What to Do When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed

A 10-Minute Reset for the Day You Can’t Think Straight

If you’re reading this with 47 tabs open in your brain and zero ability to decide what to do first, welcome. You’re in the right place.

This is not the day for a new system.

This is not the day for a “fresh start” planner purchase.

This is not the day for color-coding your life like you’re running a NASA launch.

This is the day for a 10-minute starter plan that gets you out of overwhelm and back into motion, without requiring motivation, energy, or a personality transplant.

Simple. Realistic. Actionable.

Let’s do it.

What this plan is (and what it isn’t)

This is not a productivity routine.

It’s not meant to make you “crush it.”

This is a nervous system + brain clarity reset that helps you do one thing:

Stop spinning. Start moving.

Overwhelm usually isn’t a time problem. It’s a decision problem. When you have too many inputs, your brain freezes. So the point of this plan is to reduce inputs and create one clear next step.

You can do this with a planner, a notebook, a sticky note, or the Notes app on your phone. Anything works.

The “I’m Overwhelmed” Starter Plan

Total time: 10 minutes

Set a timer if you can. The timer is important because it keeps this from turning into “let me reorganize my whole life” in the middle of a meltdown.

Minute 0: Tell the truth (10 seconds)

Say this out loud:

“I’m overwhelmed, not broken.”

You don’t need a lecture today. You need a reset.

Step 1: Lower the noise (2 minutes)

Overwhelm gets louder when your body is tense, and your breathing is shallow. So we start here, because it makes the rest easier.

Do this for 2 minutes:

1. Put one hand on your chest or stomach.

2. Inhale through your nose for a slow count of 4.

3. Exhale for a slow count of 6.

4. Repeat.

That longer exhale is the key. It tells your body, “We’re not in danger.”

And no, this is not “woo.” This is basic functioning.

Step 2: Dump the mental clutter (3 minutes)

Now we get everything out of your head.

Set a timer for 3 minutes and write:

1. Everything you’re worried about

2. Everything you think you “should” do

3. Anything you’re afraid you’ll forget

4. Anything that keeps popping back up

This is not journaling. This is mental cleanup.

Your brain hates open loops. It will keep replaying them like a broken playlist until you write them down.

So get them out.

When the timer goes off, stop even if the list isn’t perfect. We’re not making it pretty. We’re making it useful.

Step 3: Circle what actually matters today (2 minutes)

Look at what you wrote and circle:

1. One thing that must happen today (a deadline, appointment, must-do task)

2. One thing that will make your life easier tomorrow

3. One thing that supports your body (food, water, movement, rest)

That’s it.

If your list is a chaotic buffet, these circles are your plate.

And if you’re thinking, “But everything matters,” I’m going to gently disagree.

Everything feels urgent when you’re overwhelmed. That doesn’t make it true.

Step 4: Pick your Top 3 (2 minutes)

Now we turn those circles into a simple Top 3.

Your Top 3 is your short list of priorities for today. Not because you’re only capable of three things, but because three is what your brain can hold when it’s stressed.

Write:

Top 3 Today

1. ___________________

2. ___________________

3. ___________________

A good Top 3 follows these rules:

1. One is time-specific (appointment, deadline, call)

2. One is a “future-you” helper (prep, cleanup, schedule, pay, plan)

3. One is basic care (food, water, walk, rest)

This keeps your day from becoming either:

1. chaos, or

2. all work and no functioning

Step 5: Choose your “first move” (1 minute)

This is the part that changes everything.

Pick the smallest first action you can take in the next two minutes.

Not “work out.”

Not “clean the house.”

Not “get organized.”

Something like:

1. Open the email and reply with one sentence

2. Put shoes on and walk to the mailbox

3. Fill your water bottle

4. Put the appointment into your calendar

5. Put one load in the washer

6. Write the outline heading, not the whole thing

Write this:

First Move: __________

Then do it immediately.

Overwhelm breaks when you move.

If the day still feels heavy (use this rule)

If you do your first move and you still feel overwhelmed, that’s normal. You’re not going to reset an entire week of stress in ten minutes.

So use this rule for the rest of the day:

Only plan one step ahead.

Not the whole day. Not the whole week. Just the next step.

Ask:

“What’s the next right thing?”

Then do that.

What to do if you get interrupted (because you will)

If your day goes off the rails, don’t start over tomorrow. Start over right now.

Do the mini version:

1. Take one long exhale

2. Look at your Top 3

3. Choose the next small step

That’s your reset. Anytime.

Why this works

Because it does three things fast:

1. It lowers the noise in your body

2. It gets the clutter out of your brain

3. It gives you one clear path forward

That’s what overwhelmed people actually need.

Not a new planner.

Not a new system.

A simple reset that works in real life.

Want to make this even easier next time?

When you’re back to feeling human, build a small routine that prevents overwhelm from stacking.

Start here:

1. A Simple Weekly Reset That Keeps You On Track

2. The Sunday Reset Routine That Makes Mondays Easier

3. How to Stay Consistent When Life Gets Messy

You don’t need to do all of it today. Today, you just need the starter plan.

Your turn

If you’re overwhelmed right now, pick one:

1. Do the full 10-minute plan

2. Or just do Step 5 and take your first move

Either way, you’re not stuck.

Happy planning!

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