53 Overwhelmed Quotes to Stay Calm and to Relieve Stress (2025)
When was the last time you felt intense emotions? We can all be overwhelmed with happiness, stress, anger, or sadness. But frequently, it is associated with the negatives. When overpowering emotions overwhelm us, we can lose focus and think irrationally. Whether you're looking for comfort, inspiration to overcome your challenges, or simply want to express your feelings, these overwhelmed quotes can provide the words you need to receive.
Table of contents:
Best Overwhelmed Quotes
We face various situations daily, and each may present reasons to feel anxious and overwhelmed. One primary cause of that overwhelming feeling is having too much on one's plate, which includes excessive workloads, personal responsibilities, or social obligations.
In addition to unexpected events, these are the reasons that are usually out of our control. Emotions can also pile up when we don't say no often or constantly pursue perfection, resulting in feeling stretched too thin.
Why are you struggling with excessive emotions? We begin our journey through the wise words of others who talk about feeling overwhelmed and how to turn that feeling into a more positive outlook. Here are some of our favorite and most impactful quotes on the subject.
"Getting knocked down in life is a given. Getting up and moving forward is a choice."
- Zig Ziglar
"The moment you think only of yourself, the focus of your whole reality narrows, and because of this narrow focus, uncomfortable things can appear huge and bring you fear and discomfort and a sense of feeling overwhelmed by misery."
- Dalai Lama
"Willingly taking on suffering, we will never be overwhelmed by the suffering that we are bound to experience."
- Yangsi Rinpoche
"We generate fears while we sit. We overcome them by action"
- Dr. Henry Link
"Life has many ways of testing a person's will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once."
- Paulo Coelho
Quotes About Being Overwhelmed During Tough Times
Overwhelming negative emotions can profoundly impact our mental and physical health. When we experience intense emotions like anger, fear, or sadness, our body produces higher cortisol levels, a stress hormone. Over time, this can trigger various physical symptoms of chronic stress, such as headaches, muscle tension, nausea, and fatigue.
Additionally, high cortisol levels can lower serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and contributes to feelings of well-being.
Pay attention to these signs, feel them, and face the cause head-on. Our next selection of quotes about feeling overwhelmed is here to inspire the brighter side of tough times.
"He was swimming in a sea of other people's expectations. Men had drowned in seas like that."
- Robert Jordan
"I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go."
- Abraham Lincoln
"When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better."
- Unknown
"A woman who lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul."
- Lysa Terkeurst
"Sometimes when you're overwhelmed by a situation – when you're in the darkest of darkness – that's when your priorities are reordered."
- Phoebe Snow
Overwhelmed Quotes Related To Handling Your Feelings
Crying is the primary coping mechanism for feeling overwhelmed, and we should not be ashamed of it. A study proved that crying has self-soothing effects by triggering the parasympathetic nervous system and releasing oxytocin and endorphins2.
We can also process our feelings through journaling, talking to a trusted person, or engaging in simple self-care activities like taking a warm bath. And if it all feels like too much, check out our mental health quotes for more ideas to handle your emotions. Read on for our next section of handpicked quotes about handling our feelings when overwhelmed.
"Sometimes you just need to be selfish and take care of you. If they love you, they’ll understand."
- Robert Tew
"When life gets hectic and you feel overwhelmed, take a moment to focus on the people and things you are most grateful for. When you have an attitude of gratitude, frustrating troubles will fall by the wayside."
- Dana Arcuri
"Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace."
- Robert J. Sawyer
"Promise me you will not spend so much time treading water and trying to keep your head above the waves that you forget, truly forget, how much you have always loved to swim."
- Tyler Knott Gregson
"What is coming is better than what is gone. Let this belief aim you in the direction you need to go."
- Karen Salmansohn
"Spend time with people who bring out the best in you. Not the stress in you."
- Unknown
"I tried to drown my sorrows, but the bastards learned how to swim, and now I am overwhelmed by this decent and good feeling."
- Frida Kahlo
In a busy and overwhelming world – Let's do simplicity.
~ Wendy Tomlinson
Quotes About Fostering A Growth Mindset When We Feel Overwhelmed
A growth mindset encourages us to focus on progress instead of perfection and to view setbacks as opportunities for improvement. Sometimes, all those overwhelming challenges in front of us need a change in mindset for us to overcome them. However, we should also remember to align with the right goals, which are specific and realistic goals, to succeed.
Take inspiration from the quotes below that will help you build resilience as you develop a growth mindset.
"Many of us feel stress and get overwhelmed not because we're taking on too much, but because we're taking on too little of what really strengthens us."
- Marcus Buckingham
"Most people get overwhelmed by the insignificant decisions of their lives. I'm urging people to minimize the time spent on these when they're not critical to their most important goals."
- Robert Pozen
"With a fixed mindset, you believe you are who you are and you cannot change. This creates problems when you’re challenged because anything that appears to be more than you can handle is bound to make you feel hopeless and overwhelmed."
- Travis Bradberry
"Stop living in the land of why. There are no happy answers to ‘Why me?' ‘Why didn't I?' ‘Why did I?' If you must ask any questions, ponder: ‘How can I grow?' ‘What's in my control to change?' ‘What's a gain in my pain?'"
- Karen Salmansohn
Eye-Opening Quotes To Change Perspective
When stressed and overwhelmed, we must slow down and allow ourselves to change our perspective. We can take this opportunity to reevaluate our priorities, realize a critical lesson, consider moving on, or devise a more straightforward solution. Read the following quotes about changing perspective when you're feeling overwhelmed while reflecting on your current situation, or click on our priority quotes for some selected words about choosing what matters.
"Don't give up now. Chances are your best kiss, your hardest laugh, and your greatest day are still yet to come."
- Atticus
"Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it."
- Ann Landers
"Life can be magnificent and overwhelming — that is the whole tragedy. Without beauty, love, or danger it would almost be easy to live."
- Albert Camus
"When it hurts — observe. Life is trying to teach you something."
- Anita Krizzan
"Sound character provides the power with which a person may ride the emergencies of life instead of being overwhelmed by them. Failure is… the highway to success."
- Og Mandino
"When you can’t cope with change, you feel overwhelmed, and you look for a simple solution."
- Klaus Schwab
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.
~ Buddha
Quotes To Encourage Productivity Despite Feeling Overwhelmed
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret to getting started is breaking your overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and then starting on the first one."
- Mark Twain
"If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the daily decisions you have to make, it's time to automate something."
- Clay Clark
"The challenge in my life really is keeping the balance between feeling creatively energized and fulfilled without feeling overwhelmed and like I’m in the middle of a battlefield."
- Amanda Palmer
"Dream small dreams. If you make them too big, you get overwhelmed and you don't do anything. If you make small goals and accomplish them, it gives you the confidence to go on to higher goals."
- John H. Johnson
Man has a limited biological capacity for change. When this capacity is overwhelmed, the capacity is in future shock.
~ Alvin Toffler
Blessed Overwhelmed Quotes From The Bible And Religious Leaders
If you believe in a religion, you receive strength and comfort from the Bible, pastors, priests, and fellow believers. For Christian believers, if you are feeling stressed and scared, the Bible reminds you to trust in God daily, as it mentions in the book, and not be afraid 365 times. And even if you are not religious or just believe in a higher being, you can still find solace and sound advice from them.
Here are quotes from the Bible and preachers to read when you need peace of mind.
Related read: Count Your Blessings Quotes.
"When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I."
- Psalm 61:2
"They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord."
- Psalm 112: 7
"I think faith is incredibly important because you will become overwhelmed with what’s happening and you will have waves of grief, but when you turn to your faith, I believe God will give you waves of grace to get through it."
- Joel Osteen
"You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word."
- Psalm 119: 114
"I know that each of us has much to do. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the tasks we face. But if we keep our priorities in order, we can accomplish all that we should. We can endure to the end regardless of temptations, problems, and challenges."
- Joseph B. Wirthlin
Fun Quotes About Being Overwhelmed To Lighten The Moment
We often say laughter is the best medicine for a good reason. When overwhelmed, we easily slip into negative thought patterns and feel stuck in a rut.
But laughter can break that cycle and provide us with a sense of relief and release. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, our body's natural feel-good chemicals. Studies have even recognized its effectiveness as an alternative treatment to combat stress effects on our mental and physical health1.
Lighten the mood as you read our next section of funny quotes, perfect for dealing with those challenging situations and overwhelming moments in a lighthearted way.
"Stress does not go with my outfit."
- Unknown
"I was a little excited but mostly blorft. ‘Blorft’ is an adjective I just made up that means ‘Completely overwhelmed but proceeding as if everything is fine and reacting to the stress with the torpor of a possum.’ I have been blorft every day for the past seven years."
- Tina Fey
"There cannot be a stressful crisis next week. My schedule is already full."
- Henry Kissinger
"Stressed is dessert spelled backwards."
- Loretta Laroche
"This too shall pass. It might pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass."
- Unknown
"If each day is a gift, I’d like to know where I can return Mondays."
- John Wagner
Notable Overwhelmed Captions To Post On Instagram
Whenever intense emotions arise, post the overwhelmed captions below to help share the feeling of returning to a more balanced state. Afterward, take a deep breath and read about some of the benefits of a digital detox.
"Keep it simple and focus on what matters. Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed."
- Confucius
"If you don’t do anything, you simply end up overwhelmed by something happening."
- Matsuri Hino
"Sometimes we can focus so much on nothing that we make it a big something of nothing."
- Ricky Maye
"We should all relax about life because you don't have a clue as to what's really going on."
- Barry Sonnenfeld
"I often think I can't do this anymore, but then I realize what choice do I have?"
- Justin Blaney
"One must not let oneself be overwhelmed by sadness."
- Jackie Kennedy
"Some days you will feel like the ocean. Some days you will feel like you are drowning in it."
- Lora Mathis
"You can't calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass."
- Timber Hawkeye
Glossary Terms:
| 1 | Yim J. Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter in Mental Health: A Theoretical Review. Tohoku J Exp Med. 2016 Jul;239(3):243-9. doi: 10.1620/tjem.239.243. PMID: 27439375. |
| 2 | Gračanin A, Bylsma LM, Vingerhoets AJ. Is crying a self-soothing behavior? Front Psychol. 2014 May 28;5:502. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00502. |
Isabela is a determined millennial passionate about continuously seeking out ways to make an impact. With a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering with honors, Isabela’s research expertise and interest in artistic works, coupled with a creative mindset, offers readers a fresh take on different environmental, social, and personal development topics.
