Life is unpredictable and can throw curveballs your way. While some come out of nowhere, others build up steadily until you feel overwhelmed.

The feeling of being overwhelmed can be detrimental to your health and wellbeing, but did you know that reaching out to your friends can help alleviate the stress and help you feel better?.

What is Overwhelm?

Overwhelm is a feeling of being overloaded, with stresses and demands coming at us from all directions. Overwhelm can be short-term or chronic. It can leave us feeling anxious, irritable, tired, and even depressed.

Whether it’s due to work, family, health, or finance, being overwhelmed can have a negative impact on our mental state.

How can Friends Help?

When you feel overwhelmed, it is easy to lean towards isolation and mulling over problems alone.

However, many studies have shown that social support networks and friendships are the most effective way to reduce stress, promote resilience, and recover from trauma.

According to a study of 2,481 adults by The American Psychological Association, 41% of those who did not have emotional support from family or friends reported feeling sad or depressed, while only 18% of those who had emotional support noted the same response.

Benefits of Reaching out to Friends

Connecting with friends can offer multiple benefits. When we share and express ourselves with friends, it strengthens bonds and helps release some of the emotional distress we are feeling.

Below are a few benefits of reaching out to friends when you feel overwhelmed:.

Reduces Anxiety and Stress

The understanding and emotional support from friends help ease the feeling of being alone in our stress.

Recent studies have reported significant reductions in cortisol—the hormone responsible for stress—when people connect with caring others and report feeling more anchored and less anxious after talking with them.

Positive Distraction

Engaging with friends can help shift our attention from whatever might be overwhelming us to something positive and less distressing.

We can share a laugh or a chat, talk about a recent happy event that has happened, and even get motivation and ideas for attacking our problems head-on.

Reinforces Positive Thoughts

Self-talk can be the biggest hurdle when it comes to feeling overwhelmed. Talking to friends reinforces our self-worth and helps break negative thinking patterns that cause anxiety and other negative effects on our mental health.

Offers Help and Support

Your friends might not have a magic wand that will make everything go away, but a good friend will listen without judging or offering unsolicited advice.

They can offer a shoulder to cry on, practical support, or even just act as company while you tackle the problem yourself. Sometimes it’s enough to have a sounding board to bounce your own ideas off.

Boosts Mood and Self-Confidence

Toxic thoughts can lead to low self-esteem and impact our mood adversely. When we connect with friends, it helps counteract this by reminding us why they appreciate us and what our good qualities are.

Being with people who value us and remind us of our worth has a powerful positive effect on our feelings.

Conclusion

While feeling overwhelmed can be distressing, it’s good to remember that we are not alone in our struggles. Reaching out to friends, family, or therapists can help alleviate the stress and bring respite from the negative emotions.

Social support can also help us regulate our emotions, see things from a different perspective, and provide the much-needed boost to our self-confidence and mood. So the next time you feel like you are drowning in your challenges, reach out for the helping hand of your friends.