It’s when I procrastinate my AP Physics homework on top of procrastinating my other six classes’ homework, when I have exhausted myself so much that I don’t have enough brain power to even spell my name, or after I have a mental breakdown about something too irrational like my favorite pair of jeans being dirty the one day I decide to wear real pants to school. On the other hand, it’s also when I have the sudden urge and motivation to initiate the change I had been looking for. Being overwhelmed has become a feeling that I have grown accustomed to, whether I wanted to or not. Being overwhelmed is a feeling that many people have experienced, and probably did their best to never have back in their lives. Being overwhelmed be that anxious feeling you get that clouds your mind, but contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t always have to be the most negative part of your day. 

Overwhelming (adj): very great in amount, very strong (especially in emotion); (verb) bury or drown under a huge mass, defeat completely, give too much to someone, overpower. When the word “overwhelmed” is mentioned, people shutter with the thought of being drowned  in papers and to-do lists after choosing to go out with friends the night before. If sent to trial, I too would be guilty of regretting my decision to watch “The Bachelor” instead of completing my AP US History notes. Along with many other high schoolers, I often feel overwhelmed with the amount of school work, athletic training, and pressures placed on me by others and myself. Not only does being overwhelmed increase stress levels, it can place your body into survival mode. Because your body can’t tell the difference between physical and psychological threats, extreme stress may cause health problems such as sleep issues, thinking and memory problems, and suppress your immune system. What I get from all this scientific talk is that society has associated only this version of being overwhelmed with the word that can hold so much more. A version that creates a negative connotation with the natural reaction that everyone experiences, it was probably the version that you thought of when you first read the word itself.

Against popular belief, to overwhelm or to be overwhelmed is not necessarily always bad, it is a matter of perspective in most cases. In a game of soccer, when spectators whisper how your team overwhelmed the opposing team, isn’t that a good thing? If you aren’t on the team losing 10-0, then you want to be overwhelming. You want to be all over the field and not give your opponents a chance to even think about scoring. Try taking it in a more every-day scenario such as being stressed out, being overwhelmed can become more of a positive opportunity if you allow it to. When you take the heavy feeling that being overwhelmed comes with, and you turn it around to use it as motivation, it can do positive things. Sometimes when a change is needed and all you need is a spark, that feeling you never want to feel again can be that for you. I know during times like finals week, when I feel utterly hopeless and overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge that I need to cram the night before a test, that’s when I am suddenly motivated again to organize my entire life, and closet. While a “finals week cleaning” may not be apart of your yearly routine, being overwhelmed can help you create healthy habits such as encouraging better time management, organization skills, and color coordinating your calendar. Being overwhelmed is not only a motivator in athletics, school or work, but can also encourage someone to take control of their stress and anxiety levels by giving them that opportunity to take hold of what’s theirs. Feeling that unwanted feeling and deciding to finally do something about it.

To me, the word “overwhelming” means a couple of different things. It, of course, represents the shock of over scheduling yourself and having too much on your plate than you can handle. It also represents the switch in mentality from “I can’t do this anymore” to “Okay, I need to change something, but I can do this”. Throughout the process of planning and writing this essay, I have been able to develop a new appreciation and definition for the feeling that I once hated and questioned its purpose. I encourage you too, to change your perspective and the next time you seem to be overwhelmed, remember all the positive outcomes that could come from an unpleasant moment; few people have the chance to delight in the uplifting effect that it can truly have.