Too Much, All At Once: Tips for Overwhelm
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
About a year ago, on literally the other side of the world, everything collided at once.
A dozen yeses said months beforehand had all landed at the same time:
Supporting 6 startups
Monthly podcast recordings
Volunteering for a student award
Moving location every 3 weeks
A weekly blog post challenge
Private 1:1 clients
A full time job, on site
A 3 hour round trip daily commute, filled with calls and emails
All whilst navigating a city I'd never known, speaking a language I didn't understand, and surrounded by drivers who operated like they were in a 1980s cartoon.
Monday to Friday was joyless. I was doubting everything — every decision, every commitment. Disconnected and homesick, with an end that felt weeks away (it was months), I wasn't sure how to get through it.
I was overwhelmed.
"You brought this on yourself" — and yes, that's fair.
A version of me, blissfully unaware of what the biggest yes of 2025 would actually require, had committed to all of it. And with integrity as a core value, honouring those commitments kept me pushing through.
But most of us have been there. Maybe not that specific flavour, but something like it.
A new job. A new addition to the family. A side hustle, a promotion, caring responsibilities, studying for a qualification, juggling several part-time roles after losing a full-time one. The shape of it varies. The feeling doesn't.
And often, you don't realise how deep in you are until you're already there.
So here are my five tips for overcoming overwhelm — in the moment, when you're in it.
1. Recognise where you are — and ask for help
A friend over a pint last weekend told me she'd been telling her boss she was fine. Meanwhile, her to-do list wasn't shrinking, she was working late every night, and she was exhausted.
Keeping your head down and powering through helps no one. Weeks signed off sick can often be avoided by a few honest, difficult conversations earlier.
Worried the person you'd ask is already overloaded? There's a good chance the work gets delegated elsewhere. Not sure they'll follow through? Put another date in the diary.
2. Find your stable ground
When everything feels unstable, look for the pillar that's still holding. Home, love, work — where are you most steady?
Double down there. Nourish it. If you love your home, your partner, your pet, your kids — take a moment to actually acknowledge that. Gratitude isn't soft — it's grounding.
3. Ask what you can drop, delay or delegate
Does everything actually need to happen right now? Does it all need to be done by you?
If you're stuck, the Eisenhower Matrix is useful — it splits your work into urgent, not urgent, important, and not important. If something has been tumbling around on your list for months, it is not urgent. Take it off your plate.
Worried you'll upset someone? You might. They'll get over it.
4. Give your nervous system a treat
I know I'm dysregulated when I can't focus on anything — can't watch, can't listen, can only sit in silence with everything churning.
The most effective resets involve your senses: a 10-minute walk, deep breaths, listening for birds. Something tasty, crunchy or sour. A hot shower. Something that makes you laugh. If you're in full panic mode, grab something ice cold from the freezer and hold it to your wrist or neck.
For me it's pizza and a 25-minute comedy show. Works every time. Want more top tips, here is my Other blog on managing your nervous system.
5. Revisit your hierarchy of needs
Rest. Decent food. Laughter. Creativity. Walking. Whatever grounds you.
Not quite Maslow — but you know your own list. Once you've created some space, be intentional about how you fill it. A Sunday morning in a cat café with a matcha latte once turned into the most restorative day I'd had in months. Small things count.
The Bigger Picture
Overwhelm doesn't always arrive loudly. Sometimes it creeps in through a series of reasonable decisions that only look unreasonable together — in hindsight, when you're already underwater.
The five steps above aren't a cure. They're a foothold. A way to stop the spiral long enough to think clearly again.
If you're in it right now, start with one. Just one.
And if you need someone to help you work out which one — that's exactly what I'm here for.
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