Overwhelm Is Not Just Being Busy: How To Recognise It and Reclaim Your Centre

Overwhelm Is Not Just Being Busy: How To Recognise It and Reclaim Your Centre

Overwhelm is real.

And no, I don’t mean a to do list or making too man commitments. I mean the kind of overwhelm that hijacks your body and brain. The kind that leaves you spinning so fast you can’t stop, or so frozen you can’t move. The kind that isn’t about the task list at all — but about what your body is trying to process underneath it.

There are two main faces of overwhelm I see most often (and I’ve lived both):

Paralysing Overwhelm

You feel like you’ve hit a wall. Your brain goes foggy. The simplest decision becomes too much. You avoid the thing. You avoid everything. You can’t find the words, and even thinking feels heavy.

Hyper Overwhelm

You can’t stop. You’re doing everything, all at once, all the time. Your nervous system is in a constant hum. You move from one thing to the next in fear that if you stop, everything will crash. You’re productive... until you’re not. And then the crash comes hard.

Both states are valid. Both are exhausting. And neither means you’re broken or weak.

Overwhelm isn’t about what you’re doing. It’s about how many things your system is trying to feel and hold at once. It might be work. But it might also be fear, grief, self-doubt, pressure, people-pleasing, chronic illness, or something you haven’t even named yet.

Just explaining it is a lot.

I used to live in both extremes.

That frozen feeling where I couldn’t even speak. That urgent panic that if I didn’t finish it all right now then the sky would fall. I still feel both from time to time.

But the difference now?

I have the tools.

And I know how to move through it.

So if you're here: overwhelmed, overworked, overstretched...

Let me offer you some suggestions:

How To Recognise the Signs of Overwhelm

1. You’re not just tired, you’re short-circuiting. Your energy drops suddenly. Your brain feels "full". You can't remember simple things.

2. You can be either frantic or frozen. You’re multitasking like your life depends on it, or you’re staring blankly at a screen.

3. You can’t make decisions. Even small ones feel impossible. You second-guess everything or avoid choosing at all.

4. You’re emotionally raw. Crying easily, snapping, numbing out, or feeling nothing at all. Your body is trying to get your attention.

5. Your sleep, digestion, or cycle are off. Your nervous system is overloaded, and it shows up physically.

Tools To Regain Your Centre and Energy

This isn’t about fixing yourself. You’re not broken. But your system might need support. Here’s what helps:

1. Nervous System Soothers

Slow your breath. Drop your shoulders. Get still for two minutes. Start with the body — not the brain. Try: humming, shaking, legs-up-the-wall, or a few deep sighs.

2. Micro-Decisions

Choose one thing. Just one. Name it, do it, complete it. This brings you back into control gently, without pressure.

3. Boundaries With Noise

Close tabs. Put your phone down. Turn off the background noise. The fewer inputs, the more space your nervous system has to reset.

Start with one. Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for presence.

Final Word

You don’t need to wait until you're drowning to admit it’s too much. You get to support yourself before the crash.

The world doesn’t need more "capable of everything" beings silently burning out. It needs more of us clear, grounded, and realistic.

Energy isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about building better foundations.

And that begins with recognising when you’ve had enough — and choosing a softer, stronger way through.

Join my free Overwhelm Techniques Guide & Workbook to teach you 5 techniques to work through emotional and functional overwhelm.