Why Overwhelm Makes You Freeze and One Simple Way to Start Moving Again
Overwhelm rarely looks like panic.
More often, it looks like knowing you have important things to do, things you care about, but somehow not doing them. You’re not freaking out. You’re not falling apart. You’re just stuck. You scroll. You clean something that doesn’t matter. You work on low priority tasks. And at the end of the day, you wonder why nothing actually moved forward.
If that sounds familiar, there’s nothing wrong with you.
In fact, what you’re experiencing has a name, a mechanism, and most importantly a way out.
Overwhelm Isn’t a Motivation Problem
Most people assume overwhelm means they have too much to do. In reality, overwhelm happens when your nervous system decides that the demands you’re facing feel bigger than your ability to handle them right now.
That decision isn’t conscious. Your brain isn’t reviewing your calendar or making logical arguments. It’s asking a much simpler question.
Am I safe enough to move forward?
When the answer feels unclear, the nervous system doesn’t speed you up. It often shuts you down. That shutdown is commonly labeled procrastination, but biologically, it’s closer to a freeze response.
Why Thinking Harder Doesn’t Help
This is where people get stuck.
They try to motivate themselves, think more positively, or get their act together. But overwhelm doesn’t start in your thoughts. It starts in your nervous system. That means thinking harder usually makes it worse.
Before you can solve anything, you have to change your state.
One Simple Way to Interrupt Overwhelm
Here’s a practical place to start, especially if you notice early signs like avoidance, fogginess, or mindless distraction.
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Sit or stand upright
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Put your feet firmly on the ground
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Inhale through your nose
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Exhale slower than you inhale
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Repeat this for a minute or two
This isn’t about calming down emotionally. It’s about signaling safety to the nervous system so the part of your brain responsible for clarity and decision making can come back online.
Small physical changes can create surprisingly meaningful mental shifts.
The Question That Makes Overwhelm Smaller
Once your state begins to shift, even a little, avoid asking, How do I fix all of this?
That question tends to push people right back into overwhelm.
Instead, ask:
What is the next small, specific thing I can control?
Not the whole list. Not the big picture. Just one step. Overwhelm thrives on vagueness. Progress returns with specificity.
Where to Go Deeper
This blog only scratches the surface.
In the full episode of Vitality Radio, I walk through:
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What’s happening in the brain during overwhelm
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Why freeze is so common in modern life
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How language can either reinforce overwhelm or help you out of it
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How small, intentional actions restore agency
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Where supplements like magnesium or ashwagandha can support the process, and where they can’t
If overwhelm has been a recurring pattern for you, this episode will help you understand it differently and give you tools to work with your nervous system instead of fighting it.
Listen to the full episode of Vitality Radio to learn how to move from stuck to steady, one small step at a time.
Jared St. Clair