Why Am I So Overwhelmed?
Stress is an unfortunate, yet inevitable, reaction to the pressure of life experiences that exceed one’s coping abilities. Work-related stress is one of the most prevalent experiences of heightened cortisol levels. However, several other areas of life can bring about feelings of stress such as relationships, health-concerns, bereavement, and difficulties with children.[1] Prolonged feelings of stress can have an impact on one’s behavioral, physical, and psychological health. For instance, heightened levels of stress can cause:[2]
Increased Anxiety
Muscle Tension
Feeling Overwhelmed
Lack of Motivation
Headaches
While it is normal to experience stress during one’s life, an excessive amount of cortisol (i.e., the stress hormone) can lead to physical and psychological illness if not handled properly.[3]
One way of understanding the origin of one’s stress is to analyze how specific personality traits and attitudes influence an individual’s ability to cope with stressors. For example, the concept of “locus of control” by Rotter (1960) suggests that individuals' perception of control over their lives has a significant impact on their behavior.[4] Individuals with an internal locus of control perceive themselves as having more power over their actions and greater understanding of what they can control in life. Whereas, individuals with an external locus of control perceive that they have little to no control over what happens in life and can potentially chalk negative events up to being unlucky.[5] When stressful situations maifest for external locus of control individuals, they are more likely to face the experience with a negative mindset such as, “Bad things always happen to me, I can’t cope anymore,” instead of deciding what they can do about it.
The Power of CBT
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a well-researched and evidence-based approach used to treat a range of mental health issues (e.g., depression, anxiety, substance use and eating disorders).[6] Cognitive theory suggests that a link exists between one’s feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Therefore, CBT is utilized to help clients change problematic thinking patterns and in turn positively impact one’s feelings and behaviors.[7] Research has investigated the influence of CBT approaches on daily stressors. For example, a study by Barrett and Stewart (2021) investigated the efficacy of CBT in reducing work-related stress by instructing participants to identify occupational stressors as well as maladaptive patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving when responding to stress. CBT techniques were found to significantly decrease both stress and burnout among employees.[8]
The American Psychological Association (2023) notes that CBT helps to reduce symptoms of stress through numerous techniques, including:[9]
Gaining understanding of the link between thoughts and behaviors
Identifying and eliminating cognitive distortions
Developing problem-solving skills
Increasing self-confidence
Facing one’s fears
Learning to calm one’s body and mind
Daily CBT Practice
While CBT is best and ideally done under the guidance of a licensed mental health professional, there are steps individuals can take on their own to potentially reduce or lessen symptoms of stress. For instance, journaling is one activity that helps to identify feelings and thoughts that can lead to problematic behaviors. Being present and writing down thoughts can lead to a more logical understanding of thought patterns, potentially breaking the cycle of cognitive distortions.[10] Moreover, relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga have been shown to target muscle tension and chronic pain. Clinical Psychologist, Michael Messina (2023), notes that incorporating breathwork and meditation into one’s daily practice can minimize overall anxiety and everyday stressors.[11]
Eliminating Cognitive Distortions
Cognitive distortions are exaggerated patterns of thought not based on facts or logic. Distortions often perpetuate a negative filter for one’s perspective of themself and others.[12] For example, “Polarization” is a cognitive distortion that shows up as all-or-nothing thinking and causes one to view situations in terms of absolute. Polarization can lead to dwelling on mistakes or assuming that one will never be able to succeed instead of acknowledging an error and trying to move past it.[13]
The unraveling of cognitive distortions is a primary goal of CBT that can be accomplished without the help of a therapist. Cognitive distortions must be identified and challenged to effectively reduce harmful automatic thoughts.[14] Once cognitive distortions have been identified, cognitive restructuring can take place by questioning how the distorted thoughts originally took root and why they are believed. For example, if a belief exists that having a high-paying job is the only way to be a respectable person, it is likely that the believer will think that they cannot be respected by others without a high-paying job. Instead of accepting faulty beliefs that lead to negative thoughts about oneself, one should stop to consider what actually makes a person “respectable,” including perspectives that have not been considered before.[15]
Other common examples of cognitive distortions include:[16]
Control Fallacy - Either feeling responsible for everything in your own life and other people’s lives, or feeling no control over anything.
Catastrophizing - Jumping to the worst possible conclusion in every scenario no matter how improbable it may be.
Overgeneralization - Turning one negative event into a never-ending pattern of loss and defeat. The terms, “always,” “never,” “everything,” and “nothing” tend to be frequent in one’s train of thought.
Shoulds - Having ironclad rules you set for yourself and others with no exceptions.
Discounting the Positive - Actively rejecting and invalidating good things that happen in your life.
To reduce the prevalence of cognitive distortions in one’s daily thought process, it is helpful to:[17]
Become Aware - Step away, become present, and focus on your thought process.
Replace Absolutes - Replace absolute words like “always,” “never,” “everything,” and “nothing” with “sometimes”.
Avoid Labels - Instead of labeling yourself as “lazy,” consider, “I just didn’t clean today.” One action does not have to define you.
Look for the Positive - Think of three positive aspects per situation to build a new habit of thinking positively.
Invalidate Negative Thoughts - Investigate and question the validity of your thought process and realize that thoughts are not facts.
If feelings of stress are chronic and impact one’s everyday life, steps should be taken to reduce such negative experiences by contacting a licensed mental health professional for further guidance.[18]
Contributed by: Tori Steffen
Editor: Jennifer (Ghahari) Smith, Ph.D.
1 Puertas-Gonzalez, J. A., Mariño-Narvaez, C., Romero-Gonzalez, B., Sanchez-Perez, G. M., & Peralta-Ramirez, M. I. (2022). Online cognitive behavioural therapy as a psychological vaccine against stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in pregnant women: A randomised controlled trial. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 152, 397–405. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.07.016
2 Mayo Clinic. (2021). How stress affects your body and behavior. Stress management. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987
3 Puertas-Gonzalez et al., (2022)
4 Lopez-Garrido, G. (2023). Locus of Control Theory in Psychology: Definition & Examples. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/locus-of-control.html
5 Puertas-Gonzalez et al., (2022)
6 American Psychological Association. (2023). What is cognitive behavioral therapy? American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral
7 Ibid.
8 Barrett, K., & Stewart, I. (2021). A preliminary comparison of the efficacy of online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) stress management interventions for social and healthcare workers. Health & Social Care in the Community, 29(1), 113–126. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1111/hsc.13074
9 American Psychological Association (2023)
10 Messina, M. (n.d.). Practice cognitive behavioral therapy at home. Dr. Messina & Associates: Clinical Psychologists. https://www.drmessina.com/blog/practice-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-at-home
11 Ibid.
12 Ackerman, C. (2023). Cognitive distortions: 22 examples and worksheets. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/cognitive-distortions/#experts-cognitive-distortions
13 Hartney, E. (2022). 10 cognitive distortions you'll learn about in therapy. 10 Cognitive Distortions That Can Cause Negative Thinking. Very Well Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/ten-cognitive-distortions-identified-in-cbt-22412
14 Ackerman, C. (2023). CBT techniques: 25 cognitive behavioral therapy worksheets. 9 Essential CBT Techniques and Tools. https://positivepsychology.com/cbt-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-techniques-worksheets/#cbt-tools
15 Ibid.
16 Hartney (2022)
17 Ackerman (2023) Cognitive distortions
18 Mayo Clinic (2021)