Unpacking Overwhelm: The Stories We Believe That Make It Worse

We often think of overwhelm as a time problem.

But it’s not.

It’s a thought problem.

Yes, we live in a busy world. But I invite you to consider: how did your world become so busy?

Of course, sometimes circumstances pile up. But more often than not, it’s the thoughts we’re believing that drive us to overload our calendars, overextend our energy, and completely bypass the signals from our bodies that are whispering, “This is too much.”

For me, I can see clearly now how overwhelm crept in on the path to burnout. I kept saying yes to things even when I was at full capacity. And I did not just do this passively. I kept actively seeking out more to do. I was filling every space. Trying to feel enough. Trying to feel fulfilled.

What I’ve realised over time for myself and what I’ve seen time and time again with my clients is that overwhelm isn’t created by the list of things we have to do. It’s created by the stories we believe about that list.

The Inner Critic and the Illusion of Being Behind

One of the loudest stories we tend to believe is this:

“I should be able to handle more.”

It’s the inner critic in disguise and it’s exhausting.

That voice tells us we’re superheroes. That we should be doing more, managing more, achieving more. But we’re not Superman. We can’t turn back time by spinning the world backwards. We’re human beings, in human bodies, with real limits even if we are part of something infinite.

We forget that all the time!

And so, we push. And we push. And we feel behind before we’ve even begun.

You Don’t Have to Believe Every Thought

That sense of being behind?

It feels real. It feels urgent. It creates this awful heaviness in the chest like someone’s sitting on you. That’s how many of my clients describe it.

But here’s the truth: You don’t have to believe every thought that says you’re behind.

Actually, you don’t have to believe any of them.

We grow up being rewarded for being “right.” In school, in work and in life we’re praised for thinking things through, for finding the correct answer. So, it makes sense that we’d come to believe everything our mind tells us.

But here’s a liberating idea:

Thought is not truth.

It’s just a habit. A filter. A cloud passing across the sky of your infinite possibility.

When we begin to question our thoughts gently with curiosity, not criticism, something starts to shift.

We begin to notice that we’re not actually behind.

We’re just caught in a loop of believing that we are.

Urgency is a signal, but not the one you think

I used to think that when I felt urgency in my body, it meant I needed to go faster.

Now I see it differently.

That urgency? It’s just urgent thinking.

It’s my body’s way of letting me know I’m believing a story that isn’t true, like:

“You don’t have time to rest.”

“You have to do it all today.”

“If you don’t get it all done, you’re failing.”

And when we believe those thoughts, we often procrastinate. Not because we’re lazy, but because the feeling in our body becomes too much. Then we want to avoid it. And then we judge ourselves for avoiding it. And the cycle continues.

From Productivity to Presence

One of the most powerful shifts we can make is from productivity to presence.

Noticing what we’re believing.

Noticing how it feels in the body.

Noticing the moment we start rushing.

And then just do one thing. The next thing. The thing in front of us.

From presence, not panic.

When we let go of the idea that we have to “get it all done,” we create space.

Space to breathe.

Space to move.

Space to choose one thing and focus on it, calmly.

Because the truth is: overwhelm isn’t caused by your to-do list.

It’s caused by how you relate to your to-do list.

By the pressure. The stories. The belief that you’re not allowed to rest until it’s all done.

And let’s be honest when is it ever all done?

A Gentle Invitation

So next time you feel the heaviness in your chest…

The racing thoughts…

The pressure to “do more” or “be better”...

Please pause.

Feel your feet on the floor.

Ask yourself:

Is this true?

Is it really true?

Let the discomfort be a signal, not that you need to go faster, but that you need to soften.

That you’ve started believing something that simply isn’t true.

You’re not behind.

You’re not failing.

You’re not meant to do it all at once.

You are allowed to rest.

You are allowed to take your time.

You are enough, exactly where you are.

Let me know what lands for you.

Which stories show up most often when overwhelm creeps in?

And what shifts when you begin to see them as just stories?

I’d love to hear.

And if you are ready to explore this more deeply, please book a clarity call here