It was a Tuesday, but it could have been any day.
I was standing in the kitchen, half-dressed for work, staring blankly at the sink overflowing with dishes. My phone buzzed on the counter — another Slack message, another missed deadline. I felt like I was failing at everything. Work. Life. Just being a functioning adult.
I remember sliding down to the floor and just sitting there for a minute. Not crying. Just…frozen. Overwhelmed.
It wasn’t that my life was falling apart. It was just too much. Too many tabs open in my brain, too many tasks screaming for attention, too little sleep, and way too little joy.
That moment on the kitchen floor was my turning point. I realized something had to change — not my whole life, but definitely the way I was moving through it.
The Small Habit Shifts That Changed Everything
What I discovered over the next few months wasn’t some massive lifestyle overhaul or “productivity hack.” It was three small habits — so simple, I almost dismissed them — that helped me go from overwhelmed and scattered to feeling steady, capable, and even (gasp!) excited about my days.
Here they are:
1. The Daily Brain Dump: Empty Your Mind, Save Your Sanity
I used to keep everything in my head. Grocery lists, project deadlines, birthday parties, that weird ingredient I needed to Google later — all just bouncing around, causing low-key chaos 24/7.
Then I read about the “brain dump” technique. The idea is simple: every morning (or evening), you sit down and pour everything out of your brain onto paper. No organization, no judgment. Just out.
At first, I felt silly. But after a week of doing it consistently, something shifted. I was sleeping better. I wasn’t snapping at my partner as often. And I could finally remember things without digging through the mental junk drawer.
How to do it:
- Set a timer for 5–10 minutes.
- Write everything on your mind — from deep thoughts to “buy dog food.”
- Don’t worry about making it neat. The goal is to clear space, not create a to-do list.
Helpful tool:
I started with a plain notebook, but later I upgraded to the Full Focus Journal. It’s structured just enough to guide me, without feeling rigid.
2. Time Blocking: Make Space for What Actually Matters
I was always busy — yet at the end of the day, I felt like I’d accomplished nothing. Sound familiar?
Then I discovered time blocking. Instead of a messy to-do list, I started assigning tasks to specific blocks of time. It was like Marie Kondo for my schedule.
No more switching between five tabs. No more feeling guilty for not “doing enough.” Just focused blocks of time with clear boundaries — and more freedom than I expected.
How to do it:
- Look at your day and divide it into chunks (ex: 9–11 AM: Work project, 11–11:30: Emails).
- Add in everything — even breaks and meals.
- Be realistic. Leave buffer time. Life happens.
Pro tip: I use Google Calendar for digital blocking, and the Time Block Planner when I want to unplug.
3. The 3-Minute Reset: When You Feel Yourself Spiraling
This one’s for the moments when overwhelm creeps up out of nowhere — which, let’s be honest, is most of the time.
Instead of pushing through or numbing out with doomscrolling, I started doing a quick “reset.” Three minutes. Just enough to shift gears and remind myself I’m in control.
Here’s my go-to:
The 3-Minute Reset
- Move — Shake out your body. Stretch. Walk outside.
- Breathe — Try box breathing (4 seconds in, hold, out, hold).
- Reset — Ask: What’s the next kind thing I can do for myself right now?
That last question is powerful. Sometimes it’s drink water. Sometimes it’s take a nap. Sometimes it’s send the email I’ve been avoiding. It grounds me.
Bonus: I keep a Calm Strips fidget sticker on my laptop — weirdly satisfying and calming when I’m anxious.
How You Can Try This (Without Getting Overwhelmed… Ironically)
If you’re reading this and thinking, “This sounds great, but I don’t have time to add three more things to my day,” I get it. So here’s how to keep it simple:
Start with one habit.
Which one speaks to you most right now? Try it for 3 days. That’s it.
Stack it onto something you already do.
Do your brain dump with your morning coffee. Add time blocks right after checking your email. Do the reset before scrolling TikTok.
Keep it messy.
These habits aren’t about perfection. You’ll forget. You’ll skip days. That’s human. The magic is in returning to them.
The Truth: Most of Us Don’t Need to Do More. We Need to Do Less, Better.
I used to think I needed a better planner or more discipline. What I really needed was to slow down and stop trying to hold it all in my head.
These habits didn’t make my life easier overnight — but they gave me space to breathe. Space to think. And eventually, space to enjoy things again.
If I could go back to that overwhelmed version of me on the kitchen floor, I’d just sit beside her and say:
“You don’t have to fix everything today. Just try one thing. Just start.”
Let’s Do This Together
If you’ve been feeling like life is one big game of catch-up, I see you. And you’re not alone.
Pick one habit. Try it this week. And if you do? Send me a message or comment below — I’d love to cheer you on.
Better yet, share this with a friend who needs a little less chaos and a little more calm.
You’ve got this. For real.
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P.S. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things I genuinely use and love.
