I Can’t Take It Anymore, What Should I do? 5 Tips to Overcome a Crisis

“I can’t take it anymore” – A thought that not many people in our performance-oriented society tell others about. We are used to be fine all the time, not showing weakness and even less we say, “It is just too much for me”. As an answer to the question “How are you?”, we expect “Thanks, fine. How are you?” This is how it had been in Gerhard’s life for too long. He gave more than he got back until he could not do it anymore at a certain point – he was mentally and physically burned out. His diagnose burnout. Looking back on those times, he would handle many things in a different way. In this article, you find 5 tips, if you feel overwhelmed by your life.

I can’t take it anymore – What about you?

If you think about how often a person said to you: “Things are overwhelming me”, how often was it? Probably not often at all. Nevertheless, the number of people suffering from depression or burnout is rising. Hardly anybody is talking about if they do not feel well. However, it would be especially important to take care of your mental health. And moreover: It is important to realize “I can’t take it anymore”. Why? Through this you admit to yourself, that something in your life must be changed. If you feel overwhelmed and your thoughts get more and more negative, you should act. Whether it is trough help from an expert, or through taking steps out of the crisis.

Why do I feel overwhelmed?

To feel overwhelmed – We all know these feelings and thoughts well. It is the truth, that from time to time there are situations in our lives which are simply too much. Situations, which are new to us, could also trigger the feeling of overwhelming and this is not something unusual. However, sometimes we reach a point, where we just feel stuck in our life, where we just think “I can’t take it anymore”.
There is a history behind the thought “I can’t take it anymore”. Gerhard got stuck in the following situation: He burned himself out in his job, his son was born, and he was an important member of an association. There was no room for peace or recovery. As he was not home often and if, tired and exhausted, he argued a lot with his wife. He was overwhelmed by responsibility, stress, and stimuli. Those stressing factors had been far more than the few energy spending ones.

What can I do if I can’t take it anymore? 5 tips

1. I can’t take it anymore – but why not?

“I can’t take it anymore” is a warning thought in ourselves but at the same time a very general one. What are the causes of your feelings of listlessness and exhaustion? Which are the concrete triggers for your stress and worries? Which things are overwhelming you? Find out as concrete as possible, which things cause you a headache. If you don’t know yet, how exhausted you are at the moment, you can find it out here.

2. Identify your stress factors

Therefore, you need to identify the stress factors in your life:

• Is your job a burnout factor?
• Do you argue a lot with your family?
• Is there a lack of support from your partner?
• Do you have too much responsibility in general?

The list is as endless as an individual. You must identify, why you think “I feel burned out” and where your listlessness comes from.

3. It is just too much – Change the things you are in control of

“It’s all just too much”: Differentiate those thoughts, because if you think “all”, you feel even more overwhelmed. Think step by step and in detail. If you found out the factors and situations that cause exhaustion and stress, you can start from there. Start with the most stressful topic.
We have an example: Gerhard was working for 80 hours a week, so it is obvious, that work had been his biggest stress factor. As he worked too much, he burned out in the end. As a result, he argued a lot with his wife, because she felt alone with raising their kid. He got stressed more and more by multiple factors, so Gerhard had no time for rest – neither at work nor in his private life. Those circumstances finally developed into burnout. After starting to talk to a psychologist in online counselling sessions, he became aware of the causes for his situation: He had to work less, as a result, his life situation became more relaxed.

4. Accept the things you can’t change

I can’t take it anymore – Maybe, this sentence describes your mental state, but it does not mean that you can’t accept what you can’t change anyways. Mostly, we are stressing over things we cannot change anyways- In the case of Gerhard, it was his association, because there had been many scenarios, which had been out of his control. Nevertheless, they concerned and stressed him. For all of us there are things that annoy us, even if we can’t change them. Be aware: What you can’t change, you must accept. If you are not forced to stay in a situation, leave it. 

5. I can’t do this anymore – Take a break

For human beings, breaks, leisure time and holidays are the same as loading the battery is for technical products. Mandatory to load your energy. No matter, if you have three children and a full-time job, or if you are single and childless: You need rest and recovery. Time, where there is only you, relaxation, and stillness. Escape the world from time to time and you will see, how much better you will feel. In this article you find tips, how to make sure, that you take breaks from time to time.
The graphic shows a summary of tips if you feel overwhelmed:

Don’t judge yourself when you feel “I can’t face this anymore”. It is a sign for you being aware, that something is wrong. Notice this sign and change something about your situation. You do not have to solve your problems alone all the time. If you think that you suffer from burnout or depression, there are many options to make yourself feel better. Our online counselling could help you as well.

Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/i-cant-take-it-anymore
https://www.managers.org.uk/knowledge-and-insights/blog/i-cant-do-this-anymore-what-happens-when-we-burn-out/
Image source: www.pexels.com/@andrew