PERSONAL NOTE

Wow, February was quite the month with all the sporting events and attending that amazing lecture by Neil deGrasse Tyson. The lineup this month is underwhelming by comparison and yet I know it will be fun.  At the end of this month, I’ll be celebrating another trip around the sun — and I’m not sharing the number.  What I will share is how grateful I am for you. Whether you’re one of my loyal readers or a lifelong friend, you enrich my life more than you know. Each of you put a smile on my face in your own unique way, and I don’t take that for granted. And as I’ve been reflecting on another year of life, I’ve been especially aware of how the extremes we’re witnessing — personally, professionally, and globally — are leaving many people stretched thin and overwhelmed.  So, let's look at overwhelm this month.

ARTICLE

OVERWHELMED?

In today’s modern life it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by any number of things.  When that happens, you may reach for a coping strategy or practice you believe will make it go away and help you feel better. You already know how to calm yourself down. You can breathe. You can take a walk. You can light a candle. You can step away. But here’s the question most people skip:

What is actually causing the overwhelm?

Overwhelm isn’t random. It isn’t a personality flaw. And it isn’t proof that you “can’t handle things.” It’s data. When you feel overwhelmed, something underneath it is asking for your attention. Most people try to manage overwhelm at the surface level. They treat the feeling without investigating the source. That works temporarily — but if the root cause remains untouched, the feeling returns. So instead of asking, “How do I calm down?” Try asking, “What is this about?”

Here are some common causes of overwhelm; do any of these sound familiar?

1. You have too much on your plate.
Is your schedule overcommitted? Are you saying yes automatically? Have your responsibilities quietly multiplied without your awareness? Sometimes overwhelm isn’t emotional. It’s logistical.

2. You are unclear.
Overwhelm often shows up when priorities are fuzzy. When everything feels urgent. When you don’t know where to start. Clarity reduces overwhelm faster than motivation ever will. If everything feels important, nothing is prioritized.

3. You are carrying something unspoken.
Sometimes overwhelm isn’t about tasks. It’s about tension. A conversation you’re avoiding. A boundary you need to set. A disappointment you haven’t admitted. A decision you keep postponing. Unresolved emotional weight is heavy — even if you don’t consciously acknowledge it.

4. You’re trying to control what isn’t yours to control.
You might be mentally managing outcomes, people, timelines, or opinions that aren’t within your influence. And that constant mental effort is exhausting.

5. You’re out of alignment.
Overwhelm can be a signal that what you’re doing doesn’t match what matters most to you.
You may be productive — but misaligned. Busy — but disconnected. Responsible — but drained. When your energy and your values aren’t aligned, your nervous system notices.

6. You’ve hit critical mass.
Sometimes the thing that pushes you into overwhelm isn’t big at all. It’s the small request. The extra errand. The minor delay. The one more email. And suddenly you feel like you might cry… or snap… or shut down. Why? Because your system was already full. Your calendar was packed. Your mental bandwidth was stretched. Your emotional reserves were low. So that “one more thing” wasn’t really one more thing — it was the tipping point.

Overwhelm doesn’t always mean the current situation is massive. It may mean your capacity has quietly been maxed out for a while. And when you reach critical mass, even something small can feel enormous. That’s not weakness. That’s physics. Overwhelm is not weakness. It’s a messenger.

It tells you:
Something needs adjusting.
Something needs clarifying.
Something needs releasing.
Or something needs your courage.

Before you reach for coping tools, pause long enough to investigate.

Ask yourself: What specifically feels heavy right now? Is this about volume, emotion, clarity, control, alignment, or capacity? What is one small adjustment you could make that would reduce the pressure? Sometimes the answer is practical, or relational, or it could be deeply personal. Sometimes you don’t need to calm overwhelm you need to increase clarity… reduce your load… or acknowledge that your capacity has limits — and that’s human.

Understanding what is happening changes everything. 

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Stay safe, healthy, and happy!

Coach Jan