Feeling overwhelmed arises when you feel you have too much to deal with — so much so that it feels paralyzing.

For so much of human history, our lives were shaped by shortages — food, water, shelter, tools, clothing. Everything we needed had to be sourced, made or found. Because of this, our brains were comfortable with lack and scarcity. These days, with everything in “more” mode, we feel we need to do more, be more, handle more and get more done. The result is leaving us overwhelmed on an extraordinary scale.

We do not get overwhelmed because what of what we are doing, but because of what we are feeling. It is possible to have many things on your plate and still feel calm, centered and poised.

What makes our lives seem overwhelming depends a lot on our perceptions, habits and the labels we put on things. The feeling of overwhelm is simply a state of mind that you have created.

Daily mission

At the end of the day, make it a point to consciously recognize what you have accomplished instead of noticing all the things you still have to do. When we are overwhelmed, we only think about what we didn’t do, where we are behind, what we still need to finish and so on. Affirm the ways in which you have been productive.

Alice Inoue is the founder of Happiness U. Visit YourHappinessU.com.