... stress I had during the day.
Stress does have an associated sensation with it generally manifesting as a tightness in the head and lingering discomfort around the heart. Based on the type of the sensation craving, aversion and / or ignorance would arise.
You have to relax both body and mind. The way to do this be equanimous of the session noting its arising and passing, or simply be with these sensation for a while analysing them before returning to your normal meditation object.
When you return to your normal meditation object have a mild smile. This is something you have is Goenka's meditation instruction though this is not emphasised but Bhante Vimalaramsi emphasizes a lot in his 6Rs.
Also one source of stress is worry which with you can counteract through concentration. When your mind wanders away realist it and bring it back. Periodically check if the mind is with the meditation object and even if it is fix your attention back at the object of meditation. Say if you are mindful of the body scanning part by part. You are looking at one part and the mind is still with it, then redirect the mind to the part again. If your mind is sticky stay with the part. If it is very restless either move from part to part quickly, or keep redirecting your mind to the object, i.e., fix your mind on the object, in quick succession. For someone who has practiced for a while this can break into tingling or electric sensation and further pratice this will become neutral. If you are moderately restless you can try Anapana meditation but if it is very restless best is quick scans as Vitarka dominates in this pratice. For a detailed study see: Saṅkhitta Dhamma Sutta, Uddhacca,kukkuca by Piya Tan.
... I noticed having ups and downs in my meditation, probably mostly caused by the amount of sati ...
Sati is useful to reduce though proliferation and eliminate Sankhara that follows. Make it pratice you review if you are mindful at defined intervals like end of each in or out breath cycles.
... But I am also experiencing sittings, ...
Perhaps you can try walking meditation. Be mindful of the sensations due to body part movements and sensation of touch of the dress and / or air on your legs.
... where I am just overwhelmed by the hindrances and not even able to recognize them properly. What is the best way to deal with these extreme states of mind (in meditation)?
Extreme states are associated with extreme feeling. E.g. you feel extremely sleepy or restless. Be mindful of the feelings.
“Nothing is worth clinging to”
When this was said, the venerable Mahā Moggallāna said this to the Blessed One: “In what way, bhante, in brief, is a monk freed through the destruction of craving, that is, one who has reached total perfection, the total security from bondage, the total holy life, the total consummation, the highest amongst gods and humans?”
“Here, Moggallāna, the monk has learned that nothing is worth clinging to. And, Moggallāna, a monk has learned that nothing is worth clinging to, thus: he directly knows all things [he directly knows the nature of the all]. Having directly known the nature of all things, he fully understands all things.
Having fully understood all things, he knows whatever feelings there are, whether pleasant, painful or neither painful nor pleasant.
As regards to those feelings, [Section on Disillusionment and Revulsion (Nibbida) follows]
he dwells contemplating impermanence in them;
he dwells contemplating dispassion [fading away of lust] in them;
he dwells contemplating ending (of suffering) in them;
he dwells contemplating letting go (of defilements).
When he dwells contemplating impermanence in them, contemplating dispassion in them, contemplating ending in them, contemplating letting go, he does not cling to anything in the world. Not clinging, he is not agitated; being not agitated, he himself surely attains nirvana.
The above is from: Pacala Sutta on Sloth and Torpor but can be generalised to the other hindrances. A general outline of how the 5 hindrances can be eliminated is found in Nīvarana,pahana Vagga and Nīvaraṇa by Piya Tan.
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