Spiritual anxiety and overwhelm can hit a witch any time, whether they are a beginner or have years of experience. It can cause us to doubt ourselves, feel stuck and be unable to move forward and enjoy our craft with positivity and joy. However, recently, I have realised that witchcraft overwhelm also serves a purpose – more on this later.

Spiritual anxiety happens to me more often than I would like. It often follows a period of intense activity, epiphanies and breakthroughs. I feel like I am riding a wave, then – poof! – I’m suddenly drowning in witchcraft overwhelm. It feels horrible! I go from feeling intuitive, connected and powerful, to losing all faith in myself and the magic of the universe. 

I used to resist this feeling and try to power through my spiritual anxiety. But recently, I have been trying to let my intuition guide me. I think we sometimes forget that our magical practice, just like everything in nature, is cyclical. It’s not easy though, I have worked hard to create this wonderful practice and it really hurts when I have to take a break from it. However, I am beginning to learn that I can have a different kind of practice for different periods and phases of my life.

So now, when I feel spiritual anxiety and overwhelm, I am more accepting of the need to slow down and simplify for a little while. 

Here are 4 ways I have found to cope with spiritual anxiety and witchcraft overwhelm.

Simplify my practice

I have a small room that is almost entirely dedicated to my practice. I absolutely love this room. It fills me with good energy simply stepping through the door – except when I am overwhelmed and then it can be too much.

So when I am feeling spiritual anxiety, I set up a simple altar in my bedroom with a candle and a journal. I simplify my practice to the basics for me, which are gratitude and intentions, taking care of my shrines and spending time in nature. Your simple practice could look very different, so try to work out what is essential for you. This may be nothing witchcraft-related at all for a while or it may be to just focus on one shrine or one practice. 

I have found that this simplified practice has been very helpful in helping me overcome my spiritual anxiety. It has allowed me to follow my intuition and go deeper into my core practices. I find I spend more time in nature, whether that is taking a walk or just having a cup of tea in the garden. I also find it easier to meditate without so much information buzzing around in my brain and fewer distractions in my space.

Take a break from information

I sometimes think spiritual anxiety and overwhelm can come from taking in too much information without pausing to digest this information and integrate it into our lives and practice. 

I have lots of witchcraft books, I follow a lot of blogs and I am always hungry for new practices and ideas. However, when witchcraft overwhelm occurs it can be helpful to take a break from new information (finish reading this post first though, please!) Perhaps choose one trusted authority – a favourite book, blogger or YouTuber to focus on – or simply rely on your own intuition for a while. This allows us to go deeper into certain subjects rather than skimming the surface of our magic. You may find that you experience deeper insights from integrating the information that you already have than from learning new stuff.

Avoid spiritual materialism

Just as too much information can get in the way of our magical practice, too much material stuff can also become a block. I’m not saying that we witches shouldn’t enjoy all the material paraphernalia that can go along with our practice, but we need to add new tools and ingredients gradually and learn about them and attune with them. 

For example, if you are tempted by a shiny new crystal, consider spending some time working with a crystal you already have. Could you find out more information about it? Spend some time meditating on it. Perhaps carry it about with you for a few days. Having a few objects that you know, love and are attuned to will be more powerful than having a room full of objects you have no relationship with. You want your magical tools and ingredients to be friends, not just passing acquaintances. You can read more about spiritual materialism in this post from Mindworks here if you are interested in finding out more.

Stop trying to fix yourself

Finally, I often find that spiritual anxiety and overwhelm strike when I am spending too much of my time trying to fix something that is wrong with me or with my life. While personal growth is great, we also need to accept that we are good enough just as we are. We do not need ‘fixing’ – magical or otherwise. Switch your focus to self-love, gratitude, wonder and curiosity for a while. It’s one of the most magical practices I know.