When everything feels like too much - when your brain won’t shut off, your to-do list is never-ending, and your body is screaming for rest - it’s time to pause.

Life gets heavy. Fast. And sometimes, no matter how hard you're trying to hold it together, the weight just spills over. The good news? You don’t need to fix everything overnight. But you do need a reset. One small move at a time.

Here’s where to start when life feels like it’s swallowing you whole.

1. Rethink Your Work Life: If It’s Draining You, Change It

Work can quietly become the biggest source of burnout. If you're working a job that drains you, demands too much, or constantly keeps you tethered to your phone, it's no wonder you're overwhelmed.

Ask yourself: Is this job fueling you or bleeding you dry?

• Look for roles that offer remote flexibility or four-day workweeks
• Consider industries that value boundaries - wellness, education, creative freelance
• Talk to a career coach or recruiter to explore options you haven't thought about
• Revisit your passions - what would you do if money wasn't the deciding factor?

Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is leave. Or pivot. Or just take a long-overdue break.

2. Take Real Breaks - And Actually Unplug

Breaks don’t mean scrolling on your phone for 10 minutes between meetings.

Real breaks pull you out of the chaos and into your body. They force a reset.

• Step outside for fresh air, even if it’s just a 10-minute walk
• Schedule one tech-free hour each evening (phone off, no screens)
• Try contrast therapy - a hot bath followed by a cold shower
• Create a “nothing” ritual: music, candle, deep breaths, no agenda

Give yourself permission to pause, even machines need time to cool down. Instead of doom-scrolling or running through the mental roulette of everything you still haven’t done, give your brain a real break. Step away from the chaos. Do something that feels slow, tactile, or mindless in the best way - cook something from scratch, play a low-stakes game, sit outside and people-watch. The goal isn’t productivity; it’s decompression.

3. Move Your Body Like You Mean It

There’s a reason every therapist and wellness guru says to move. It works.

The key is to find movement that doesn’t feel like punishment.

• Dance to one loud, ridiculous song in your kitchen
• Take a boxing class and punch something (legally)
• Walk in silence - no podcasts, no music, just you and your thoughts
• Try strength training to feel powerful in your body again

Motion burns off stress. Let your body do the work your brain can’t.

4. Build a Mental Reset Ritual: Meditation, Breathwork, or Mindfulness

You don’t need to be a monk or sit cross-legged in silence for an hour. You just need to sit with yourself - on purpose.

Start with 5 minutes.

• Try the Insight Timer or Headspace app for guided meditations
• Practice 4-7-8 breathing: inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8
• Journal stream-of-consciousness for five minutes each morning
• Take a few sun salutations with your eyes closed

Stillness is medicine. And it’s often the first thing we run from when we need it most.

5. Get It Out of Your Head: Journal Everything

The noise in your mind only gets louder when it stays locked inside. Journaling doesn’t have to be deep or poetic - it just has to be real.

• Brain dump: everything on your mind, no filter
• Make a "to worry about later" list
• Keep a running gratitude list for small wins and quiet joys
• Use journal prompts like “What am I holding on to that I need to let go?”

Clarity lives on the page. Write it all down so it doesn’t keep circling in your head.

6. Prioritize Sleep Like Your Life Depends On It (Because It Does)

Lack of sleep is gasoline on the fire. Everything feels heavier when you're exhausted.

• Block light with blackout curtains or an eye mask
• Keep your bedroom at 65°F for optimal sleep conditions
• Take magnesium glycinate before bed to help relax
• Keep your phone out of the bedroom - seriously, put it across the house
• Use white noise or calming playlists to drown out mental chatter

You can’t function without sleep. And you don’t need to earn rest. Just take it.

7. Learn to Say No Without Apologizing

Overwhelm usually isn’t just about what’s happening - it’s about how much you’re allowing.

Saying yes to everything leaves zero room for yourself.

• Practice saying “I can’t take that on right now”
• Use a shared calendar to avoid overbooking
• Create “off-limits” times in your day - no calls, no favors, no work
• Set hard boundaries with energy-drainers

Your peace is more important than other people’s approval. Protect it.

8. Go Outside and Touch the Ground

It’s simple, and it works.

• Walk barefoot on grass or sand for 5 minutes (yes, it’s a thing - grounding)
• Find a hiking trail, a park, or just a quiet sidewalk
• Breathe in real air that isn’t recycled through a vent
• Watch the sunset without a phone in your hand

Nature doesn’t ask anything from you. That’s what makes it healing.

9. Plan a Real Escape - Even Just a Weekend Away

Sometimes what you need most is a full break from your environment. It can be hard to find a way to schedule a vacation, but the payoff is always worth it. Studies show that just having a vacation to look forward to increases happiness levels, outside of the trip itself. 

• Book a cabin with no WiFi
• Plan a solo trip just to think and feel and be
• Head to the desert, the ocean, or the mountains - anywhere that shifts your perspective
• Travel with your best friend and set a “no venting about life” rule

It doesn’t have to be extravagant - it just has to be different.

The point is to remember that your whole world doesn’t begin and end in your current zip code.

10. Talk It Out - With Someone You Trust

You don’t need to figure it all out alone. No badge of honor for suffering in silence.

• Text a friend who always listens, even if you haven’t talked in a while
• Set up a therapy session, even just one
• Join a support group for what you’re going through - anxiety, burnout, divorce, grief
• Speak out loud what you’ve been carrying - the act itself is a release

You’re not broken. You’re just human. And humans need each other.

Final Words (Not a Conclusion)

You don’t need to fix your entire life this week.

Just take the first step - and then another.

You are allowed to pause. To break down. To rest. To ask for help.
Overwhelm doesn’t make you weak. It makes you aware that something isn’t working.
That awareness? That’s the first sign you’re ready to change.