For the days when everything feels like too much...

Some days it feels like my life is one long list of very small things.

Driving kids places, answering emails, walking the dog, figuring out dinner yet again, trying to get enough protein (is this humanly possible?), and picking up random socks from every floor in my house.

Oh, and somewhere in there, running a business.

So yes, I am very familiar with overwhelm 💃

(I bet you are too)

I've tried every one of the strategies below in my actual life.

Some I use occasionally.

Some didn't quite stick.

And a few - like #3 - have become part of my everyday life. It's especially good when something is keeping me up at night.

You don't need all 15.

You just need to find one or two that work for you.

✨ I N S P I R E

“You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”

- Jon Kabat-Zinn

✨ T H R I V E

15 Simple Ways to Reset an Overwhelmed Brain ✨

1) Splash cold water on your wrists during mental fog

↳ The temperature shock resets your nervous system

2) Change your position when stuck on a problem

↳ Stand up. Your brain resets when your body moves

3) Brain dump everything on your mind onto one page

↳ Your mind can stop replaying the loop once it's out of your brain and on paper

4) Move your phone to another room during focus blocks

↳ Phones drain brainpower just by being nearby

5) Press palms against a hard surface for 10 seconds

↳ Physical pressure interrupts thought spirals

6) Name 5 objects you can see in the room out loud

↳ Speaking pulls you out of your head and into reality

7) Practice 4-6-8 breathing (inhale 4, hold 6, exhale 8)

↳ Longer exhales tell your body "we're safe" instantly

8) Speak your thoughts when they're overwhelming

↳ They lose power when heard outside your head

9) Close your eyes for 10 seconds between tasks

↳ Visual breaks mental momentum between activities

10) Ask "Will this matter in one month?" before reacting

↳ Most things won't. Cuts the fake urgency driving stress

11) Count backward from 100 by 7s during rumination

↳ Too complex to do while worrying

12) Set a timer for 5 minutes of single-focus work

↳ Anyone can do anything for just 5 minutes

13) Draw a line on paper for "now" and "later" tasks

↳ Makes decisions real and stops priority ping-pong

14) Change one sensory element in your environment

↳ New sensory input creates new thinking patterns

15) Place hand on heart and take three deep breaths

↳ Self-comfort gives stress hormones somewhere to go

Mental overwhelm isn't inevitable.

It's a state you can reset in seconds ✨

---

Want a little more help with overwhelm?

I created the Overwhelm Emergency Kit for those moments when everything feels like too much. It's a simple 10-minute reset to help you get back on track.

👉🏼 Get the kit ($9)

---

✨ FURTHER READING

The Beauty of the Slow Down: How pausing creates space for the moments that matter most

Tips for When You're Losing It: Practical strategies to prevent meltdowns before they happen

,5-4-3-2-1: A Simple Effective Strategy to Manage Anxious Moments: A grounding technique you can use anywhere

Have a great week!

Carolyn

---