Overwhelmed? Read this First.

Hi there,

What’s the Story?

Hope you’re doing really well. Things on my end are full-on but going great—lots of exciting projects moving forward, but that means I’m working hard to stay ahead of the chaos.

This is actually episode 100 of INNER PROPAGANDA!!!! I can’t believe it’s already into the century numbers. Thanks for checking out the edition every week. Wonderful having you as a part of the community.

I spoke in front of a few great audiences this week, but a special thanks goes to the folks at Shop Fix, where I did a couple of keynotes in Tennessee.

Also, just a quick reminder that the podcast is taking a short break before we return with the next season, so now’s a great time to catch up on any episodes you might have missed. You can find them all on my YouTube channel. Check out the podcast playlist.

Now, onto something that’s hit home lately for me—and probably for you too.

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Overwhelmed? Read this first.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes 02 seconds

You can’t do it all.

There. I said it. That’s the uncomfortable truth most of us need to face—but often don’t.

The world is throwing more at us than ever before. Endless emails, constant updates, and a to-do list that multiplies like gremlins in a rainstorm. If you’ve ever felt like your brain is running 47 tabs at once and you can’t find the one playing the annoying music… welcome. You’re not alone. This is the age of overwhelm.

And I want to help you fight back.

Your Brain — Ancient Operating System

Let’s start with this: your brain wasn’t built for now. It evolved thousands of years ago to help you avoid saber-toothed tigers and remember where the berries grew. Fast forward to today? It’s trying to navigate WhatsApp messages, Slack notifications, news alerts, emotional baggage, and every wonderful, awesome, amazing email newsletter you’ve signed up for. 😉

Our brain is a prediction machine. But it’s making predictions in a world that moves too fast, bombards us with information, and rarely gives us a chance to breathe.

It’s like trying to run Windows 95 on a brand-new MacBook. It just doesn’t compute.

Your Body Budget is Overdrawn

Lisa Feldman Barrett introduced the idea of the “body budget”—your brain’s job is to allocate resources across your system so you can function optimally. But overwhelm drains the battery. Too many tasks, too much input, too many emotions—and suddenly, you’re out of credit. Cue the stress, anxiety, burnout, and self-doubt.

Here’s the thing: overwhelm isn’t a sign you’re weak. It’s a sign your systems are overloaded. Let’s reset.

The Three Types of Overwhelm

To deal with it properly, you need to know what kind of overwhelm you’re dealing with:

1. Emotional Overwhelm – when your feelings are so intense, they crowd everything else out.

2. Informational Overwhelm – when you’re drowning in ideas, options, data, courses, emails, and notes.

3. Task Overwhelm – the classic: too much to do, not enough time to do it.

Next, it’s about understanding some fundamental laws and then applying some simple strategies.

Three Laws to Handle Overwhelm

1. You’ll never get everything done. Ever. Accept it. Breathe it in. Let it go. Trying to do everything is the fast track to doing nothing well.

2. Things don’t matter as much as you think. That email? That text? That headline? Most of it isn’t urgent. Most of it isn’t relevant. Perspective is your weapon.

3. One step at a time. One thing. One task. One thought. Your power is in focus.

If you only remember one thing from this article, make it that.

What to Do When You’re Drowning

Here are some of the tools I personally use when I feel the wave of overwhelm building:

1. Brain Dump It

Get it out of your head and onto paper. List everything. Don’t organise it yet. Just unload. Your brain isn’t for storing—it’s for solving. Clear space.

2. Break It Down

Overwhelm thrives on vagueness. Clarity kills it. Break big projects into smaller steps. Then break those into even smaller steps. Keep going until the next action is obvious.

3. Write Down Your Worries

Keep a worry list. When your brain tries to remind you of everything that might go wrong, you’ve already got it recorded. You don’t need to ruminate. You’ve outsourced the panic.

4. Ask This Question: What Do I Want to Feel?

Overwhelm usually comes with a cocktail of cortisol, adrenaline, and chaos. Flip it. Instead of fighting your emotions, focus on cultivating the one you want. Calm? Relief? Clarity? Pick it—and build toward it.

5. Simplify Your Information Diet

Stop pretending you’ll get to every saved article, podcast, course, or link. You won’t. Prioritize your learning based on what matters right now. Goal first. Then content.

6. Use Body Protocols

A few of my favourites:

Diaphragmatic breathing (stomach out on inhale, long exhale)
Centering (focus on your hara point—below your navel—and feel grounded)
Havening or gentle touch (stroking arms or hands)
Get into nature
Move your body

7. Watch Your Input

What you consume matters. News is designed to make you afraid. Social media is designed to make you compare. People are designed to drain you. Be intentional. Audit your inputs.

8. Create Instead of Consume

Even a simple note, drawing, or voice memo. Creation pulls you out of overwhelm and back into momentum. You shift from chaos to agency.