Stressed or Overwhelmed? There’s a Difference and It Matters

Lately, I’ve been hearing these two words everywhere: stressed and overwhelmed.
We often use them interchangeably — “I’m so stressed,” “I feel overwhelmed,” — but they’re not quite the same.

Stress is what happens when there’s a lot to handle.
Overwhelm is when it feels like too much to even start.

When we’re stressed, there’s usually still some sense of control — a list to tackle, a deadline to meet, a problem to solve.
But when we’re overwhelmed, it’s like our system short-circuits. Even simple things start to feel impossible.

It’s the difference between:
🌀 “I have too much to do.”
and
🌊 “I don’t even know where to begin.”

In real life, it can look like this:
— Stress is replying to emails while cooking dinner and trying to stay on top of everything.
— Overwhelm is opening your laptop and closing it again because you just can’t deal right now.

Overwhelm isn’t just mental, it’s physical. The body goes into a freeze state, trying to protect us from more input. That’s why rest, slowing down, and reconnecting with your breath isn’t a luxury; it’s a reset.

We often think the answer is to push through, but the truth is, sometimes we need to pause.
To soften.
To allow ourselves to catch up with our own lives.

If this resonates with you, I invite you to listen to Piotr’s talk here.
He shares beautiful insights on how our nervous system reacts to stress and what we can do to bring it back into balance.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, try one of these tools:

• Slow, gentle exhales (count to 6)

• A 1-minute hum with eyes closed

• A somatic shake - just move your body freely for 60 seconds

• or simply place your hand on your heart and say: “I am safe. This moment is enough.”

💛 Because sometimes, understanding what we’re feeling and naming it, is the first step toward harmony.