Overwhelmed: Ways to Take the Pressure Off

by Claudia Hammond

There’s too much to do in too little time. The demands made on us and the pressure put on us seem relentless. We expect more of ourselves. And yet completing even everyday tasks is a struggle. There is always something new, something more, something better. Even switching off seems more difficult these days. How can we make it . . . STOP?

All of us are familiar with this unsettling sensation of acceleration – the feeling that there’s ever more to do, and ever less time in which to do it. This is that persistent feeling that you can’t cope, that the demands on you are excessive, that you can’t see 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 related to the sensation of being overwhelmed – from procrastination to the fear of regret, imposter syndrome, perfectionism and a seemingly never-ending to-do list – and offers a way out. Calm, clear and convincing, Overwhelmed will give you the tools to take on everything life throws at you.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Psychology

288 pages, Hardcover

Published August 4, 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

[Uzoamaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful, practical tips on how to avoid being overwhelmed. In simple words it's how to achieve balance in your life to avoid doing too much, burn out and having feelings of being under pressure.

Stress is good, but not too much.
I love how Claudia Hammond writes and reads too - the take aways on each chapter helps a great deal to have a bite size summary of the points made.

[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.

[Justin Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores how modern life leaves many of us feeling overwhelmed. A striking example is that more than one in five people aged 20–25 now have a probable mental health problem. The focus here is on the practical ideas that can be applied in everyday life.
ACCEPTANCE
- A central idea is accepting that your to-do list will always be longer than the time you have available.
- One simple but effective strategy is to write your to-do list before going to bed. This helps “offload” thoughts from your mind, reducing cognitive load and making it easier to fall asleep. Research suggests that people who do this fall asleep faster than those who either write nothing or only reflect on what they’ve already completed.
Another useful habit is to:
- Write down three positive things from the day
- Write down three things to look forward to tomorrow
This helps rebalance our natural tendency to focus on negative experiences.
PERFECTION IS FUTILE
- We tend to be overly optimistic about the future and overestimate how much we can change. Striving for perfection often increases pressure rather than improving outcomes. A more realistic approach is to aim for steady progress.
OVERCONFIDENCE
- People frequently overestimate their abilities. Experiments show that individuals can feel confident performing highly complex tasks with minimal preparation, even when the reality suggests otherwise.
- A common example is driving, around 93% of people rate themselves as above average, which is statistically impossible.
The key message:
- Be more aware of limitations
- Stay open to learning
- Seek advice when needed
- Approach situations with humility
NOT ALL STRESS IS BAD
- Stress is often seen as harmful, but it is also essential. Without it, we would not function effectively.
- Research shows that how we interpret stress matters:
- Saying “I’m excited” rather than “I’m anxious” can improve performance
- Stress can increase alertness and focus during important tasks
- The goal is not to eliminate stress, but to understand that it can be both helpful and harmful depending on the situation.
IMPOSTER FEELINGS
- Many people feel like they don’t know what they are doing, especially in challenging environments.
- However:
- Most people are figuring things out as they go
- Feeling uncertain can reflect awareness rather than incompetence
- Those who appear most confident are not necessarily the most knowledgeable.
- As the brilliant Bertrand Russell quote goes: “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.” This neatly captures the idea that overconfidence often comes with ignorance, while true knowledge tends to bring humility.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO FEEL GOOD ALL THE TIME
- It is important to accept that it is okay not to feel okay. This is about being honest rather than giving up.
- A simple self-compassion exercise:
- Place your hand on your chest
- Reflect on a difficult experience
- Respond with kindness and forgiveness
- Practising this regularly can improve emotional resilience.
WOOP APPROACH
A practical method for dealing with goals and challenges:
- Wish – What do you want?
- Outcome – What would success look like?
- Obstacle – What might get in the way?
- Plan – What will you do if it happens?
- This “if–then” planning helps prepare for difficulties in advance, making goals more achievable and less overwhelming. Some examples include the following:
- If I feel tempted to check my phone while working,
then I will put it on silent and continue working for another 10 minutes.
- If I feel too tired to exercise after work,
then I will put my trainers on and go for just 5 minutes.
- If I start procrastinating on a task,
then I will work on it for just one small step (e.g. 5 minutes).
- It removes decision-making in the moment. You’ve already decided how you’ll respond, so it’s easier to follow through.
PROCRASTINATION
- Procrastination is not primarily a problem with time management, but with emotion management. We delay tasks when they feel uncomfortable or when rewards seem distant. Emotional regulation plays a major role
- Strategies include:
- Start with the hardest task (“eat the frog”)
- Break tasks into smaller steps
- Accept that discomfort is part of progress
- Use “if–then” plans to manage distractions or temptations
NEWS OVERLOAD
- Consuming large amounts of negative news can increase stress levels, sometimes even more than directly experiencing events.
- The solution is balance: stay informed, limit news intake to once or twice a day and turn off constant alerts
TOO MUCH CHOICE
- Having too many options can lead to decision fatigue and overwhelm. There are situations where too much choice can make us feel overwhelmed. When people were given lots of choices from choosing jam, they choose less than when they were only given a few flavours to choose from.
- To manage this:
- Reduce unnecessary choices
- Create routines or defaults
- Focus on decisions that truly matter
AWE
- Spending time in nature can reduce feelings of overwhelm.
- Even short moments matter:
- Notice small details like trees, clouds, or birds
- Take time to appreciate the environment.
- Hammond suggests taking a short walk and just marvel at everything around you. I am going to try this.
NOSTALGIA
- Reflecting on positive past experiences can improve wellbeing and provide emotional support during difficult times.
- Building a mental “bank” of good memories can help when facing challenges.
HOW TO WORRY LESS
- Hammond suggests turn ‘what-ifs’ into ‘so-whats’ We often have a tendency to think of all the things that could go wrong in a given situation and to stop right there. In other words, we pile up what-ifs. This propensity can even turn something fun into yet another thing to worry about. Imagine you’re going away for the weekend tomorrow – it should be a pleasant prospect. But then come the worries. What if I oversleep because my alarm didn’t go off? What if the train is cancelled? What if it’s late and I miss my connection? What if the Airbnb is no good? What if I booked dinner on the wrong night? What if I get sick from something I eat?
- One of the ways that we can help ourselves deal with problems it is by changing our pronouns so that rather than saying I felt as if you can say you might feel as this and that distancing helps you to deal with a problem or a feeling.
- Another way of dealing with this problem is rather than saying ‘I feel overwhelmed by this problem’ you might say ‘Justin feels overwhelmed by this problem but he could do this’ and that might help. It helps to keep distance and view the problem as you would with a friend.
- A useful technique is to turn:
- “What if?” into “So what would I do?”
- This shifts thinking from worry to problem-solving.
- Another approach is psychological distancing:
- Talk to yourself as if advising someone else
- Or refer to yourself in the third person
This creates space from the emotion and helps with clearer thinking.
REST
- Regular breaks improve performance and wellbeing.
- Even brief pauses—such as looking out of a window or doodling—can restore focus.
- Research shows that taking breaks during demanding tasks can:
- Reduce stress
- Improve outcomes
- Maintain efficiency
- One experiment showed that surgeons who took breaks performed better than surgeons who worked through an operation – and better surgery outcomes occurred.
FLOW
- Becoming fully absorbed in an activity (flow) can reduce overwhelm.
- This could include:
- Reading, music, reading, playing the guitar, or any creative work
- Flow states help improve both focus and overall wellbeing.
- Nobody ever regretted taking up a hobby – even if they discontinued at a future date.
SUMMARY
- Managing overwhelm is not about eliminating it, but understanding and working with it.
- The key is to:
- Stay engaged with life
- Build meaningful connections
- Keep learning
- Support others
- Notice small moments of joy
Overwhelm is part of life—but with the right approach, it can become manageable rather than consuming.

[Kelsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook as read by the author, and while it didn’t initially appear groundbreaking I thought it was worth continuing with for maybe some practical strategies.

However, then I heard the following:
“But you might feel so stressed that your *parasympathetic* nervous system kicks in. Your heart starts racing. You break out in a sweat. You even feel physically sick – a result of your digestive system shutting down and blood being pumped to your legs ready for fight or flight.”

It is your *sympathetic* nervous system that gets activated when you’re under threat, i.e. your fight/flight/freeze/fawn response. That’s what makes your heart start to race and increases the blood flow to your legs. Your parasympathetic (‘rest and digest’) system *is* involved in diverting resources away from your digestive system during times of stress, but it does that by deactivating or downshifting, not activating. The two systems work in opposition - one has to downshift for the other to upshift.

Giving the author the benefit of the doubt, I thought, is this really such a big error? One incorrect reference point?
But this book positions itself as a book of science. An error of fact should’ve been caught by the author themself, or at the very least by a proofreader.
Maybe it’s just unclear syntax? Just sentence structure that’s a little confused?
But unclear syntax should’ve been caught by an editor and flagged for review.

I did try to continue listening, but going forward all I could think was, did anything else slip through the net? As much as I’m sure there was some valuable information in there, I couldn’t get past such a basic error of information and/or communication.
Unfortunately, I found I couldn’t continue with the book, and ultimately DNF’d.

[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.

[Stephen Hull · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book, full of tips and strategies to deal with the pressures of our complicated world. Many I’ve seen before – as should be expected: this book is a compilation of ideas, not a presentation of new ones – but many were new to me. Perhaps best of all, almost every chapter ends with a single page of bubbles containing text bubbles of the key ideas and suggestions. This is the kind of book you want to keep and dip back into every once in a while.

[Ziad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that reinforces and spotlights scattered insights you might have made at some point about yourself and your mental health, ultimately serving as a good reminder of what can make you less overwhelmed. I really appreciated how grounded Claudia’s advice was in psychological research. I also particularly enjoyed the book’s final chapter on the benefits of reaching flow state.

[Helen J Altshul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to this book read by the author, who I used to listen to on BBC World Service radio. Not sure how much it will influence my behaviour, though, since as she herself observes, we rarely change our behaviour or become the person we aspire to be!

[Kalpee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this and CH the author narrated. I actually liked this book a lot and although a lot was stuff I knew the stories/cases/studies were great.

[Kiera · Rating 3 out of 5]

final nail in the coffin, self-help books are NOT for me

[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.