The Weight of Overwhelm: Why It Feels Like So Much
Your mind races ahead to the next thing, but there’s no “off” button in sight. It’s like running with a million threads tied to you—each one pulling in a different direction: One thread pulls you toward work deadlines. Another tugs at family obligations and never ending to-do lists. A third whispers the unrelenting demand for perfection. This is why mental decluttering for busy women is so important.
Understanding the Science of Mental Clutter
Your inner world feels noisy, like 60 browser tabs open at once, and every “ping” of responsibility feels urgent. There’s no escape hatch, no pause button, just the constant hum of “What’s next?”
Here’s the truth: Overwhelm isn’t just a feeling. It’s the accumulation of every time you’ve said yes when you meant no, every task you’ve picked up to avoid disappointing someone, and every moment you’ve prioritized the world over yourself. It’s a symptom of brilliance, disguised as chaos. Within that chaos lies an invitation to pause, realign, and reclaim your peace.
It’s No Wonder It Feels Like a Lot… Because It Is!
Stop gaslighting yourself into thinking you “should” be able to handle it all without breaking a sweat. The truth is, mental clutter isn’t just overwhelming—it’s a physiological experience.
When you’re juggling 60 mental tabs, your brain’s amygdala—the part responsible for fight-or-flight responses—is constantly on high alert. It’s like having fire alarms blaring in every room of your mind. In this state, accessing your prefrontal cortex—the home of logic, decision-making, and big-picture thinking—becomes almost impossible. Your brain is too busy responding to perceived emergencies to focus on anything else. One of my personal favorite tools for overthinking is Internal Family Systems.
The RESET Process: Your Path Back to Calm
Mental decluttering isn’t just about feeling better; it’s about silencing those alarms. When you reduce the noise, you reclaim access to the part of your brain that can lead with clarity, purpose, and confidence. It’s about creating space for your true self—the calm, capable part of you—to take the wheel.
The next time you feel overwhelmed, remind yourself:
This isn’t just “in your head.” It’s real. It feels like a lot because it is a lot.
There’s a path back to calm. It starts with giving yourself permission to pause.
Decluttering your mind isn’t about doing more; it’s about creating the space to be. It’s the path back to you.
How the RESET Process Works for Reclaiming Your Peace
R – Recognize
- What it means: Acknowledge the overwhelm without judgment. Validate that your feelings are real and that it’s okay to feel this way.
- Example: “Of course I feel this way—it’s a lot to handle.”
- Why it works: Recognition is POWERFUL and most people skip this step. Recognition creates space for self-awareness and halts the inner gaslighting cycle of how you think you “should” be feeling.
E – Exhale
- What it means: Use breathwork to calm your nervous system and regulate emotions.
- Example: Try a 4-7-8 breathing exercise (inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8).
- Why it works: Slowing your breath signals safety to your brain, helping shift out of fight-or-flight mode.
S – Sort
- What it means: Identify the mental “tabs” that are open and sort them into categories: urgent, important, or unnecessary.
- Example: Write down what’s overwhelming you and ask, “What truly matters right now?”
- Why it works: This step reduces mental clutter and prioritizes what deserves your energy.
E – Embrace
- What it means: Offer yourself compassion. Remind yourself that you’re human being not a human doing. You are not a machine.
- Example: “It’s okay to not have it all figured out. I’m doing my best.”
- Why it works: Compassion lowers self-criticism and fosters resilience.
T – Take Action
- What it means: Take one intentional, high-impact action, no matter how small, to create momentum and regain a sense of control from your “highest self.”
- Example: “What is one focused, purposeful step I can take right now to reclaim my power?”
- Why it works: Action interrupts the cycle of overwhelm, sparks a shift from feeling stuck to feeling empowered, and reinforces your sense of agency. Even the smallest action is a powerful declaration that you’re in charge of your life. (send one email, respond to one text, set a timer to straighten a room for 10 min, etc)
Trusting the Process:
Hey High Achiever, remember that all-or-nothing thinking isn’t helping you here.
The truth is, feeling overwhelmed is not a sign of weakness—it’s a sign that you’re human. Embrace your HUMAN-MESSY-NESS. With so many things competing for your attention, it’s no wonder your mind is racing. The good news is: you don’t have to tackle it all at once.
By taking small, intentional steps to declutter your mind and prioritize your actions, you’ll regain control over the noise. It’s not about eliminating every task on your to-do list; it’s about creating the space to think clearly, act confidently, and reconnect with the part of you that already knows how to navigate life with grace. You’ve got this.
Take a moment to RESET:
- Recognize what’s overwhelming you.
- Exhale and take a deep breath.
- Sort your mental tabs and prioritize what matters.
- Embrace your humanity and offer yourself compassion.
- Take one small action to start creating momentum.
Remember: Decluttering your mind isn’t just about clearing the clutter—it’s about making room for the clarity and peace that will help you step back into your power.
And if it feels hard, that’s okay too. The process is just as much about progress as it is about patience.
If you’re ready to dive deeper into the RESET process and learn how to implement it in your life, reach out. I’m here to help guide you through it. You don’t have to do it alone—but I’ll save that for another day. If this post resonates with you, I’d love to hop on a call and explore how we can start closing down those mental tabs and creating more space for you to just simply be.
