretched or scattered right now, zoom out and ask yourself:

Am I still heading in the right direction?

If the answer is yes — keep going. Even if it’s slower than you’d like.

The measure of success is not always speed. The question is, how long can you stay on course?

4. Understand Where in Time You Are

This is simple, but often overlooked.

So many people are hard on themselves because they’re comparing their effort to someone else’s outcome.

But there’s a reason it feels heavy right now.

You might be in the build-up phase — where you’re doing the groundwork, but haven’t seen the visible wins yet. The infamous valley of despair. And amongst it all, you're on page 1, comparing yourself to someone on page 23.

You’re just early in the timeline. Remind yourself of where in time you are.

This isn’t your forever. It’s a page in your book. A moment in your journey. And even if it feels unclear right now, you're still moving.

5. Shrink the Frame

Anxiety is nothing to be played with. And when it sets in, the mental picture quickly gets big and blurry. It feels like everything needs to be solved now. All at once.

But one of the most practical mental skills you can develop is learning to shrink the frame by zooming in.

Here's 3 rapid questions to help regulate yourself:

• What needs your attention this hour?

• What’s the next right thing you can do?

• What can you let go of for today?

You don't find mental clarity by trying to control the whole picture.

You find it by bringing the frame closer, until you can see clearly again.

A Final Word

Life comes in seasons. There will be seasons where life feels a little too much.

The layers pile up. The days blur together. And the pressure creeps in quietly.

In those moments, you don’t need to be perfect.

You just need to pause, zoom in, and remember that you’re still in control of more than you think.

No matter how far there is to go, each day you show up is proof of how far you’ve already come.

Until next time,

Oliver

Mental Performance Coach | Talent Advisor