9 TikToks to watch when you're feeling overwhelmed

Thu, January 26, 2023 at 7:39 PM UTC

3 min read

person sitting with their face in their hands, books stacked high on either side of them, and a low battery icon above

"Are you stressed?" It kind of feels like a trick question. Stress and overwhelm are realities of the human experience, and sometimes it can be hard to remember a time when "stressed out" wasn't one of your predominant emotions.

When it comes to reducing stress, there's not always time for a long walk or a restorative meditation. Sometimes you need bite-sized relief that comes in three minutes or less.

That brand of relief is literally at your fingertips — on TikTok. Now, you'll have to show some restraint here; a stress spiral is certainly not the time to get lost in the endless procrastination scroll. But, in a pinch, TikTok might actually have what you need, whether by way of actionable tips and methods, calming, grounding energy or even a little humor.

Here are nine TikToks to watch when everything starts to feel too much.

Try doing a 'brain dump'

This practice, from user @sundazedkk , involves getting everything that's overwhelming you out on paper in a "brain dump" and then using it to make a priorities list of what needs to (and can realistically) get done. Then, if time allows, try a gratitude brain dump, a proven happiness tool .

Find the right starting point

This method, courtesy of @thelizjane , involves splitting your to-do list into two sections: "I'm the blocker" tasks (i.e., those where it's on you to make it happen) and "someone's blocking me" tasks (i.e., tasks where you're waiting on someone else in order to make progress). Prioritize "I'm the blocker" tasks, and get clear on what you need from anyone who falls under the "blocking me" tasks.

Feel seen in your struggles

Sometimes it just helps to remember that pretty much everyone has felt the way you feel at some point. Anyone who has stressed over work, school or just…life can relate to this specific feeling, articulated perfectly by @rod . If you can find the humor in it, all the better.

Create a visual

Are you the aspiring bullet journal type? Make like user @6amto10pm and turn your overwhelm into an arts and crafts project by writing your tasks down on sticky tabs by task and moving them into different columns as you make progress. So. Satisfying.

Give yourself a minute

This meditative hand exercise, courtesy of @toronto.lifecoach can help mitigate the sense that you're in over your head. The accompanying spa music and nature sounds don't hurt either.

Implement this genius tidying tip

If it's your living space that's causing the tension, make use of these helpful cleaning tips from @jadedonaghe . Our personal favorite involves a basket to put things that belong somewhere else, eliminating that room-to-room shuffle, so you can focus on one small area at a time. So simple! So smart!

Understand your procrastination

If you've ever attributed your procrastination tendencies to chronic laziness, this video is for you. Psychologist @drjuliesmith explains it's not laziness but rather a number of different factors that once identified (like fear of failure, for example), you have a better shot at overcoming.

Implement small habit changes

Chances are you're reading this on a phone or computer. This six-step guide to feeling less stress from @passionbased includes a solid argument for shunning screens for the first hour of your day and rethinking the origins of your angst.

Remember: you're not as stressed as you could be

The @recesstherapy video is funny, but we stand by the above sentiment. Because the truth is, there's always going to be someone who is more stressed than you. And we're pretty sure no one is as stressed as this extremely stressed kid.

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