People Who Feel Very Overwhelmed By Life Usually Have These 11 Obvious Behaviors
sebra | ShutterstockMany people feel too overwhelmed to go about life in the way that they once used to. They may go to work, respond to the emails, and show up for their co-workers and managers when they need to offer support, but internally they feel stretched beyond their limits.
Whether it's procrastinating or withdrawing socially, people who feel very overwhelmed by life usually behave in a specific way. Even if they're still functioning, they're often lying to themselves about feeling fine when they're clearly not. What makes this so tricky is that it's never just one thing that's causing immense bouts of stress — it's usually one pressure on top of another that is causing them to shut down from overwhelm. Here are the 11 obvious behaviors of people who feel very overwhelmed by life.
1. They feel exhausted no matter how much they rest
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Anyone who has tossed and turned all night know how hard the subsequent next day can be, especially on their energy levels and mental capacity. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in three U.S. adults and nearly eight out of 10 teens don’t get enough sleep.
It doesn't matter if you're going to bed early, making sure not to look at any screens 30 minutes before your head hits the pillow, and even ensuring the ambiance in your room is good enough to sleep in — you still find yourself waking up as if you didn't get a wink of sleep at all.
It's because the rest you need isn't just physical. Even when you're sleeping, your brain's stress levels are still running rampant. Therefore, your sleep doesn't feel restorative at all. Going to sleep with all of the worry and stress sitting on your chest isn't healthy either.
2. They struggle to make even basic decisions
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Taking the time to choose what they should make for dinner or even the outfit they should put on for the day can feel like a much bigger decision that's hard to make then it really is. Their brains are already juggling too much and it can feel stressful to have to make decisions on the most simplest of things.
People who feel very overwhelmed by life usually have these obvious may suddenly stop trusting themselves or the choices they're making about things that don't matter as much as they've made it out to be.
Instead of being able to weigh their options carefully, their mind freezes up, so they now try to avoid making the "wrong" choice altogether. This ends up creating a constant loop where they delay these decisions or simply hand them off to someone else to take care of. It may bring temporary relief but they just end up feeling even more frustrated and disconnected from their lives.
3. They procrastinate on simple tasks
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According to research from 2024, an estimated 20% to 25% of the general population tend to procrastinate. While it's a common trait for people to be heavy procrastinators, those who feel overwhelmed by life tend to do it even for the most simplest of tasks.
Whether it's having to craft a response to their friend group chat or even just schedule a simple dentist's appointment, they seem to struggle immensely with just sitting down and getting these things done.
The delay doesn't come from the fact that they just feel too lazy to do it, but from the lack of mental energy and clarity. Every single task just suddenly feels like it's "too much" to manage, so they continue to push it off until it's way past the time that they said they wanted to get it done.
It can be extremely frustrating for them because, deep down, they want to get these simple tasks done, it just takes an large amount of motivation they just don't have.
4. They sigh a lot without even realizing it
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While they may not have the words to describe how they're feeling, it doesn't mean their bodies won't just go ahead and do it for them. Constantly sighing is the body releasing things that feel too heavy to sit with. It's not always coming from a place of being frustrated or annoyed, but to get rid of the tension that may be weighing down on their shoulders.
They might sometimes catch themselves letting out this long, almost dramatic sigh while sitting on the train after a long day of work or even just in the middle of a conversation with someone. A deep exhale is usually just an unconscious habit that's the body letting it be known that it needs a break, even when your brain may be going through too much to notice.
5. They overthink conversations and replay them later
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After every single interaction, people who feel overwhelmed by life often find themselves analyzing every single word they've said to the other person. Even if it was the most normal, two-minute conversation, they still walk away wondering if they did or said something that was considered either "weird" or "awkward."
Overthinking interactions is less about feeling insecure and more about their brains just moving a million miles per second. The habit makes it almost impossible to stay present in the moment. When you're constantly thinking ahead at what you should be saying next or replaying what you've just said, it makes it hard to feel fully engaged.
6. They become easily irritated
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Considering their emotional capacity for things is already maxed out, it's not surprising that people who feel very overwhelmed by life usually have a lot less tolerance for any kind of inconvenience. When you're constantly feeling stressed like this, your nervous system is on edge most of the time, making it almost impossible to feel a semblance of peace.
"While irritability can be influenced by a variety of factors, including biological, psychological, and environmental influences... those who are irritable are struggling with mental health or other health concerns," explained psychotherapist Kaytee Gillis.
Carrying all of that stress and never opening up about it to the people around you means it will eventually start coming out in other ways, including an increased level of irritability. You'll find yourself snapping at people over things that may not have ever bothered you before. Then there's the guilt that usually follows because you instantly feel bad for being short with people that didn't deserve it at all.
7. They feel uncomfortable asking for help
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Even when they desperately need the support to alleviate some of this stress that's weighing down on their shoulders, it can feel like there's a lump stuck in their throat when they even attempt to call out for help from those around them. What's stopping them is the fact that they would have to explain their circumstances and be a little vulnerable so people know what's going on.
"For the most part, it serves to keep one's shame and true sense of self away from them. It's a way to pretend. And the perfectionist does this by doing more and thinking less. Comfort is maintained as long as the system operates smoothly. Having to ask for help, however, disrupts it," said licensed mental health counselor Leon Garber.
They have to actually articulate what's happening in their brains, which can feel like a lot because the inner-workings of their brain can feel hard to talk about. So instead of being able to ask for help, they internalize everything and stay in this constant cycle of being overwhelmed but not having the capacity to reach out for any kind of assistance.
8. They struggle to enjoy accomplishments
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Even after completing something that had been on their bucket list or achieving a goal that was years in the making, that success can feel quite fleeting. The act of celebrating is instead replaced, once again, with the need to just survive.
With everything that needs to get done, taking the time to bask in their success feels next to impossible. Their minds are already racing to the very next task that needs to be finished, leaving little space to actually savor the moment. Even when you know that you deserve the recognition, it's as if your brain refuses to acknowledge it.
9. They withdraw socially
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People who feel very overwhelmed by life rarely have any energy to spend time with their friends or make social plans of any kind. Instead, they start to withdraw.
Suddenly, they're becoming a flake when that wasn't ever a personality trait of theirs. They're canceling plans last minute, not responding when people try to get them to come out, and making up every excuse in the book for why they would much rather stay home.
"What seems like withdrawal can also be collapse. It's not the draggy feeling that comes with depression, but a deep-in-your-bones physical and emotional exhaustion," therapist Bob Taibbi insisted.
While you shouldn't overextend yourself when it comes to social interactions if your battery is running low, those who feel perpetually overwhelmed usually have zero ability to socialize in the first place. They find that hanging around their friends and laughing takes energy they don't have. The solution to that is to isolate themselves so they don't have to pretend or simply sulk in the corner and ruin the vibe for everyone else.
10. They have trouble staying focused
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Their thoughts are constantly jumping between their worries, all of the endless responsibilities they have to still get done, and even just thinking about the future and everything that could possibly go wrong. It makes it hard for them to just stay in the present and focus on one thing at a time. When your brain is already carrying all of these things, there's much less space to concentrate on any one thing.
"People tend to live nostalgically in the past or look ahead and worry about the future. This can make it difficult to enjoy the good things that exist in your life right now. Maintaining a balanced approach while addressing underlying anxiety is essential," explained clinical psychologist Leigh W. Jerome.
Even activities and interests that used to bring them enjoyment now feel draining because their minds are spread so thin. Tasks that once felt easy and capable suddenly feel so much harder and they're no longer confident in their ability to complete them. Despite how hard they may try to stay on task and stop the ruminating thoughts, it can feel impossible to find that relief.
11. They feel like they need a pause button
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Overwhelmed and stressed people don't want an escape from their life, they simply want to be able to hit some kind of button that makes everything around them pause for a moment so they can catch their breath. They don't want to have to worry about all of the unfinished tasks and responsibilities that are sitting and waiting to be done.
They don't want to have to think about all of the expectations that are being put on them or the fact that every single thing feels like it's just too much to handle. Feeling overwhelmed all of time means that you just want to be able to turn your brain off for just a moment, to step away from the guilt that immediately takes over the second that they sit down to rest.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
