Feeling Overwhelmed Lately? Gentle Ways to Feel More Grounded
📸✨: abdullah ali (@adbullahx)
Some days, something just feels… off.
Not in a big, dramatic way.
More like a quiet weight that hangs around all day and makes everything feel a little harder than it should.
You might notice it in your chest. Or in how tired you feel, even if you slept. Or in how things that usually feel manageable suddenly feel like too much.
It’s not always tied to one clear reason. Most of the time, it builds slowly. Stress here. Holding things together there. Being “fine” longer than you really were. Life adding things to the pile without checking first.
And I want to say this clearly — this doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong.
It usually just means you’ve been carrying a lot.
The goal here isn’t to fix yourself or push feelings away. It’s simply to make things feel a little easier. A little softer. A little more doable.
1. Start by Being Honest About Where You Are
One of the quickest ways things stay stuck is when we pretend they aren’t.
We tell ourselves we should be fine.
Or that it’s not a big deal.
Or that we’ll deal with it later — after this week, this task, this thing we just need to get through.
But pushing past how you actually feel usually just adds more pressure.
Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is say the quiet part out loud — even if you don’t have great words for it.
“I feel off today.”
“My heart feels tender.”
“I don’t really know why, but something feels heavy.”
That’s enough. You don’t need a better explanation.
And honestly, just naming it can bring a bit of relief — like you’ve stopped pretending everything’s fine and let yourself be real for a moment.
Try This:
Put a hand on your chest and say (out loud or in your head):
“This is how today feels.”
Then stop there. No fixing required.
2. Let Your Body Ease Up a Bit
When things feel like a lot on the inside, the body almost always gets involved.
Shoulders creep up.
Jaw tightens.
Breathing stays shallow.
You’re bracing, even when nothing urgent is happening.
Most of us don’t notice we’re doing this — it just feels like normal life.
You don’t have to understand your feelings to help them. You can start by letting your body ease up, even just a little.
When the body relaxes, the rest often follows.
Try This:
Take a slow breath in through your nose.
Breathe out through your mouth, a bit longer.
Let your shoulders drop. Let your belly soften.
You’re not letting anything fall apart. You’re giving yourself a moment to exhale.
Ready to set something down instead of carrying it all?
Download my free Letting Go Ritual Workbook to help you release what no longer serves you and help you release what’s been weighing on you.
3. Stop Expecting Yourself to Have It All Figured Out
There’s a lot of quiet pressure — especially in healing and spiritual spaces — to always know why you feel the way you do.
What’s the lesson?
What’s the root?
What are you supposed to do with this?
And sometimes that pressure is exactly what makes everything feel heavier.
Not every feeling has a clear reason.
Not every phase is meant to make sense right away.
You’re allowed to feel something without turning it into a project.
Some things shift with time, not answers.
Try This:
If you notice yourself thinking, “Why am I like this?”
Try switching it to: “What would help right now?”
Even a small answer is enough.
4. Let Comfort Be Enough (Really)
When things feel heavy, joy usually doesn’t show up as excitement or motivation.
It shows up as comfort.
And I think this is important to say out loud, because comfort can feel “too small” to count — especially if part of you thinks you should be doing something more productive or meaningful with your time.
But comfort is often what helps your system settle enough to keep going.
Warmth. Familiar things. Predictable, gentle moments that don’t ask anything of you.
A favorite mug.
A soft hoodie.
Sitting in the same spot on the couch.
Sunlight coming through the window.
A song you’ve loved for years.
These things don’t fix anything — and that’s not the point. They give your nervous system a signal that it’s OK to loosen its grip just a little.
And sometimes, that’s exactly what your heart needs.
Try This:
Notice one small comfort today and let yourself stay with it a few seconds longer than usual.
Not as a reward.
Not as a coping trick.
Just as something steady you’re allowed to lean on.
5. Give Feelings Somewhere to Go
Feelings don’t always need to be talked through or understood.
Sometimes they just need a little room to move.
When things feel stuck or heavy, it’s often because emotions have been sitting in one place for too long — with nowhere to go and no way out.
Movement doesn’t have to be big or dramatic. In fact, smaller usually works better.
A short walk around the block.
Stretching your arms overhead or rolling your shoulders.
Crying in the shower where no one can hear you.
Putting on music and lying on the floor for a few minutes.
This isn’t about “releasing” feelings in some perfect way. It’s about letting them shift instead of staying bottled up.
And sometimes, movement looks like stillness — especially if your body has been running on empty.
Try This:
Ask yourself: “If this feeling could move, how would it want to move right now?”
Then follow the smallest answer.
You don’t need to do more than that.
6. Trust That Lightness Comes in Waves
Feeling better usually doesn’t happen all at once.
It happens in little moments — often so subtle you might miss them if you’re not paying attention.
A deeper breath.
A stretch where your shoulders drop.
A few minutes where things don’t feel quite so heavy.
That quiet sense of “OK… this feels a bit better.”
Those moments matter more than we give them credit for.
You don’t need to make them last.
You don’t need to build momentum from them.
You don’t need to turn them into proof that you’re “doing better.”
Just noticing them helps your system trust that things can shift — even if slowly.
And that trust alone can make things feel a little easier to carry.
Try This:
At the end of the day, ask yourself if there was even one moment that felt lighter, softer, or easier.
That’s enough for today.
Journaling Prompts
Where do things feel heavy or tight in my body right now?
What have I been holding more of lately?
Where might I be pushing myself too hard?
What feels easier instead of harder today?
What brings me even a small sense of comfort?
What would being a little kinder to myself look like right now?
Affirmations
I’m allowed to feel off sometimes.
I don’t have to rush my way through things.
Being gentle with myself matters.
I don’t need to have everything figured out.
Small comforts still count.
I trust myself to move at my own pace.
Frequently Asked Questions for When Things Feel Like a Lot
Is it normal to feel this way even when nothing is “wrong”?
Yes — completely normal.
A lot of what we carry builds up quietly over time. Stress, emotions we didn’t have space for, being strong for too long, or just moving through a busy season can all add up.
You don’t need a big reason for things to feel heavy or off. Sometimes your system is just asking for a pause and a little care.
Do I need to understand why I feel this way for it to get better?
No — and honestly, sometimes trying to figure it out makes things harder.
Understanding can be helpful eventually, but it’s not required. Many things soften simply by being noticed, rested with, or given a bit of space.
You’re allowed to take care of yourself without having a clear explanation first.
What if nothing here feels like it’s helping right away?
That’s OK.
This isn’t about instant relief or dramatic shifts. Most of the practices in this post work quietly and gradually.If something feels neutral instead of helpful, that still counts.
If something feels slightly easier, even for a moment, that matters.
How do I know when it’s time to let something go?
Often, it shows up as a feeling of being worn down, stuck, or tired of carrying the same thing around.
You might notice thoughts looping, emotions lingering longer than usual, or a sense that something just doesn’t fit the way it used to.
Letting go doesn’t have to be dramatic or final. Sometimes it starts with simply loosening your grip.
Can I come back to these practices more than once?
Absolutely.
These aren’t one-time tools. They’re things you can return to anytime things feel like a lot — whether that’s once a season or once a week.
You’re not “doing it wrong” if you need reminders. You’re being human.
Final Thoughts
If things feel heavy right now, nothing has gone wrong.
You’re responding to life — to stress, to change, to being human in a world that asks a lot.
Making things feel easier doesn’t mean getting rid of feelings. It means meeting them with enough care that they don’t have to carry themselves alone.
Take what helps. Leave what doesn’t.
And remember — even small acts of care matter.
Still Have Questions?
If you have more questions that I didn’t address here, based on your specific situation or anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I’d love to see how I could be of service!
