If everything feels like it’s piling up — responsibilities, decisions, expectations, emotions, noise — overwhelm can leave you feeling mentally overloaded, emotionally drained, and unable to cope the way you used to.
Overwhelm isn’t weakness. It’s not failure. It’s what happens when your mind and nervous system have been under pressure for too long.
I help people across Reading, Didcot and online reduce overwhelm, calm mental overload, and regain a sense of control using hypnotherapy, NLP and calm, practical mindset coaching.
Most people notice a real shift in how they feel within just a few sessions.
MAIL@THEEXCELPRACTICE.COM OR CALL 07807 540142
Book Your Session
Ask a Question
Do Any of These Sound Like You?
- You feel constantly under pressure, even when nothing specific is “wrong”
- Small tasks feel huge and exhausting
- You’re juggling too many responsibilities and can’t switch off
- You feel mentally cluttered, scattered, or emotionally overloaded
- You’re snapping, withdrawing, or feeling numb instead of coping
- You struggle to prioritise or make decisions because everything feels urgent
- You feel behind, rushed, or like you’re never quite catching up
- You lie awake at night with your mind racing through everything you haven’t done
- You feel overwhelmed… and then feel frustrated with yourself for feeling that way
If any of this resonates, you’re not broken — and you’re not alone.
What’s Really Going On When You Feel Overwhelmed
Overwhelm isn’t just about having “too much to do”.
It usually happens when:
- Your nervous system stays in a prolonged state of alert
- Your mind is trying to track, manage and control everything at once
- Stress, responsibility or emotional pressure has been building quietly over time
- Your brain stops filtering what’s urgent and what can wait
When this happens, your system never fully switches off.
Even when you rest physically, your mind stays busy — scanning, planning, worrying, bracing.
Consciously, you may tell yourself to “calm down” or “just deal with it”. But subconsciously, your system has learned that staying alert feels safer than slowing down.
This is where hypnotherapy works — not by forcing calm, but by helping your system feel safe enough to let go.
The Science Behind Overwhelm (Brief & Grounded)
From a neuroscience perspective, overwhelm occurs when the brain’s threat and load systems are activated for too long. The prefrontal cortex — responsible for decision-making, prioritisation and focus — becomes less effective under sustained stress, while the amygdala and stress circuitry remain highly active. This reduces cognitive flexibility, increases mental noise, and makes even small tasks feel disproportionately difficult.
Research shows that techniques which calm the nervous system and reduce cognitive load allow the brain to re-establish regulation, restoring clarity, emotional balance and the ability to respond rather than react. Hypnotherapy works by supporting this regulation process — helping the nervous system exit prolonged alert states and allowing higher-order thinking to resume.
How Hypnotherapy And Coaching Can Help With Overwhelm
In our sessions, we use a blend of cognitive hypnotherapy, NLP, mindset coaching and calming techniques to:
- Reduce mental overload, so everything stops feeling urgent
- Calm the nervous system, allowing your body and mind to settle
- Break the pressure–panic loop that keeps overwhelm going
- Restore clarity and focus, so you can think more cleanly
- Reduce emotional reactivity, snapping or shutting down
- Help you feel back in control, rather than constantly catching up
- Helping you establish new habits and routines
This isn’t about “thinking positive” or pretending life isn’t busy.
It’s about helping your system stop running in emergency mode — so you can respond instead of react.
What Working Together Looks Like
Where Sessions Take Place
- In person at my Reading or Didcot practice
- Or online via Zoom, Skype or Teams
Many clients choose a mix of in-person and online sessions.
- Reading: Monday to Friday, day and evening appointments
- Didcot: Tuesdays, with flexible times
- Online: Secure sessions from home
What to Expect in a Session
Each session is tailored to you, but typically includes:
- A calm, one-to-one conversation about what’s overwhelming you
- Gentle, solution-focused hypnotherapy to reduce overload and pressure
- Practical tools to help you stay grounded between sessions
- A non-judgemental space where you don’t have to “hold it together”
You remain fully aware and in control throughout. Hypnotherapy is simply a relaxed, focused state — similar to becoming absorbed in a book or music — where change becomes easier.
Why People Choose The Excel Practice for Overwhelm
- I’ve been a full-time hypnotherapist for over eighteen years
- I specialise in stress, anxiety, overwhelm, overthinking, insomnia and confidence
- I use a calm, modern, practical approach — not scripts
- I’ve worked with hundreds of people who felt overloaded, burnt out or stretched too thin
- My focus is always the same: helping you feel steadier, clearer and back in control
Clients often say:
“Nothing changed overnight — but everything started to feel lighter.”
How Many Sessions Will I Need?
Everyone is different, but for overwhelm:
- Some people notice a shift within 2–3 sessions
- Others prefer 4–6 sessions to really stabilise things
- We review regularly — you’re never locked into anything
You move at your pace.
Overwhelm, Stress & Sleep
Overwhelm often connects with:
- Stress that never quite switches off
- Poor sleep or insomnia, because your system stays alert
- Overthinking, because your mind is overloaded
As overwhelm reduces, many people notice:
- Better sleep
- Clearer thinking
- More emotional resilience
- Less pressure and urgency
Is Hypnotherapy Right for Me?
Hypnotherapy for overwhelm may be a good fit if:
- You feel overloaded and stuck in pressure mode
- You’ve tried coping alone for a long time
- You want calm, practical support — not endless analysis
- You’re open to learning simple tools to regulate your system
If you’re unsure, you’re welcome to ask questions first.
Trusted by hundreds of clients over 18+ years, with 50+ five-star Google reviews for calm, effective hypnotherapy.
Laura M – Oxfordshire
I felt constantly overwhelmed and on edge, even when nothing specific was wrong. Hypnotherapy helped quiet things down and gave me space to breathe again. I feel more balanced and able to cope without everything feeling urgent. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Next Steps – When Everything Feels Like Too Much
You don’t have to keep pushing through on empty.
If you’re ready to:
- Feel calmer and more grounded
- Stop everything feeling urgent
- Think more clearly
- Sleep more easily
- Regain a sense of balance and control
…then working with overwhelm directly can be a powerful first step.
MAIL@THEEXCELPRACTICE.COM OR CALL 07807 540142
Book Your Session
Ask a Question
FAQ – Overwhelm, Coaching & Hypnotherapy
Is overwhelm the same as anxiety?
They’re closely linked, but not identical. Overwhelm is often about mental and emotional overload, while anxiety is more fear-based. Hypnotherapy can help with both.
Will hypnotherapy make me lose control?
No. You stay fully aware and in control at all times.
How quickly will I feel a difference?
Many people notice changes within a few sessions, especially in how pressured or overloaded they feel.
Can sessions be done online?
Yes — online sessions are just as effective as in-person work.
India Juttla, April 2025
I recently completed a few sessions with Matthew to help manage my anxiety, and the experience has been transformative! Matthew is non-judgemental and creates a very calm environment. He listened to my concerns and took a personalised approach for each session, to help me overcome the root cause of my anxiety. After even the first session I felt so much better! I responded differently to situations that would usually trigger my anxiety, and felt so much calmer. Matthew has also helped me to find practical ways to cope with my anxiety and overwhelm outside of sessions. Matthew’s sessions were very effective and I could not recommended him enough! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
MAIL@THEEXCELPRACTICE.COM OR CALL 07807 540142