working while overwhelmed
I’ve noticed that so many people are feeling overwhelmed, scattered, and stressed, particularly just after the holidays. The shift back into routine, the backlog of emails and tasks, the pressure to “start fresh” with big goals — all of it can hit at once. Instead of feeling energized, many of us feel behind before we’ve even begun.
When overwhelm sets in, focus becomes difficult. Our attention splinters. We bounce from task to task, app to app, thought to thought, without ever feeling truly grounded in what we’re doing. Even simple work can feel heavy, and meaningful work can feel impossible.
So what can we do to be more effective in the midst of this scattered, overwhelmed state?
Today I’m going to share three things I do to help myself find focus and effectiveness even when I’m at my most scattered. These aren’t productivity “hacks” or rigid systems. They’re gentle, practical ways of working with your nervous system instead of against it.
1. The Interstitial Pause
The first thing I recommend is a pause between anything you do — I call it the Interstitial Pause.
Most of our days are spent in constant transition. We finish one task and immediately launch into the next. We respond to a message and reflexively open another app. We close a tab and, without thinking, open a new one. These transitions happen so fast we don’t even notice them — but they’re exactly where overwhelm multiplies.
The Interstitial Pause is about inserting a small moment of awareness between actions.
Instead of switching automatically from one task to the next, I recommend a pause.
If you answer an email, take a pause. Ask yourself: Do I want to keep answering emails, or is there something more important I’d like to do right now?
If you finish working on a task, take a pause. Would you like to take a break, or choose the next task from your list to focus on intentionally?
If you notice yourself automatically opening an app or website that’s a distraction, take a pause. Ask: Is this actually what I want right now, or am I avoiding something that feels uncomfortable?
If you’ve just been given a bunch of messages and tasks, take a pause. Add them to your list, prioritize them, and choose one thing to focus on instead of trying to hold everything in your head at once.
If you’ve been working for a while, take a pause. Stretch your legs. Get some water. Take a few slow breaths. Let your nervous system settle before continuing.
These pauses don’t need to be long. Even five or ten seconds is enough. What matters is that you’re breaking the chain of automatic behavior and reclaiming choice.
Over time, these small pauses add up. They help you navigate chaotic waters more skillfully and make your day feel less reactive and more intentional.
2. Shrinking the Scope
When we’re overwhelmed, our minds tend to zoom out too far. We think about everything we need to do — today, this week, this month — and the sheer volume becomes paralyzing.
One of the most effective things you can do in these moments is to deliberately shrink the scope of your attention.
Instead of asking, “How am I going to get all of this done?” ask, “What is the one small thing I can focus on right now?”
That might mean:
Choosing a single email to respond to
Working on one paragraph instead of the whole document
Setting a timer for ten minutes instead of committing to an entire hour
Small, clearly defined actions reduce cognitive load. They give your brain something concrete to work with, which lowers stress and increases the likelihood that you’ll actually begin.
Momentum often follows clarity. Once you complete one small thing, the next step feels more approachable. But even if it doesn’t, you’ve still made progress and that matters.
3. Redefining “Effective”
When we’re overwhelmed, we often hold ourselves to unrealistic standards. We expect the same level of output, creativity, and efficiency that we have on our best days. When we can’t meet those standards, we feel frustrated or ashamed, which only deepens the overwhelm.
In these moments, it’s important to redefine what “effective” means.
Effectiveness doesn’t always mean doing a lot. Sometimes it means doing less, but doing it consciously. Sometimes it means resting so you can return with more clarity later. Sometimes it means choosing not to push through, but to slow down instead.
On overwhelmed days, effectiveness might look like:
Completing one meaningful task instead of ten shallow ones
Creating order (lists, priorities, structure) rather than producing output
Taking care of your body so your mind can function better tomorrow
This isn’t about lowering your standards permanently. It’s about adapting them to the reality of your current state.
Closing Thoughts
Overwhelm isn’t a personal failure, it’s a signal. A signal that something needs attention, space, or care. When we respond to it with force and pressure, it tends to push back harder. When we respond with pauses, clarity, and compassion, it often softens.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire workflow to work better when you’re overwhelmed. Start small. Insert a pause. Choose one thing. Redefine success for the day you’re actually having.
Effectiveness, especially in difficult moments, is less about doing more and more about doing what matters, on purpose.
