When Simplicity is the Answer
Hey there,
Not sure how you're weekend went but my morning today started with my husband pacing the house after being up most of the night, unable to sleep. He's been really stressed about all the different pieces of projects at work, and it finally hit him all at once. Too many tasks. Too many expectations. Too many “shoulds.” Sound familiar?
I was standing at the kitchen island watching him spiral and I had to laugh a little as I watched him. I finally said, “Honey, I think I need to put you through my program.” Then I followed it up with, “Give me five minutes. Let me walk you through a quick decision filter and I promise it will help - let's get some of this off your plate so you can stop stressing out.”
We sat down with his list of all the things keeping him up at night (which by the way he carries almost completely in his head), sorted the swirl, and within minutes I could literally see the tension leave his shoulders. Nothing about his workload changed but the noise did. Once he saw what actually mattered this week and what he could let go of, everything stopped feeling like a fire drill.
This is the reality about overwhelm and stress.
It’s rarely about the amount of work that is the root cause.
It’s the impossible expectation that all of it deserves equal attention.
Complex projects, shifting priorities, and constant change tricks us into believing every task is equally important. That’s how people get completely overwhelmed, spinning their wheels and feel stuck. That’s how smart, capable professionals end up awake at 3 am with the weight of the world on their shoulders.
We forget that:
Not everything matters equally and not everything matters right now.
Clarity often shows up the moment we stop trying to solve everything at once and start sorting out what is actually meaningful right now.
You're Two Question Decision Filter
When you're overwhelmed with your to do list or expectations and it feels like you can't make sense anymore of what you should do... Pause and ask yourself these two questions.
- Does this change anything meaningful for the people in my life that matter to me?
- If I don't touch this right now, will anything break?
If the answer is no to both, it comes off your list.
If the answer is maybe, it waits.
If the answer is yes, that becomes your focus.
It’s simple on purpose.
Overwhelm doesn’t need a complicated solution.
It needs a calmer lens and a way to simply focus in on what's truly important.
Save these two questions somewhere visible this week and use them the moment things feel heavy.
What I'm loving...
🌊 A human-approved tip / tool:
Tip: sometimes trying to learn a new tool can add to the overwhelm. This week try a super simple three-column sticky-note triage. “Matters now,” “matters later,” and “matters never.” It's an easy way to sort through all the things taking up space in your brain - I even use this with my actual post office mail to keep me sane. Trust me, your nervous system will thank you.
🌊 A Simple pleasure:
I travel a lot and whether it's in the car or a plane, I have come to love this small down throw blanket from Eddie Bauer. I received it as a gift years ago and it's still one of those simple things I take with me everywhere and in fact, it's sitting on my lap right now as I type :-) *and If you're wondering I don't earn any commissions from the things I recommend here - it's just purely things I love.
🌊 To Listen or Read :
Podcast: The HBR episode “Communicating Clearly When You’re Under Stress.” Perfect companion for weeks like this.
Before I go...
I hope your week feels lighter and clearer. Give your energy to what truly matters and let the rest move to the background.
Warmly,
Heather
