Why Do I Get Overwhelmed So Easily?

Josh Felgoise (00:00.398)

Welcome to Guy's Set, the guy's guide to what you should be talking about. I'm Josh, I'm 23 years old, and I'm here to find all the tips, advice, and recommendations for guys in their 20s. Let's get into it.

Josh Felgoise (00:17.455)

Hi guys, welcome back to guyset, the guys guide to what should be talked about. I had a day and it was just one of those like days where everything went the opposite of how I wanted it to go. Nothing went my way. And it was just like a super draining day at work. And what better time to come on and talk to you guys and create an episode for the podcast. It was one of those days where I just felt super overwhelmed. I'm very overtired right now and I feel like my sleep schedule has been pretty

I feel like I'm not getting more than like six hours of sleep, which I think I'll do an episode on I feel like sleep is something that we all need to talk about more But I just missed like every subway it started raining and I got soaked out as I was getting back from work It was just one of those just like energy sucking days where everything went wrong and I found myself just like going at my desk I was just like, or like, Just being very dramatic and scrolling my phone a lot just spending the whole day being very unintentional

with my time, like eating a lot of random shit that I didn't want to eat throughout the office just because and just overall feeling very tired. And when like a task would come to my slack, I would just be like, and like annoyed about it and nothing. And I was just annoyed. It was one of those days you've all been there. So I wanted to create an episode or I didn't want to, I am creating an episode for what to do when you feel overwhelmed and

This is specifically what I did today when I felt overwhelmed and I feel like I forget a lot of these things when these days happen. It's easy to forget that these things are here and you can do these things when you're in a rut or in one of those just like black ass days. So what I do when I'm overwhelmed and it's spread out into three separate tips and these, this is what worked for. This is what, wow, this is what works for me and

I'd love to hear also what works for you because I can always improve on this type of stuff. So the first thing that I did, I just kind of like, was like, all right, let me just, I'm sitting at my desk. I'm like slunched over my posture looks like, just ass. I'm, I feel like shit. And what I did, I just, stood up and I went over to like the printer at work, do this wherever. and I got a blank piece of paper and a pen.

Josh Felgoise (02:39.407)

And I recommend doing this and just kind of clearing your desk, clearing the space that you're at. If you're at home, just go to the, go to a table. You can do this anywhere in the world. Get a blank piece of paper and a pen and write down all the things that are on your mind. And if you listened a couple episodes ago, I think it was two episodes ago, I talked about, it was called, let's talk mental health. And I talked a lot about journaling. And if you haven't listened to that, I highly recommend going back and listening to that one. It's got a lot of stuff in there. If I do say some myself.

but I, I really liked that one and I think it has a lot of good tips. Just being genuine. I liked that one a lot. I'm very proud of it, but, this is not that tip. This is a different tip. This is just like, this is a different exercise. If you will literally get a list, a paper and list out one, two, three, four, whatever. And whatever is on your mind, whatever tasks you have to get done for work that are on your mind.

So today I had three things that were just like sitting on my mind that I had to get, I have to get done before Monday. and I have a lot of meetings tomorrow and yeah, so just the list out the things that are on your mind at work, list out the personal things that you have to get done. if you have to call somebody back, if you have to get an email done, just list everything out. So I wrote down one, two, three, four, five, and I literally just wrote out my tasks.

And seeing it also at the top, I wrote the date and like things or shit I need to get done is what I wrote. And I think for me personally, looking at a piece of paper with the tasks on it that that are sitting jumbled in my brain and like swirling around each other, looking at them straight on the piece of paper really helps me focus and realize the things that are in my mind. It helps me organize my thoughts.

and see them instead of leaving them as I said just like jumbled up swirling around. This helps me so much so drastically from sitting at a desk slunched over and just like pissed and angry to getting up standing up and like looking over this list of things I have to get done or I need to get done. It organizes. So I highly recommend doing this first as just a first thing to do when you're feeling overwhelmed. Organize your thoughts on a piece of paper.

Josh Felgoise (04:54.895)

look at them, see them and and yeah, it's a good exercise. I really recommend the second thing I recommend doing now that you've had your list of paper, you've seen your tasks, step away from everything, leave your desk. I leave the office, I go take a walk, I'll grab my keys, grab my AirPods and just like grab my water bottle and leave. And I'll go take a 10 to 10 to 20 minute walk. If you if time permits. That's more than a lot of people can take so

Literally five minutes is all you need to do this. Um, but go outside, go get some fresh air. And I recommend not like texting during this time, not checking your email, putting your Slack away, putting your, putting your, you use, whatever your company uses, putting that on, putting it in your pocket. Just if you want to put music in, if you want to put a podcast in, that's all great. Definitely put that in, but just everything else goes away and refocus. So that time is for you to just like.

Breathe, breathe in, breathe out, like be within nature for a second. If you're in city, be within the city buildings for a second. Just take a second for you and refocus and just kind of reframe your mindset. Like, okay, I have some shit I gotta get done. Now that I've refocused, now I can go back inside with a fresh perspective and go get that shit done. That for me works wonders. I really recommend. So just step away.

Refill your water bottle, listen to whatever you want to listen to. For me, like a, favorite song I'll put on it, like a pump up song, or if I'm in a bad mood, I'll put on a sad song. that helps. So yes, step away. And then the next thing, drink water. this is something that I feel like a lot of people don't do or don't think it helps. I'm going to take a sip now. One second. I feel like a lot of times throughout the day, I am honestly just dehydrated or like just getting rehydrated.

Rehydrated, hydrated, hydrated just helps refocus kind of re-center. So take a sip of water, refill your bottle, walk to the kitchen of wherever you are. If you're in the office, if you're home, if you're away, go get water. Just it, it, some reason centers me and helps when I'm really overwhelmed. It also just gives me that like moment where I'm just like, okay, all right, let's, let's take a sec. Let's relax.

Josh Felgoise (07:17.687)

Okay. And then the next one is to get out and move. And this also works for getting a workout in or getting an exercise in. So for me, going to the gym clears my mind. allows me, I've talked about this in previous episodes before, but it allows me to just start the day really fresh. It works for after the after work. If I'm, if I had a really long day at work and I'm just like stressed, I will, I'll go lift weights or I'll go run or I don't really run. That's a lie. I just lied. I'm sorry.

will walk. I will do like hit cardio or like a body weight workout. I'll do something that takes my mind off of the rest of the world or the rest of the things, the tasks I have to get done. And really I can only focus on one thing when I'm working out and it's just getting out of my head space and getting into that workout. getting really intense about it, which works for me. gets me really excited and

just shifts my mindset for me. So I highly recommend working out, getting a walk in, and that's like a longer walk than the five minute step away or taking from the office or from school or from work or from whatever. That five minute tip I gave earlier is for anything. It doesn't have to be just work. It can be any type of thing you're doing that you're overwhelmed in. If you're with people and you're overwhelmed, if you're with your family and you're overwhelmed, friends in a relationship in...

Whatever, whatever it is, taking five minutes for yourself and just like going, it helps because if you're getting angry, if you're getting overwhelmed, if you're getting upset, stepping away from the situation helps. And it's another way of, guess it's another way of saying step away from the situation. It's just go for a little walk. it, it sounds fancier when you say it's like a little five minute walk, then step away from the situation, which sounds so daunting, but working out or getting in some sort of movement is great for being overwhelmed.

And then the final tip I have for you, and I mentioned podcasts earlier, wink, wink, but podcasts or reading. So when I'm overwhelmed, stepping aside from everything and just picking up a book or I have a Kindle personally, and reading a couple, a couple of pages and kind of just being transported into a different world and step away from the headspace and the world that I'm in right now really helps me.

Josh Felgoise (09:41.527)

That also I think works for putting on a TV show or a movie or something that's kind of mindless. I wouldn't say this tip works as well for scrolling mindlessly on your phone. I would actually say that that doesn't help and sometimes can make me more overwhelmed and more anxious because when I'm scrolling mindlessly on one of these apps, I feel like I've wasted more time when I'm in that overwhelmed state. Whereas other times I'm just doing it normally and I don't like think so headily about it. I know if that's a word, but I'm using it today.

But I think it's important to do something that's intentional. So if you're intentionally picking a TV episode or a movie or a book or a podcast, something that you're deciding to devote your time to that, you know, will help you get out of that overwhelmed mindset. So instead of, yeah. So instead of just scrolling on Instagram or tick tock that could last for hours devoting 45 minutes or a couple hours or whatever it is to the

program of your choice, that's my next tip. So just picking something intentionally and using some time to reset with that. Another thing that works well for me when I'm in this overwhelmed mindset is calling somebody that I can vent to. For me, it is like my sister or brother or my mom or dad, someone that I can just like, like slew, all slew.

Spew spew spew all of my day on to and they would just won't like I don't even care if they're listening just like or like a friend or just somebody that you can Spew everything at and you can be like, this is all annoying me and they're like, like I understand just hearing somebody say like I understand even if they weren't listening even if they heard none of it if they can give you a little bit of advice if they do decide to listen even better, but just calling somebody that you can word vomit on top of and They'll listen

and hear you and say I hear you, that's always another nice thing to hear. And if you don't have that person or feel like there's somebody that you can just like word vomit onto, leave a voice memo for yourself and just be like, like this day so shitty, all this shit's happening and I feel like ass and blah, blah, blah, and just spew into your phone. Sometimes just getting it out of your body. Same thing as like writing down all the things in order that you're worried about or on your mind.

Josh Felgoise (12:04.463)

Just getting it out helps. So if you want to just do it in that way too, in a voice memo, that works great as well. Okay. This one may sound kind of dumb, but it goes along with the exercise or like going on a walk, something like that. If you put on your favorite music and just jump around in your room, dance it out, act like you're like at a club or a bar and literally nobody is watching. say that all the time, but just let loose for a minute or two.

and then realize you're being a weirdo for doing this, get back to it, but like really just like dance it out, like get everything out. It works. I'm telling you, this is such a funny one because it sounds so silly and dumb to say out loud, but if you can get past the self embarrassment part of it and just let yourself fucking move like a crazy person, put in your favorite song and just fucking let loose. Sometimes just nothing is better than that.

This tip also works wonders if you have a big call or a big presentation or an interview or something that you've been anxious and worried about if it's getting to crunch time or a big test exam, anything. If it's getting to crunch time and you're sitting there just like, oh, fuck shit. If you put in your song and just, as I said, move around and fucking go crazy, then nothing is better. I give this one a shot. You're going to think I sound crazy for this, but I do this all the time.

As I said, once you get past the, this is so fucking embarrassing if somebody walked in and saw me doing this. If you get past all that part and just let yourself be embarrassing for a second, this works for everything. Bad days, big calls, maybe even a date, anything you're worried or anxious about that's been on your mind, dance it out. Definitely do try this at home. And I think the common thread throughout all of these tips is that it offers you a chance to

reset. I've said the word reset probably 800 times in the last 11 minutes, but it it's true when I'm overwhelmed and I'm as I said, like I'm picture yourself just like sitting at your desk just like a curmudgeon like just pissed at the world. Everything's going wrong. You're angry about the messages you're getting are coming in. You're angry at your boss. You're angry at your text messages, whatever, whatever it is that you're angry at or like annoyed at or upset and just like like overwhelmed get away from it.

Josh Felgoise (14:28.163)

Use a couple of these tips, write all the stuff down that's in your head on a blank piece of paper, go for a walk, go drink some water, devote your time to something that's mindless but intentional. And I think these tips are going to help if you're in that, that head space that I was in today. And I'm still kind of in and I used a lot of these things and I forget about them. And I was, I was in this like black head space from like

All the afternoon and I decided at four o'clock I was like, all right, like fuck it. Like, let's not be in this. The world hates me and everyone's out to get me mindset and let's let's switch it. Like you have the power to change the channel in your head and reframe and just reposition where you are in your day. It doesn't have to be a bad rest of day or a bad night because your day was shitty.

So I think these things help reset, I said it again, fuck, sorry. But they help to restart the day wherever you are. could be morning, afternoon, night, whenever it is, they give you a chance to start again right where you are. So try these next time you're in that position and let me know what you think and let me know what you do for when you're in this state that I've talked about a lot that I'm in right now.

Let me know what you do and I will share them on another episode. I'll do like a part two of this with your guys's tips because I need more myself and I'm sure everybody could also use them. So that is what to do when you are feeling overwhelmed or things that work for me when I'm overwhelmed. If that is you today, I'm sorry that you're in that position. Try these out and let me know if they work. And if that's not you, great. I hope you're having a really good day and I hope you're

Tomorrow is just as great. And thank you for listening. I love you. Bye. If you liked this podcast, I really hope you did, please give it five stars and leave a review and send any questions, topics, things you want me to talk about or things that just should be talked about to my email josh at guyset.com, j-o-s-h at g-u-y-s-e-t.com.

Josh Felgoise (16:46.05)

and I'll be sure to talk about it. You guys want to hear something also like really super cool. You can also follow guyset on TikTok and Instagram at the guyset T H E G U I S E T. You can also check out the website guyset.com G U I S E T.com for so much more content on all these topics. shit, sorry. I think I forgot to say to leave this podcast five stars and our positive review. Thank you so much for listening and I will see you guys next Tuesday. Let's fucking go.