A woman who lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.
-Lysa Terkeurst

I’ve been seeing a lot more emotional flooding in my counseling private practice and in my own life recently. It may have to do with life having more pre-pandemic normalcy now that the vaccines are readily available in the USA. That being said, it can feel quite overwhelming when you have more to do now than over the past year, as well as possibly feeling like you’re making up for lost time in some ways. This affects both adult and kids alike, so be on the look out for emotional flooding in your own life and in the lives of those around you.

So, what exactly is emotional flooding? I often describe it as many different emotions hitting you all at the same time.

Emotional flooding can show up in your life in many different forms:

1. Feeling emotionally numb- when all the feelings show up, you shut down emotionally with out time and space to process it all.
2. Panic- you may feel like a deer caught in headlights, not sure what to do next.
3. Overwhelm- not feeling like you can function well; you’re just going through the motions to get through the day.
4. Disconnect from others- not being able to connect on a deeper level with those around you.
5. Fear- that you won’t be able to break this cycle and you’ll feel emotionally flooded forever.
6. Emotional reactivity- concern that you won’t be able to control your emotions when triggered and that they may show up as incessant crying or rage towards others.

When are you more likely to experience emotional flooding in your own life?

1. After a major life change such as a job loss or move.
2. After a loss such as the loss of a loved one, a miscarriage, a relationship breakup, etc.
3. When many life stressors show up at the same time.
4. When you receive unexpected news.
5. When issues from your past are triggered by something going on in the present.
6. When past traumas resurface in your life- this may signal to you that it’s time to return to therapy.
7. Dealing with an ongoing stressful situation.
8. Arguing with love ones- arguments can leave you feeling emotionally raw, especially if you weren’t arguing in a healthy way.

Here are some ways to help you better cope with emotional flooding when its shows up in your life:

1. Make time and space to process how you’re feeling- journaling can be helpful here.
2. Feel your feelings- allow yourself to go to these hard places, even if it’s overwhelming for you at first.
3. Try to figure out the specific feelings that are showing up together and name them.
4. Talk to a therapist- this can help you delve deeper into why the emotional flooding is happening in your life.
5. Create time and space for a daily self-care routine such as meditation, exercise, mindfulness, etc.
6. Try to figure out if the emotional flooding is a situational or ongoing issue in your life.
7. Educate yourself on emotional flooding- read, listen to podcasts, find videos on this topic, etc.

It’s important to acknowledge and be aware of these added stressors in your life (for you as well as your family members). The hope is, if you can catch them early, you can take steps to better care for yourself so you don’t get to the point of emotional flooding.

Process Grief