Overwhelm who? Never heard of her.
Hey you, deep feeler + high thinker –
Let’s get something straight:
Overwhelm is real.
But it’s also kinda lazy.
Hold up, hear me out before you start clutching your to-do list like it’s a lifeline.
The feeling of overwhelm? Valid. So real. So – human.
But the word “overwhelmed”? It’s your brain’s sneaky shortcut to avoid thinking a little harder.
Because when you say “I’m overwhelmed,” what does that even mean?
Too many tabs open? Too many toddlers screaming? Too many Slack pings?
Cool. Now name them.
“I have too many things on my plate.”
Awesome. What exactly are those things?
That urgent form you’ve been avoiding.
The school meeting you forgot to prep for.
That new 6-figure collab that looks sexy on paper but drains your team dry.
See? Now we’re talking tangibles. Not just 874 flying thoughts lumped into one blurry blob called “overwhelm.”
Because here's the truth bomb:
There’s no real opposite to the word overwhelmed.
Underwhelmed? Yeah, but that’s not what we’re aiming for either.
So let’s play a new game.
Replace “overwhelmed” with what you actually feel:
“I’m stressed.” → Great, de-stress. Massage? Screaming into a pillow? Baby sheep cuddles? Go wild.
“I’m tired.” → Cool, go rest. Let the TV babysit your kids for two hours and crawl under your duvet.
“I’m confused.” → Ask questions. Google it. Use ChatGPT. Journal it out.
“I’m hungry.” → Please go eat. You are not yourself when you're snack-deprived.
Overwhelm is a vague blob of everything.
The real magic happens when you get specific.
And low-key?
The word overwhelmed is addictive.
It tricks you into thinking something’s happening to you – when really, you just haven’t named what’s happening within you.
So here’s my prescription:
The 3P Detox from Overwhelm™
Perish the Word.
Yeet “overwhelmed” straight into the 9th circle of vocabulary hell. It’s vague, dramatic, and frankly–lazy. You’re better than that.Pinpoint the Truth.
Pause. Ask: What exactly am I feeling? Tired? Anxious? Resentful? Hungry? Let your brain work a little harder to be honest.Put It on Paper.
Not cute. Not curated. Just dump the mental chaos out. Bullet points, rants, scribbles–anything that gets the fog out of your brain and into form.
Boom. Now you’re back in power.
Overwhelm who? Never heard of her.
Say it with me: I do not do overwhelm.
I name it. I face it. I move through it.
Now go have yourself a wildly joyful, beautifully specific day.
With love (and zero overwhelm),
Bella
