What to do when life feels almost unbearable

Yesterday I had a flat tyre. It shouldn’t have been a big deal. All I had to do was call Roadside Assistance, have the nice man change it for the spare, and then take my car to the tyre place to have the other nice man repair the puncture for me.

But in that moment, it felt impossible. I was in the midst of "overwhelm": when everything in my life just felt too much. I was emerging from a period of personal and professional stress, and my ability to keep up the juggling act was severely diminished.

And, really, life is a juggling act for all of us, all of the time. Modern living is incredibly complex. You need to open your mail, pay your bills, keep your house tidy and your clothes laundered, ensure the internet is working and your car is serviced, shop for groceries, sort your inbox, feed your family, deal with your loved ones’ emotional needs, manage your kids’ education and social lives, exercise, do your taxes, deal with your health issues, read the news… And this is before you can even think about doing your actual paid work.

No wonder a blown tyre can throw everything out.

There are times when the juggle seems manageable (though rarely effortless). But when you’re suffering from overwhelm – when your ability to cope is impaired because of stress or anxiety or ill health or exhaustion – it can feel almost unbearable. Last week I felt as though I was perched on top of a teetering tower of bricks, and that being given one more task, being asked one more question, having one more tiny setback, would throw me entirely off balance and send me crashing to the ground.