Feeling Overwhelmed? Us Too. There’s Wisdom in It.

Stacey Madden
Mar 24
3 min read

What if overwhelm isn’t a failure… but a message from your body?

Hello Somatic Friends,

I know many of you are feeling overwhelmed right now.

I can feel it in the emails, in sessions, in the way people are walking into the space lately.

And honestly… I feel it too.

There’s a kind of constant pressure in the air right now. The pace of life, the noise, the endless stream of information. And then layered on top of that — the state of the world. War. Climate. Politics. Uncertainty. It’s not small.

It makes sense that your body would respond.

But what I keep coming back to is this:

What if overwhelm isn’t the problem?What if it’s a message?

Not something to get rid of.Not something to fix.

But something that is trying to get your attention.

Because when I slow down enough to really notice, overwhelm doesn’t feel random. It feels specific.

It feels like too much.Too much input.Too much holding.Too much responsibility.Too much without enough support.

And underneath that, often something quieter:

Not enough space.Not enough time to feel.Not enough room to actually be with what’s here.

Your body isn’t wrong.

It’s not overreacting.

It’s responding.

Before we snap, shut down, check out, or push through… the body usually speaks first. In the jaw. In the breath. In the belly. In the pacing. In that feeling that one more thing might tip you over.

So I’ve been asking myself lately…

Can I listen to that… without immediately trying to correct it?

Can I stay with the feeling of overwhelm just long enough to let it tell me something?

Because this is part of what I mean when I talk about an ecology of practice.

Not controlling the body.Not forcing it into calm.

But being in relationship with it.

Letting it speak.Letting it inform.Letting it guide, even a little.

And sometimes… when I actually listen… overwhelm starts to feel less like chaos and more like direction.

A boundary that needs to be set.A pace that needs to slow.A truth that hasn’t been said.A need that’s been postponed too many times.

Almost like the feeling itself contains a piece of the solution.

Not all of it.

But enough to take the next step.

If you want to try something simple the next time overwhelm rises, not to make it go away, but just to meet it differently, you might try this:

Let yourself feel the support under you first. The chair, the floor, something steady. Let your eyes slowly look around the space you’re in, just reminding your system where you are.

Then bring your hands up in front of your chest. One hand makes a fist, the other stays open. Press your knuckles into your palm — gently but firmly — and just feel that. Your own strength meeting resistance.

Keep breathing.

Notice what happens in your body as you press, and then let go slowly. Slower than you think you need to. Pause. Then switch sides.

When you’re done, shake out your arms a little. Let your shoulders move. Let a breath come out of your mouth.

And then just come back. Feel the support again. Look around again.

Not asking did this fix it?

Just…

what changed?

This is the exact conversation Trevor and I are having in Episode 2 of Somatic Compass.

We found ourselves talking about overwhelm not as something to conquer, but something to sit beside for a moment.

What does it actually feel like in the body?What is it asking for?What happens if we stop trying to force “serenity now” and instead get curious?

Trevor — my lovely, curious co-host — is once again up for the conversation, and I think many of you will feel yourselves in this one.

You can listen to Episode 2 here (I’ve linked it above) or find Somatic Compass on Apple Podcasts.

And if it resonates, I’d genuinely love to hear. Your feedback means a lot, and a rating or review helps more people find these conversations.

And if you’re reading this and thinking… yes, things have been too much lately…

You might not need another strategy.

You might need space.

That’s part of why I created Exhale.

A place where you don’t have to organize your own restoration. Where the meals are made, the space is held, the rhythm is slower, and you don’t have to be the one keeping everything together.

You just arrive.

And let your system settle, in its own time.

If that feels like something your body is quietly asking for, you can learn more here...