You ever feel so overwhelmed that you don’t even know where to start…
So you start nowhere? Yeah. Been there.
And then you tell yourself, “See, I don’t have time.” But let me be honest with you…
That’s not always the real problem. A lot of times, the problem isn’t time.
It’s capacity. It’s energy. It’s clarity. And when your brain feels overloaded, it tries to protect you.
Even if “protecting you” looks like avoiding your email for five straight days. (Ask me how I know.)
“These thoughts feel like they’re true, but they’re usually a sign that you need a simpler plan, not more pressure.”
In this episode, I talked about three lies your brain tells you when you’re overwhelmed. And more importantly… what to say back.
Because you don’t need more guilt. You need a smaller plan.
A kinder system. And one tiny step that breaks the freeze.
Let’s get into it.
Why Overwhelm Makes You Freeze
Overwhelm doesn’t mean you’re lazy. It doesn’t mean you “can’t get it together.”
It usually means your brain is like: “Girl… we are doing too much. Shut it down.”
So you avoid the task. You scroll.
You clean something random. You do anything except the thing.
And then everything piles up. Which makes you feel more overwhelmed.
It’s a rude cycle. But the good news?
You can interrupt it. Not with some 47-step routine.
With one small shift at a time.
Lie #1: “I Don’t Have Time”
This lie pops up when you don’t have energy. You don’t have capacity.
You don’t have clarity. The task feels too big.
So your brain decides it’s safer to avoid it. But here’s what I want you to remember:
You might not have time for the full version. But you may have time for the small version.
“Instead of ‘I don’t have time,’ swap it with: ‘What can I do in 10 minutes that will help future me?’”
Future you deserves support. And present you can do 10 minutes.
Simple Actions to Try
1) Set a 10-minute timer and do one tiny action. That’s it.
Not “finish the whole thing.” Just start.
Because overwhelm hates small steps. Small steps break the paralysis.
And most of the time, once you start… you realize it wasn’t as bad as your brain made it.
This happened to me with email. I avoided it for five days.
I had about 20 emails. And in my head? It felt like a mountain.
But when I finally opened it? I was done in five minutes.
Five. Minutes.
2) Create a Plan A and Plan B. This is one of my favorite strategies for real life.
Because some days you’re on it. And some days you’re tired.
So you need two versions:
- Plan A: your normal-day version
- Plan B: your tired-day version
Example: laundry. Plan A might be: wash, dry, fold, put away.
Plan B might be: start one load. That’s still a win.
Or at work… if you’re behind, don’t try to catch up on everything.
Try this:
- answer one email
- finish one task
- make one decision
Small counts.
Lie #2: “I’ll Do It Later”
Listen… later is a magical place. In “later,” you have more energy.
Less kids. No interruptions. And the house is quiet. Later is a fantasy.
And this lie creates what I call the pile-up effect. Because everything you don’t do now gets stacked.
And then it feels impossible.
“Instead of ‘I’ll do it later,’ change it to: ‘If it takes less than two minutes, I can do it now,’ or ‘When exactly is later?’”
Because if you can’t name it… it’s not real.
Simple Actions to Try
1) Use the 2-minute rule. If it takes less than two minutes… do it now.
Examples:
- signing a form
- responding to a quick message
- putting the milk back in the fridge
- hanging up the jacket instead of tossing it on a chair
These tiny things don’t feel serious in the moment. But they multiply fast.
2) Try micro-scheduling. Instead of “later,” pick a time.
Not “tomorrow.” A real time.
Like: “I’m going to handle this tomorrow at 7:40am.”
Now your brain stops trying to carry it around all day. Because it has a plan.
And plans calm your nervous system. Also… later is where all the unfinished stuff goes and it multiplies.
So let’s stop sending everything there.
Lie #3: “If I Can’t Do It Perfect, It’s Not Worth Doing”
This one is sneaky. Because you might not even call yourself a perfectionist.
But perfectionism shows up like:
- “If I can’t clean the whole house, why bother?”
- “If I can’t plan the perfect week, I won’t plan at all.”
- “If I can’t do this right, I’m not doing it.”
And let me say this clearly: Perfectionism is fear wearing a productivity outfit.
It keeps you stuck because the standard becomes unrealistic.
“Done is better than perfect.” “Halfway done still counts.”
And my personal favorite: “I’m allowed to do this the easy way.”
Simple Actions to Try
1) Create a baseline that counts. Instead of deep cleaning the whole house… set a 10-minute timer and do a quick reset.
Wipe the counter. Pick up the toys.
Start the dishwasher. Baseline. Counts.
Instead of mapping out your entire week… choose three priorities.
That’s enough.
Because perfect isn’t the goal. Progress is.
And progress gets you moving.
Quick Recap: The 3 Lies and What to Say Back
When you’re overwhelmed, your brain might say…
1) “I don’t have time.” Try this instead: “What can I do in 10 minutes that will help future me?”
2) “I’ll do it later.” Try this instead:
- “If it takes less than two minutes, I’ll do it now.”
- “When exactly is later?”
3) “If I can’t do it perfect, it’s not worth doing.” Try this instead:
- “Done is better than perfect.”
- “Halfway done still counts.”
- “I’m allowed to do this the easy way.”
“These thoughts show up when you are overloaded. This does not mean that you’re lazy. It just means that you need a smaller plan with kinder systems.”
And I want you to hear that again. Because you’re not failing.
You’re overloaded.
A Gentle Next Step (You Can Do Today)
Pick one thing you’ve been avoiding. Just one.
Then choose the smallest version of it. Set a timer for 10 minutes.
And do what you can. Not what you wish you could do.
Not what Pinterest says you should do. Just what you can do right now.
That’s how you get out of overwhelm. One tiny step at a time.
Bonus Invite: Organized Living Summit
If you want more support with simple systems that actually work in real life, I also shared an invite in the episode:
The Organized Living Summit is happening March 17th–19th (free, virtual). Short, practical lessons.
Built for real life. You can watch while folding laundry, sitting in the car line, or hiding in the pantry for five minutes of peace.
Grab your free ticket here. (affiliate link)
LISTEN: APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | STITCHER
Links Mentioned in This Episode
- Weekly Reset
- Organized Living Summit (affiliate link)
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