Help! It's all too much...

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2025 seems to have introduced its own special blend of overwhelm: where global instability meets technological acceleration meets constant connectivity meets impossible expectations.

The feeling of overwhelm goes beyond having too much to do. It’s a standstill in the face of overload; feeling incapable of action. 

But as a leader, paralysis is not an option—especially in this era where our teams need us to be responsive in the face of relentless change.

That Moment When It Becomes Too Much

We've all been there: carefully maintaining control. Then suddenly—maybe it's an unexpected question in the board meeting, a Slack message that catches you off-guard, or the fifteenth "urgent" request before noon—you feel it. 

Your chest tightens. Your thoughts spiral. You're one poorly timed word away from demonstrating why 'keep calm and carry on' should never be a leadership strategy. 

Let me be clear: I don't advocate for pretending everything's fine when it isn't. But there's an important distinction between authentic leadership and unfiltered reaction. Your team needs you to be real, yes—but grounded. That's not perfection; it's being intentional with your presence, especially in challenging moments.

So how do you maintain executive presence when your own emotions are threatening to take over? 

Your Emergency Reset Toolkit

The ideal time to learn how to swim isn't when you're already in deep water. The same goes for learning to manage overwhelm. Practice your favorite awareness and grounding techniques when the stakes are low, so they're second nature when you really need them.

Here are my favorites: 

1. Name it to tame it. Labeling what's happening ("I'm feeling overwhelmed") reduces its power. Your brain loves clarity, even about difficult things.

2. Buy yourself time with phrases like: "Let me take a moment to consider that fully" or "Could you walk me through that again? I want to make sure I'm following."

3. Minimize inputs: Close your eyes for a moment, take a pause in the conversation, or find a quiet space. Prioritize getting to 'whelmed' to regain clarity and make better decisions.

4. Ground yourself physically: Try anchoring your feet on the floor, then focus on one fixed point in the room, and take a few deep, full breaths.

5. Get out of your head and into your body: Take 4 a step further with mindful movement or sensory activities - e.g., a dance break, a walk outside, or if you can find a few more moments, try gardening, arts/crafts, knitting, yoga, or hiking.

Try these techniques and notice which one(s) bring you the most immediate relief.

Beyond the Emergency Kit: Three Horizons of Resilience

The emergency reset tools are essential, but they're just the beginning.

To truly navigate modern overwhelm, we need a more nuanced and strategic approach beyond “just focus on what you can control”.

That advice is catnip for us control freaks, leading us to focus fruitlessly on externalities. [My LHC while writing this: “I am NOT a control freak! I’m just… control conscientious.”]

Instead it’s far more impactful to develop our internal capacity to withstand difficulty—to be resilient.

Think of it like sailing: You can't control the wind or the waves, but you can:

• Adjust your sails in the moment (Immediate Horizon)

• Create systems for weather monitoring (Near Horizon)

• Build a more seaworthy vessel over time (Far Horizon)

Here’s how “The Three Horizons of Resilience” works in practice:

1. Immediate Horizon: Take Intentional Action

   This isn't about crisis management—it's about consciously choosing where to focus your energy hour by hour. While you can't control everything in your day, you can:

• Prioritize what matters most right now based on leverage (including your most immediate physical needs)

• Choose which meetings truly need your presence

• Decide which decisions only you can make

2. Near Horizon: Create Sustainable Systems

   This is where we shift from controlling outcomes to influencing conditions. Think weeks to months ahead, focusing on creating structures that can flex with uncertainty rather than break under it: 

• Decision-making frameworks that reduce cognitive load (e.g. clear criteria for what needs executive input versus team-level decisions)

• Regular reflection practices that help you spot patterns and adjust course

• Pressure release valves—regular checkpoints and other communications protocols where teams can surface challenges before they become crises. 

3. Far Horizon: Invest in Your Capacity to Adapt

   With this horizon, we’re building the capabilities—in yourself and your organization—to thrive in uncertainty rather than just survive it. For instance: 

• Train your team to navigate ambiguity by asking better questions rather than seeking immediate answers. Replace "what should we do?" with "what are we learning?" and exploring "what possibilities does this open up?"

• Build organizational adaptability through regular scenario planning and cross-functional collaboration. 

• Develop your steady leadership presence by practicing the balance between transparency and stability. Share what's uncertain while consistently reinforcing what remains constant—your mission, your values, your commitment to the team.

For Now, Remember This…

While we can't control everything in our day, we can control our perspective. Are we measuring this moment against our calmest days, or remembering how we've handled even bigger challenges? Are we focusing on what's missing, or what's still working?

Sometimes, that shift in perspective comes from sharing our challenges with someone else. Just last week, a client told me, "It's funny—as I'm talking this through with you, it suddenly seems much more straightforward. I'm not even sure why it felt so overwhelming before." There's something powerful about speaking our challenges aloud to another person. What feels like an insurmountable tangle in our heads often begins to unknot itself when we give it voice.

The challenges you face are real, and your feelings of overwhelm are valid. Shifting perspective doesn't negate this reality—it simply offers another way to navigate it. How we frame our circumstances, whether through reflection or conversation, shapes how we—and our teams—respond and move through them.

Want to dive deeper into managing modern overwhelm?

1. “Stressed and Overwhelmed” article by Brené Brown 

2. “It’s OK to feel overwhelmed. Here’s what to do next” TED Talk by Elizabeth Gilbert

3. “The Power of Doing Nothing” from the LHC archives

Keep reading, keep leading,
Jess.

P.S. Remember: You're not broken. You're navigating unprecedented complexity. You have the tools within you to surf these ocean swells and find moments of calm within the storm. Start small and be patient with yourself. 

P.P.S. Did this issue resonate with you? Hit reply—I read every response.

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Ready to rethink your relationship with overwhelm and control? Schedule a free discovery session today discuss your specific leadership challenges and explore how we can work together.

For more, follow me on LinkedIn or check out my website.

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