Overwhelmed: Ways to Take the Pressure Off

by Claudia Hammond

All of us are familiar with the unsettling sensation of it’s as if there’s ever more to do, and ever less time in which to do it. The good news is, even if you can’t see it yet, there is a way out.

In this liberating new book, award-winning writer and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s All in the Mind Claudia Hammond helps us to take the pressure off with a psychological toolkit that is both practical and evidence-based.

Each chapter addresses a particular problem that can trap us into feeling overwhelmed – from procrastination to the fear of regret, imposter syndrome, perfectionism and a seemingly never-ending to-do list – and offers science-backed solutions.

Calm, clear and convincing, Overwhelmed will give you the tools to take on everything life throws at you.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2026

About the author

Claudia is an award-winning broadcaster, writer and psychology lecturer. She is the presenter of All in the Mind & Mind Changers on BBC Radio 4 and Health Check on BBC World Service Radio and BBC World News TV. She is a columnist for BBC.com and regularly appears on Impact on BBC World News to discuss research in psychology. Claudia is on the part-time faculty at Boston University's London base where she lectures in health and social psychology. She is an Associate Director of Hubbub - a 22 month residency examining the topic of rest at Wellcome Collection.

Reviews

[Francis Pellow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative BBC Radio 4 book of the week. Claudia always makes her books so accessible

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helps you understand the habits that lead to overwhelm and reflect on the ways in which the external and internal pressures can amplify or cause this. The ideeas brought forward in this book were interesting but not ground breaking, more like things we might already know but not apply. Some interesting points were made on how reaching flow state benefits our minds and bodies as well as reduce the sense of overwhelm by changing focus from ourselves and our problems onto a task at hand.

[Natalie Maltby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this as an audiobook while crocheting. While it wasn’t groundbreaking she did make some interesting points.

[jolovesbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio book on BBC Sounds.


The opening of this audio book grabbed my attention straight away: the demands on us are relentless.

But it tells us that overload is reversible and there were some helpful points, evidenced by interesting studies. There could've been more practical suggestions about how to apply some of the points. But as this audio book was abridged, maybe there's more of that in the full book.

Some of the points felt a little on the negative side and there were some I wasn't sure I agreed with. For example, episode two advises us not to set unachievable goals. This makes good sense, but could also be limiting. It's not always easy to define what's achievable vs beyond our reach, for example in a scenario where we're pushing ourselves to achieve something outside of our comfort zone.

There were 5 episodes and here are some of the talking points that I found most interesting in each:

1. Overwhelm and news overload
- Accept the world can be a messy, precarious place.
- News avoidance isn't the answer. But we can access news when we went to by switching off news alerts (we only need to be alert to danger when we can do something).
- Stop reading breaking news and come back to those stories later when there's more detailed information.
- Prescribe ourselves a balanced diet of news, a dose of good to offset the bad. And create our own good news in our communities, where most people are kind and trying their best.

2. The search for perfection is futile
- Don't waste energy fighting who we are; instead strive towards acceptance of our weaknesses and strengths.
- There's a difference between aiming high and setting unachievable goals. Linking our self worth to standards beyond our reach can lead to burnout and we should accept we can't be everything we want to be.
- Live by the republic of good enough. Be happy with our actual self: a person with goals and who strives for those goals, sometimes achieving them and sometimes not.
- Reassess what success means to us, measure it on our own terms.
- Lean towards friends and colleagues who value who we are.
- Savour achievements before rushing on to the next.
- Don't compare ourselves with others, and prioritise our own wellbeing over outward success or status.

3. No regrets
- We might look back with regret, but we forget we weren't the same person back then. For example, we might be more self confident today.
- Regret is an integral part of being human. It clarifies and instructs. For example, the anticipation of feeling the same regret in future as in the past spurs us to take a different path. And it could be useful if it leads us to do better next time or teaches us a lesson.
- The silver medalist is more likely to say 'if only I'd done more to get the gold...' where as the bronze medalist is more likely to say 'at least I'm on the podium...'. We might not be able to change a situation, but it can help to reframe it or find the silver lining.
- We can avoid feeling regret by seeing what happens as an opportunity to learn and grow. Things could've been different or better. But also so much worse.

4. Too much confidence and imposter syndrome
- We need the right balance of self confidence and humility.
- Overconfidence can be fatal. A little is okay, but research shows people who most overestimate their ability have poorer levels of attainment where as humble people are more successful at work.
- It's important we try hard and we need more willingness to say we can't do this or that.
- We hear more about the people who succeed than those who don't, which makes us believe more people succeed in fulfilling their dreams. We should re-think what success means and celebrate quiet modest achievement.
- 82% of us feel like an imposter at some point in our lives and no one is immune. But most people are faking it. The example given was a new doctor having to inflate their confidence the first time they cut into another human's body.
- Try things, exude confidence, hope they work out, try not to worry if they don't. (Maybe unless you're a doctor, that is!)

5. Good stress and getting over yourself
- There's no way to completely banish feelings of stress. We feel it in situations where it matters to us that we put in a peak performance.
- Sometimes it can be helpful. For example, exam nerves can sharpen our focus.
- It can help to reframe stress as excitement or a challenge. For example, people were asked to do a last minute talk in a study. Beforehand, half were told to say out loud "I am excited" and the other half "I am calm". The first group were proven to be more persuasive, competent and confident.
- Instead of viewing a racing heart as panic, try to see it as feeling energised.
- That said, repeated stress over a period of time can be harmful. If faced with this, we should stop and work out what changes we need to make, maybe seeking professional help.
- Doing something that makes us realise our insignificance in the grand scheme of things can reduce stress levels. For example, looking out to sea, looking up at the night sky, or leaving the house and going on an 'awe walk'. It can make us feel part of something bigger and realise it's not all about us.

[Rob Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5 / 5)
A Calm, Sensible Voice in a Very Noisy World

Modern life doesn’t just exhaust us—it quietly convinces us that the exhaustion is our fault.

Overwhelmed gently but persuasively pushes back against that idea, offering relief without platitudes or guilt.

If you’re drawn to evidence-based psychology and practical self-care that doesn’t feel like self-blame, this book will likely resonate. Hammond frames overwhelm not as a personal weakness but as a predictable response to modern stressors like constant connectivity, uncertainty, and invisible expectations.

The strength of the book is its grounding in research and lived experience. Hammond explains how pressure accumulates in ways we often miss, and she offers simple reframes and strategies that feel doable rather than performative. It’s the kind of nonfiction that comforts without condescending.

At times, the structure feels a bit loose and some ideas recur, but the tone remains consistently humane. It’s less a step-by-step system and more a supportive guide for anyone who needs permission to slow down.

An engaging book with clear strengths, even if it doesn’t fully soar.

[Gleb Berloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book which has to be read by anyone struggling with overwhelm and self-doubt (like me).
One of the best self-help books ever published in my opinion, this book provides very powerful, effective strategies for reducing pressure in your life, and in the lives of those around you.
However, to get the most out of this book, you really need to put in the effort to read it, and then implement those strategies in your daily life.
I suspect that this is why this book has such a low rating which, in my opinion, is not justified.
If you are willing to put in effort to improve your life, then this book is for you.