Feeling Wheel
What feeling overwhelmed is like
Feeling overwhelmed means there's too much at once, too many tasks, feelings or decisions, and you can't see where to start. It can lead to freezing up or wanting to hide.
Overwhelmed or burdened?
Overwhelmed is about the amount coming at you at once. Burdened is about the weight of responsibility you carry over time. Read more about feeling burdened.
Finding overwhelmed on the feelings wheel
On the Feeling Wheel, overwhelmed sits in the Stressed group. Start in the middle of the wheel with stressed, then move outwards to overwhelmed. If it's close but not quite right, the other stressed words below may fit better. It's also normal to feel more than one thing at once.
Other words in the Stressed group
Stressed words describe what happens when demands outrun the time or energy you have.
- Rushed Feeling hurried or under time pressure
- Distracted Feeling attention pulled away from focus
- Frustrated Feeling upset by inability to change something
- Pressured Feeling stressed by expectations or demands
- Scattered Feeling disorganised or mentally unfocused
- Restless Feeling unable to relax or be still
- Impatient Feeling restless or irritated due to delay or waiting
- Depleted Feeling emotionally or physically drained with nothing left to give
- Burdened Feeling weighed down by too much responsibility or pressure
Name what you're feeling
Feeling Wheel puts all 118 of these words on one wheel. Tap the ones that fit, add a note if you like, and see your patterns over time. Free on iPhone and Android.