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Technology is great. It helps us to get more done, connect with others more, and has advanced the living standards of human beings dramatically. Medical and dental technology are so far ahead of where they were even a few years ago, that we don’t want to go back.

But there is a dark side. Technology can be overwhelming.

This often happens when we have expectations that are pressing, based on our desired outcomes. Health care professionals and psychologists have long told us about the dangers of taking on more than we can handle.

I like studying this phenomenon, particularly as it relates to using technology. We can’t, and really don’t want to, give up technology. But somehow, some way, we have to overcome being overwhelmed.

Here are a few steps you can take today to overcome being overwhelmed:

• Know That You Are in Control

You are the one who accepted all these tasks to be done. You can erect safe barriers to keep you focused. When you know that you are in control and can put activities and events into place to support your efforts, you’ll do better.

• Get the Right Tools Around You

Today’s smartphones are phenomenal. You can keep up with people, watch videos, read books, play games, listen to your favorite audio, and more. Just make sure you control the technology, and not the other way around. Use apps like Brainwave for relaxation and meditation to overcome being overwhelmed.

• Pause and Breathe Deeply

I mean this both literally and figuratively. The enriched oxygenation of the brain can help to calm. This is most important when big decisions are on the line. Just taking a few moments to breathe deeply (usually about three long, deep breaths) can help both physically and mentally.

• Learn to Say “No!” Until Your Tongue Bleeds

Often, we are overwhelmed because we accept too many obligations. Learn to say an emphatic no to the wrong activities so you can say an empowering yes to the right activities. Keep your filters strong and focus on what is right for you and your goals.

• Change Your Thinking

Too often when we’re overwhelmed, our brain piles on the reasons why something won’t work. It is common to believe you’re in a “no-way” mode. I tell a story on this related to a scene in the movie The Matrix where they use a phrase, “Not yet.” I think as we move from “no way” to “not yet” we become increasingly able to deal with the concept of being overwhelmed, and then to succeed.

You can overcome being overwhelmed. You don’t have to be a victim. Practice these steps and watch your new, much better world unfold.