Do you ever feel overwhelmed… no matter how much you get done?

Like your nervous system never fully settles.

You move from one responsibility to the next.

Work. Parenting. Relationships. Messages. Decisions. Chores. Deadlines.

And even when you finally sit down to “relax”…

your mind is still running.

For a long time, I thought being overwhelmed was just part of being a high-achiever.

But what I eventually realized is this:

Not all overwhelms are the same.

Sometimes the problem is practical.

There’s simply too much to carry with too few resources.

But other times… the overwhelm is emotional.

And no amount of productivity hacks, massages, bubble baths, or better scheduling can truly fix it.

Because emotional overwhelm often happens when there’s something deeper we’re avoiding.

A conversation.

A truth.

A change.

A decision.

A part of ourselves asking to finally be heard.

In this week’s episode, Dealing with Emotional and Practical Overwhelm, we unpack the difference between these two kinds of overwhelm, and why understanding that distinction can completely change how you respond to stress.

Because when we treat emotional overwhelm like a scheduling problem…

we stay stuck.

And when we treat practical overwhelm like a personal failure…

we burn out our nervous systems even more.

Episode timestamps:

02:53 — The two different kinds of overwhelm

03:28 — What emotional overwhelm actually feels like

04:26 — How to tell whether your overwhelm is emotional or situational

05:32 — A real-life example of situational overwhelm

07:32 — What happens when emotional overwhelm builds up

08:39 — One major sign you’re emotionally overwhelmed

10:31 — Why even joyful activities stop feeling restorative

12:01 — The deeper truth emotional overwhelm is often pointing toward

13:36 — Why self-care alone sometimes doesn’t work

14:40 — Why practical overwhelm is easier to identify

15:01 — The real cause of practical overwhelm

16:18 — The two ways to reduce practical overwhelm

18:02 — Planning vs. execution: the hidden mental load

19:21 — The power of “minimal acceptable standards”

20:14 — Questions to help identify your type of overwhelm

22:02 — The “golden nugget” exercise to apply this immediately

One of the most important shifts for me personally was realizing this:

Sometimes overwhelm isn’t a sign that you’re weak or failing.

It’s your nervous system trying to tell you something.

Sometimes it’s asking for support.

Sometimes it’s asking for rest.

And sometimes… it’s asking you to stop abandoning something important inside yourself.

Because healing overwhelm isn’t only about doing less.

It’s about learning how to listen differently to yourself.

And if this episode resonates deeply with you, and you’re a physician or high-achieving professional reading this thinking…

“I know how to function under pressure… but my nervous system still feels constantly on edge”

That's exactly why we created Untriggerable.

A space to help you regulate your nervous system, stop living in constant reactivity, and learn how to move through stress, conflict, and overwhelm without losing yourself in the process.

If that speaks to you, just reply to this email or reach out to [email protected] and we’ll send you the details.