We’ve all said it before: “I’m just so overwhelmed.”
Too much to do, not enough time. Too many responsibilities, not enough energy. The world is spinning fast, and you’re stuck in place.
For some of us, that feeling takes over a little too easily. (Hi, I’m Kim, nice to meet you..)
Overwhelm feels real — and in your body, it absolutely is. Racing heart. Tight chest. Clouded mind. It can be paralyzing, disorienting, and even physically painful.
But what if I told you that overwhelm doesn’t actually exist?
At least, not in the way you might think.
Overwhelm Is a Mental Story, Not a State of Being
Overwhelm is a narrative: it’s a story our mind spins about what we can’t do, what we have to do, or what will happen if we don’t get it all done. It’s not the number of tasks or the size of your to-do list that creates the feeling… it’s the way you’re thinking about it.
In fact, studies in cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness psychology show that our thoughts about our circumstances—not the circumstances themselves—drive our emotional responses.
One 2010 study published in Emotion found that when individuals are trained to practice present-moment awareness, their reported stress and overwhelm dropped significantly, even when their external stressors stayed the same.
Why Overwhelm Feels So Real (Even When It’s Not)
When you’re caught in a mental spiral, your brain floods your system with cortisol and adrenaline—your fight-or-flight hormones. You feel exhausted, distracted, snappy, defeated. You might even feel frozen or detached.
That’s not imagined.
But it’s also not inevitable.
Repeat after me: You’re reacting to your thoughts and emotions, not your reality.
The Story We Tell Ourselves: “I Can’t Get Out of This”
Let’s be honest: overwhelm often comes with a soundtrack.
- “There’s too much to do and not enough time.”
- “I don’t have the support I need.”
- “If I stop, everything will fall apart.”
- “Other people handle this better than I do.”
These beliefs are powerful. And often, they’re rooted in deeper conditioning, like tying your worth to productivity or believing it’s not safe to rest.
But here’s the question worth asking:
Are those stories 100% true?
It’s not always a comfortable question to ask yourself. After an extended period of time many of us become attached to these stories.
I remember the first time a coach asked me the question: “What are you telling yourself about your story?”
I immediately got defensive. “What do you mean, my ‘story’?? Are you saying I’m making this up?? This isn’t a story, I’m telling you the truth!”
I thought she was implying that I was lying about my circumstances, that I didn’t really understand what was happening in my own life. I felt like she was invalidating how stressed, stuck, and hopeless I felt. It made me angry.
But after a while, I finally understood: There are the facts about what is happening in your life, and then there is your relationship to those facts. Your mindset, perspective, and feelings about your situation create a lens through which you experience those facts.
If you think the lens is your reality, overwhelm can creep in. That’s when you start feeling stuck, like you have no choices.
So, again…how much of your story is 100% true? Because the moment we become willing to examine that question, we crack the door open for a different experience.
Overwhelm Can’t Survive Presence
When you are truly in the present moment, overwhelm evaporates.
That doesn’t mean your to-do list disappears or that you no longer have stressful situations to deal with. But your spinning thoughts stop pulling you into 17 different directions.
Feeling overwhelmed means you aren’t focused on the one big task or issue in front of you right now — you’re thinking of the 10 or more tasks you have to get done in what seems like a limited amount of time. Or, the one thing in front of you seems even bigger and more daunting than it may actually be.
When that’s happening, you aren’t in the moment.
In the present:
- You’re doing one thing at a time.
- You’re breathing.
- You’re focused.
- You’re safe.
And from there… you can act.
Presence + One Small Action Starts Momentum
Most people wait to feel “ready” before taking action. But action — aligned, intentional action — is what makes you feel ready.
Overwhelm feeds on inertia.
Presence disrupts it.
Action dissolves it.
When you take one grounded, aligned step, no matter how small, you reclaim your power. You prove to your brain that you’re not stuck. You’re moving.
Try This Grounding Reset
Use this anytime you feel like you’re spinning:
- Acknowledge the story you’re telling yourself.(“I’m overwhelmed because I believe I have to do it all perfectly and right now.”)
- Anchor into the present moment. Breathe. Feel your body. Ask: What’s actually happening right now? What needs my attention and energy in this moment?
- Act—take one small step forward. Choose an action that is achievable, supportive, and aligned with your goal.
Overwhelm Feeds on Disconnection. Balance Starts within You.
Your real power lies in remembering this:
You are not powerless.
You are not stuck.
You’re just caught in a conversation that you can choose to step out of.
Every time you return to presence, question your stories, and make one intentional choice, you take back your time, your energy, and your life.
Ready to stop the cycle?
Book a free consultation and let’s build your custom path back to a calmer, balanced state.
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