Tips For New Dads When Feeling Overwhelmed

If you’re a new dad, you’re about to embark on one of life’s greatest journeys — one that will give you some of the best memories of your life.

With that said, you’re also in for a bunch of responsibilities that can lead you to question your worthiness as a father. From caring for your newborn to being a supportive partner to your wife, tasks will pile up and overwhelm you in a heartbeat.

New dad overwhelm can dent your confidence significantly. Fortunately, we at Dad University have helped thousands of new fathers cope with feeling overwhelmed, and we’re going to help you too with these tips for managing dad overwhelm.

Stay glued and learn our tried and tested tips for coping when feeling overwhelmed. Rest assured, by the end of this, you’ll have the tools to feel more confident in your new job as a parent.

Let’s dive in!

1. Write It (Whatever You’re Feeling) Down

There’s something oddly powerful about being able to put your feelings and thoughts on paper. By writing down everything that stresses and overwhelms you, you get to identify what’s causing you the most dad overwhelm.

Often, we as dads are bombarded by so many events that we can’t figure out which to deal with first. Hence, when you write your feelings down, you’ll see your main stressors, acquiring valuable data on the ones you should address first.

2. Get It Out

It’s not enough to write about what you’re feeling — you’ve got to get things off your chest too.

Talking about your feelings can provide you with cathartic relief from the stresses of being a new dad. By sharing what’s bugging you and what’s overwhelming you, you’ll feel a lot better and can go about your day with a more positive disposition.

Most importantly, doing this helps you with the next tip for new dad overwhelm.

3. Stop Complaining

We won’t sugarcoat it — everyone hates a chronic complainer.

No matter how bad things are, one of the things you should stop yourself from doing is complaining too often. Doing this may seem to provide you with temporary relief, but doing so isn’t helpful over the long term. Worse yet, not a lot of people will want to be around you if you complain too much and too often.

Instead of complaining, perform the first two things on our list (writing and talking about your feelings). Once you’ve done that, move on to the next step.

4. Determine What You Can Control

There’s a clever saying by the ancient philosopher Epictetus. It goes:

“The more you seek to control external events, the less control you have over your life.”

When you focus on what you can’t control like the number of times your baby cries or your boss not giving you paternity leave, you’ll set yourself up for disappointment. Worse yet, with disappointment comes feelings of being overwhelmed.

On the other hand, an easy way to feel more in control of your life is to focus on what’s within your control. Right off the bat, examples of what you can control include:

• How you treat your wife
• What to do when your baby cries
• Expressing your feelings and taking responsibility for them

What’s important is that you identify the things you can do something about and act on them.

5. Remember That You’re Not Alone

Right now, it may feel like you’re the only one who’s struggling with being a new father. However, remember that billions of fathers were in the same situation you are in now. As you’re reading this, millions of others are with you on the same boat.

When you realize this, you’ll feel less overwhelmed as you recognize that being a new dad isn’t an impossible task (no matter how hard it seems now).

As you recognize the multitude of dads who have already dealt with new dad overwhelm and come out on top, you’ll be able to do number six on our list.

6. Ask For Help

There’s no shame in asking for help. In fact, it’s a sign of self-awareness, humility, and, believe it or not, inner strength.

Asking for help from experienced dads enables you to get the support you need during the initial steps of your fatherhood journey. At the same time, you’ll be able to touch base with like-minded individuals, especially if you’ve joined a community like the one we have at Dad University.

Our community consists of new and seasoned dads who strive to take their fatherhood game to the next level.

Hence, if you need support during your darkest moments, sign up and let our community support you.

7. Practice Gratitude

At every point in your journey as a father, you’ll experience numerous highs and lows. When you’re dealing with the lows, being grateful can and will get you through.

Practicing gratitude allows you to realistically recognize the positive things about your life like being a father. Not everyone has the opportunity to be a dad, but you do. Hence, this is something you ought to be thankful for.

Practicing gratitude should be part of your daily practice. All you need is a few minutes of your day, a piece of paper, and a pen.

Write down a small list of the things you’re grateful for, and watch your mood change.

8. Stop the Perfectionism

What causes new dad overwhelm is an unrealistic expectation that you should immediately be a pro at being a dad.

We’ve got news for you — nobody is!

For this reason, be kinder to yourself and cut yourself some slack. Don’t beat yourself up if you fail at things the first time.

After all, it’s not like fatherhood comes with an instruction manual. You’re already doing your best by simply showing up for your wife and newborn day in and day out.

The Antidotes for New Dad Overwhelm: Showing Up Daily and Getting Support

Being thankful, expressing your feelings, and taking control of your new journey may be tough, but do them daily or as often as you can, and you’ll be amazed at how less overwhelmed you’ll be.

It’s also important to get the support you need, and that’s where we come in.

Our Dad University Membership gives you exclusive access to resources and online support guaranteed to help you on your fatherhood journey.

Watch the "Tips For New Dads When Feeling Overwhelmed" video here: