"I’m Feeling Overwhelmed and Don’t Even Know Where to Begin"

We’ve all been there - that moment when the to-do list feels endless, the inbox is overflowing, and your brain is juggling so many thoughts that you can’t even find the start line. Overwhelm doesn’t always look dramatic. Often, it’s quiet. It’s the sigh before opening your laptop, the hesitation before another meeting, the background hum of too much.

In psychological terms, overwhelm is a state of cognitive overload - when the demands on your working memory exceed its capacity. In simple terms, your brain is processing more than it’s built to handle. And while it’s normal to feel this way occasionally, staying in that state for too long can shut down clarity, motivation, and even confidence.

One client I worked with recently came to me describing exactly that - an endless blur of tasks and responsibilities. From the outside, they looked capable and composed. Inside, they were paralysed. “I know what I should do,” they said, “I just don’t know where to start.” Together, we began by untangling the mess. Not by jumping to action plans or time management hacks, but by slowing down. Coaching is not about forcing progress, it’s about creating enough space for the next step to reveal itself.

We discovered that much of their overwhelm wasn’t from the workload itself, but from the stories attached to it. Perfectionism, guilt about saying no, and a fear of letting others down. Once we named those patterns, everything shifted. The work didn’t disappear, but their relationship to it changed. With fresh perspective, we were able to prioritise meaningfully, set boundaries, and bring control back into focus.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, start small. Don’t try to “fix” it all at once. Try writing down everything on your mind, not to solve it, but to see it. The act of externalising your thoughts reduces mental load. From there, identify just one thing that feels doable. Momentum begins not with a grand plan, but with a single clear action.

At YouAndMeCoach.com, I help people untangle that fog of overwhelm and find clarity again. Whether you’re navigating change, chasing new goals, or just trying to regain balance, coaching can help you move from “I don’t know where to start” to “I know what matters next.”

If you’re ready to reclaim your calm and reset your direction, let’s talk. Your first 30 minutes are on me.

Transform. Thrive. Together. James YouAndMeCoach.com