When in a place of crisis or major transition, feelings of overwhelm are common. One reason has to do with the shock of needing to navigate a major change. It’s hard to know where to begin or what to do.

To avoid being overwhelmed through transitions, consider, “what is one small thing I can do right now?” It doesn’t matter how simple or trivial the action, just do it and give yourself credit. It might be brushing your teeth or making one phone call. Just keep it simple. One baby step at a time brings peace, clarity and strength.

5 Ways to Process Overwhelming Emotions

Are you walking through a painful season? Perhaps it’s a health issue, or maybe you’re grieving a loss. Maybe it’s an estrangement in an important relationship or financial struggles.

Whatever it might be, when you’re in a place of suffering, it can easily take over your thought life and become all-consuming. Your thoughts may tell you it’s never going to get better which may leave you feeling even more discouraged, helpless, and possibly hopeless.

Whatever you are encountering know this…you are not alone.

1. There are many people who are in the same boat and struggling with big challenges just as you are. That’s not to minimize your experience. But suffering feels very isolating, and it’s helpful to remember that your pain isn’t unique and you’re not the only one hurting.
2. You are not alone because God is with you. While He doesn’t always take away our pain or the struggle producing the pain, He loves and cares about you. Talk to Him. Ask for His strength and wisdom for each next step.
3. Be gentle, kind and patient with yourself. It’s ok to have your feelings. Embrace them. They are part of who you are and give you important information about your needs and what you are experiencing.
4. When you are in a moment of overwhelm, pause. Put your hand over your heart and breathe. Come back to the present and stay focused on what you can do.
5. Consider what is going right in your life. What are you grateful for? Look around you. Who and what do you have in your life that makes your life more comfortable? What about yourself are you proud of? What goals do you have for today?

When you shift your focus off of your pain and onto gratitude, your thinking clears.Gratitude keeps life in balance and is so good for your soul.

Further Reading: How Practicing Gratitude Can Bring Joy in the Hard Times

Embracing Grief in the Overwhelming Transitions of Life

Just keeping it real here…the grief journey is hard.

Whether it’s the loss of a person, pet, job, marriage, relationship, health or dream, your pain matters. It’s ok to have days when the tears flow. When you just want things to be the way they used to be. When you want to turn back the hands of time and have one more…There is no straight path through.

The best gift you can give yourself in the pain is to feel it. To deny, stuff, bury or pretend it doesn’t hurt leads to more suffering. Tears, sadness, and heartache are the remnants of a deep love.

It’s crucial to acknowledge that grief is a complex and personal journey, and it’s okay to experience the pain and emotions that come with it. However, it’s also important to remember that healing is possible, and you’re not alone in this process.

Sometimes, people may not understand the depth of your emotions because they can’t see the brokenness within. But don’t be discouraged. Seek comfort in the understanding that your pain is valid, and it’s okay to take the time you need to heal.

Remember, healing doesn’t mean forgetting or moving on completely. It means finding ways to carry the pain and memories while also making room for hope and growth.

Surround yourself with a support system that understands and empathizes with your journey. Engage in activities that bring you solace and allow yourself to express your emotions in healthy ways.

Further Reading: 10 Healing Tips to Find Comfort in the Midst of Grief

Be gentle with yourself and know that it’s alright to feel the pain and vulnerability that comes with grief. It’s through these difficult times that you often find your inner strength and discover new depths of compassion and resilience. Trust that, with time, the pain will gradually ease, and you will find a renewed sense of wholeness and healing.

You can’t change the past, but you can heal from it.

The passage of time alone won’t do the trick. It involves processing the pain actively so that you can experience emotional freedom and experience greater peace in the present. I have found great healing through the Grief Recovery Method as I have navigated through my losses.

What Is the Grief Recovery Method?

Each and every person has experienced a broken heart along the path of life.

Perhaps you’re still carrying the pain because it never got attended to and healed. It’s understandable that perhaps you still feel angry, resentful and bitter. Maybe you’ve even carried out revenge fantasies where you hurt them back and make someone “pay” for the harm they’ve caused you.

And here’s the truth. All those unhealed hurts along the way are grief. You carry grief when there’s an emotional wound that doesn’t get lovingly attended to so that you can heal.

Revenge won’t heal the wound. It won’t make you stronger. Instead it will sap the life right out of you and leave you weaker. Prisons are filled with many such individuals who acted from a place of deep pain. And you may be walking around in your own prison of unresolved, unattended hurts.

The solution, my friend, is to recover from your grief. Not bury it, run from it, distract yourself, but get help to release it. You deserve to be free.

As a certified Grief Recovery Method specialist, I can help you heal your life and bust out of that jail cell you’ve been in. In as few as 7 weeks, you can experience freedom from a lifetime of stored grief. This method really works. I know from personal experience…it helped set me free.

Let me ask you this question: Would you like support? If you’re walking through hard times and need guidance and encouragement, please click here to schedule a complimentary call with me. We’ll talk through your unique situation and see what your next best step is.