Overwhelmed : Ways to Take the Pressure Off

Publisher: Canongate Books
Publish date: 6 January 2026
Pages: 288
Language: English

Subjects: Self-Help, Self-Management, Stress Management, Personal Growth

There's too much to do in too little time. The demands made on us and the pressure put on us seem relentless. We expect more of ourselves. And yet completing even everyday tasks is a struggle. There is always something new, something more, something better. Even switching off seems more difficult these days. How can we make it . . . STOP?

All of us are familiar with this unsettling sensation of acceleration - the feeling that there's ever more to do, and ever less time in which to do it. This is overwhelm: that persistent feeling that you can't cope, that the demands on you are excessive, that you can't see a way out.

In this liberating new book, award-winning writer and presenter of BBC Radio 4's All in the Mind Claudia Hammond helps us to take the pressure off with a psychological toolkit that is both practical and evidence-based. Each chapter addresses a particular problem related to the sensation of being overwhelmed - from procrastination to the fear of regret, imposter syndrome, perfectionism and a seemingly never-ending to-do list - and offers a way out. Calm, clear and convincing, Overwhelmed will give you the tools to take on everything life throws at you.