Guide · stress · 3 min read
What to do when everything is too much, for people who have tried everything, when you are too tired to try hard
Overwhelm is not a lack of capacity. It is too many open loops and no order to them. The fix is unglamorous.
Start here
None of this is glamorous. All of it is doable, which matters more.
Too tired to try hard is exactly the right amount of tired for this.
If you only do one thing from this page, do the first point below. It is first because it removes the most friction for the least effort.
What helps
Accept that the rest of the list will still be there this evening, and that this is survivable.
Cancel or move one commitment today. Not everything. One.
Do that one thing badly. A bad version of it removes more pressure than a good version of something else.
What to do when it does not work
Write down everything that is in your head, badly and quickly. The list is not the plan. The list is to stop your brain holding all of it.
Circle the one thing that has an actual deadline today. If nothing does, circle the thing that is making the most noise.
Tell one person what is happening. Not for advice — being witnessed reduces the size of it more than people expect.
Questions people ask
Is this just procrastination with extra steps?
No. Writing the list and choosing one item is the opposite of avoiding. The avoidance usually happens before the list exists.
Written for people who want the practical version. No accounts, no tracking, no newsletter wall.
If this is not the angle you need, try When to be careful with breathing exercises — a short, honest guide, on a low-energy afternoon, Using your body to come down after something stressful — a practical guide, after a long day or Waking up anxious for no obvious reason — where to start, if you have five quiet minutes.