Feeling Overwhelmed? Stop it NOW!

Ever stood at a busy intersection and just watched people? You’ll notice something kind of sad. Most aren’t walking tall with energy in their stride. They’re hunched, heavy, like gravity’s got a personal grudge against them. We’d think something was wrong if an animal walked like that—yet we accept it in ourselves and each other as “just how it is.”

But here’s the truth: that drained, defeated posture isn’t normal. It’s just common. And it’s a symptom of a deeper issue—feeling overwhelmed, over-committed, and pulled in too many directions.

Let’s fix that. Here are six smart, sanity-saving ways to get out from under the weight and become a more vibrant, buoyant version of yourself. Some of them come from the incredible psychotherapist Dr. Bev Smallwood, and some of them come from my own experience.

►1. WRITE IT DOWN

Yes, make the list. Dump it all out. Responsibilities, projects, errands, dreams, guilt-trips, all of it. Personal stuff counts too—especially that.

s it a terrifying mountain of things? Probably. But now it’s visible. Contained. No longer swirling in your brain like a cloud of bees.

Example: I tried this during a particularly chaotic period in my life—a child freaking out, a new book launch, several presentations around the world, a long fixer-upper list for the house, my workout schedule at the gym, quality time with my wife, training my employees, etc. etc. etc. Once I wrote everything down, I stopped spinning. I could actually see where the pressure was coming from—and more importantly, where to start.

Don’t stop now—we’re about to tame the beast.

► 2. GIVE IT UP

Let go of the most stupid, self-defeating myth of all: that you can do it all, be it all, please everyone, and finally get “caught up.” Newsflash—it ain’t gonna happen.

Admitting that truth is strangely freeing. As I tell my coaching clients, “Get a grip by letting go.”

Drop the Superman and Wonder Woman fantasies. You can’t do everything. That doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It just means you’re human and you’ve got to choose wisely.

► 3. PICK YOUR PRIORITIES

This is where the magic begins. Look at your list from point 1 and ask:

• What really matters? What two of three things will have the deepest meaning, biggest long-term benefit, or most impact on my life?
• Which actions could create a ripple effect—moving the needle across multiple goals?
• If you could only accomplish three things in the next six months, what would they be?

Circle those.

Then (this is crucial): set the big, overwhelming list from point 1 aside. You can refer to it once in a while, but don’t have it in front of your face all the time.

You’re not ignoring it. You’re about to create a more manageable, less overwhelming approach instead.

Mike Sojka of the Fastenal Company learned these and lots of other techniques at my Journey-to-the-Extraordinary experience. He says:

“Even though it was only a short time ago when I attended your Journey experience, I’ve already seen amazing results.   I used your affirmation/goal-setting process to successfully start my own business.  And I used your techniques to eliminate worry … which has made life a lot less stressful. Thanks again for showing us the skills to succeed into the extraordinary.”

► 4. BREAK IT DOWN

Once you’ve identified your priorities in step 3 above, slice each one of them into bite-sized actions. What’s the very first step? Then the next? Then the next?

Be specific. “Work on project” is vague. “Draft intro paragraph” is clear and doable.

Example: My friend Jana wanted to write a book, but the idea of “write a book” just sat on her list for years. Finally, she broke it down: “Outline chapter one,” “Write 500 words,” “Research character background.” She started with just 15 minutes a day. A year later? She’s got a manuscript—and an agent.

Yes, step four takes a few minutes. But trust me: when your brain knows exactly what to do, it stops screaming in panic and starts saying, “Okay. I got this.” The feeling of being overwhelmed starts to go away.

► 5. BOOK IT

Now put those small, bite-sized actions in your calendar.

Because this is the kicker: If it’s not scheduled, it won’t happen. You don’t “find time.” You make it. Daily. Deliberately.

It’s especially helpful if your bite-sized actions are also HVA’s … High Value Activities. In other words, those particular actions moved you forward in achieving your goals or reducing the overwhelm.

BTW: The actions you book on your calendar include the personal and fun things that are important to you, not just work stuff. My wife and I learned this while living in Minnesota for many years. We’d go through a long hard winter, waiting for the summer to come. And then, when the summer was over, we’d sigh in frustration and ask, “Whatever happened to the summer?”

Basically nothing. Because we never booked it on our calendars. Ever since that time, we sit down and talk about every upcoming season … winter, spring, summer, and fall … and discuss who we want to see, what we want to do, and where we want to go during that season.  AND then we book it on our calendars. It works like magic.

► 6. CHECK ‘EM OFF AND CELEBRATE

Each time you complete one of your booked bite-sized actions, check it off.

If your action was an HVA, a high value activity, celebrate. Fist pump. Dance in the kitchen. Text a friend. Whatever feels like a win—because it is.

Example: A client of mine started keeping a sticky note on her fridge for her three daily HVAs. Every night, she’d cross them off and give herself a tiny reward—Netflix, chocolate, five minutes of social media without guilt. In one month, she made progress on a business launch she’d been procrastinating on for a year. Bonus: she also started sleeping better.

Imagine the momentum you’d build by doing three meaningful things a day. That’s 90 key actions in just a month. Think what that adds up to! A lot less overwhelm and a lot more walking tall.

Dr. Zimmerman’s Tuesday Tip Issue 1300 Feeling Overwhelmed? Stop it NOW!

To ask Dr. Z any question or to schedule a free consultation, email him at Alan@DrZimmerman.com.

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Dr. Alan Zimmerman CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame Zimmerman Communi-Care Network dralanrzimmerman8@gmail.com (239) 273-7743 - Work www.DrZimmerman.com