Overwhelm is a common human experience. The feeling of overwhelm, particularly for parents, is accompanied by a range of intense body sensations. These are rooted in the body’s stress response, referred to as fight, flight, freeze, feign. When your stress response is activated, your adrenal glands begin to release adrenaline. The adrenaline impacts your heart beat, quickens your breathing, and tenses your muscles in preparation for what you need to do next (Reach Link, 2025).
Overwhelm comes with many body sensations, including increased heart rate, stronger heartbeat, shallow breathing, stomach pain, dizziness, restlessness, fatigue, and more (American Psychological Association, 2024; BetterHelp Editorial Team, 2025; Lewine, 2024). If you have felt that swirling, heavy, cannot-think-straightsensation of overwhelm, you are not alone.
Here is the cool, and kind of mind-blowing, thing. That feeling is not just randomly popping up to annoy you. Your body is actually doing something incredibly smart and vital.
Think of your body as your most loyal, truth-telling friend. It does not sugarcoat things. When overwhelm shows up in your shoulders, your stomach, or your frantic heartbeat, it is not trying to punish you, it is sending you an intelligent message designed to protect you.
When Overwhelm shows up in your body, it is your ancient alarm system. At its core, overwhelm is a stress response. Not the, oh-I am-so-stressed-about-this-deadline kind, but a deeper, more primal alarm bell. Our brains, brilliant as they are, are still running on some ancient software. Back in the day, if you heard a rustle in the bushes, your body did not pause to intellectualize. It went straight into Whoa, danger! mode.
When you feel overwhelmed, your brain perceives a threat. It may not necessarily be a tiger, yet perhaps an overwhelming to-do list, too many demands, or a sense of not being able to cope. Those physical sensations are not just random aches and pains. They are the physiological manifestation of your body activating its emergency system.
Juggling Act. Alex, a mother of two toddlers, sat at the kitchen table, staring blankly at the overflowing laundry basket. Her youngest was tugging at her pant leg, demanding a snack, while the older one was loudly enacting a dinosaur battle in the living room. Her phone buzzed relentlessly with work emails she hadn’t touched all day.
It feels like my brain is buzzing, like a million tiny bees are flying around in my head, all trying to get out at once. My shoulders are hunched up to my ears, so tight they feel like concrete. There is this pressure building right behind my eyes, like a headache is trying to break through, and my jaw is so clenched I can feel it aching. My heart feels like it is doing a frantic little jig in my chest, a rapid, thumping beat that makes me feel sort of jittery all over. And honestly, my whole body just feels utterly weary, like I’ve run a marathon but haven’t actually moved an inch.
Unexpected Crisis. Brooks, a single father, had just received a call from his daughter’s school. She had a high fever and needed to be picked up immediately. He was in the middle of a critical work presentation he could not easily leave.
As he tried to wrap up the call, he felt a sudden flush of heat rush through him, prickling his skin, followed by a wave of chills. My stomach just dropped, a heavy knot tightening right in my gut. It feels queasy, like I might throw up. My breathing is short and quick, almost like I cannot quite catch my breath, and there is a definite tightness in my chest. My hands feel a bit trembly, and my mind is racing, spinning with possibilities of how I am going to manage everything, making me feel dizzy and a little bit detached, like I am watching myself from outside my own body.
What is the Deal?! Why Is Overwhelm Showing Up Like This? This is Dumb!
Why would your body do this? Because it serves a huge purpose! Overwhelm is a breakthrough attempt. Imagine your phone battery going from green to red. That red signal is there to give you a heads up that capacity is not matching energetic needs. Exactly what your body is doing when it turns on the stress response. They are both telling you, “Hi there, charge me or I am going to shut down.” Overwhelm is your internal red battery indicator whose purpose is to:
- Demand Your Attention. In your busy life, it is easy to push past subtle cues. Overwhelm is your body getting your attention, “STOP! Listen to me!”
- Re-evaluation. It encourages you to look at your current situation and ask, “Is this sustainable? Is this working for me?”
- Prevent Burnout. If you continually ignored the red battery indicator, your phone would die. Overwhelm is trying to prevent a total system crash (burnout, chronic illness, emotional collapse). It is a protective mechanism, a boundary your body is setting on your behalf.
What It Is Trying to Communicate
If overwhelm is a message, what is it trying to say? It is oftentimes simple, though not always easy to hear. In the non-doing, the pause, the break is when you can best hear the message.
To know what Overwhelm is communicating at any time, feel your feet on the floor, breathe all of the way in and all of the way out. Then listen for a small quiet voice or behind closed eyes, look for a faint image of the message your adorable self is trying to say to you.
You are doing too much. This is the most common message. Whether it is too many tasks, too many commitments, or trying to be too many things to too many people, your body is signaling that your current load is unsustainable.
You need a boundary. Overwhelm arises when you are saying yes to things your heart, energy level, or time really want to say no to. Your body is screaming, “Protect your energy! Set a limit!”
You are not feeling safe or supported. Overwhelm can appear when feeling isolated, unsafe, or lacking the resources (e.g., emotional, physical, logistical) to handle what is on your plate. Your body might be saying, “You need more support, more connection, or a safer space.”
You need to slow down and tune in. In your go-go-go world, you may override your body’s signals. Overwhelm might be a plea to pause, breathe, and reconnect with what you genuinely need. It is an invitation to listen to your deeper wisdom.
Your values are being compromised. If you are constantly overwhelmed, it might be a sign that you are living out of alignment with what truly matters to you. Your body is nudging you to realign your actions with your core values.
The next time that familiar wave of overwhelm washes over you, instead of fighting it or judging yourself, try this:
Place a hand on your heart or your stomach.
Take a few deep breaths.
And whisper to your body,
“Thank you. What are you trying to tell me?”
Then, listen. Your most loyal friend is speaking. It has some vital wisdom to share.
References
American Psychological Association. (2024, October 21). Stress effects on the body. https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body
BetterHelp Editorial Team. (2025, March 3). Understanding the physical symptoms of feeling overwhelmed. BetterHelp.https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/general/understanding-the-physical-symptoms-of-feeling-overwhelmed/
LeWine, H. E. (2024, April 3). Understanding the stress response. Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response
Reach Link (2025, November 28). The four stress responses: Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. https://reachlink.com/advice/anxiety/the-four-stress-responses-fight-flight-freeze-and-fawn/
About the Author
Dr. Erica Buchholz is a parent coach, author, and specialist in burnout recovery and prevention. With a Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Psychology and certifications in Career Coaching, Laughter Yoga, and LEGO® Serious Play, she helps overwhelmed parents—including those raising children with special needs—reclaim their energy and rediscover a sense of play. Erica is the creator of The Playful Life Starter Kit and author of the upcoming book, Exhausterwhelmulated. She lives with her husband, son, and their pets, practicing the same nervous system resets she teaches her clients.