How I Regulate My Nervous System When Overwhelm Hits Out of Nowhere

After the negotiation comes the very real physical inability to continue. 

My breathing shifts, the mind fog turns into the beginnings of a headache, and my chest does things that genuinely feel like danger. 

I reach the point where I don't want to play anymore, and it’s way past the point of taking it lightly.

This is where my mind and body start yelling that the work can wait.

So, I’ve learned to follow a rule: Take the damn break.



The first thing I do is move away from the desk and screen and take a deep breath.

• I consciously unlock my jaw and soften my face.
• I allow myself to feel the ache in my stomach and close my tired eyes.
• If I can, I go for a short, very slow walk, drink water, and put on music to regulate my nervous system.
• I leave the swarming thoughts buzzing in my head to their own devices and focus entirely on my breath counts.
• Sometimes I grab food; other times, I stay at my desk and do quick emotional freedom tapping techniques to bring my system back down.

Step 2: Doing Something Hands-On Just for Fun (Coloring over Doomscrolling)

Sometimes I’ll read a book, because escapism is real and reading calms me.

 But other times, I literally cannot bear to look at another line of text, or I’m just not in a space to go on a journey with fictional characters.

When that happens, I color.

Recently, I’ve been really into The Blossoms Coloring book for its simple flowers, and Into the Abstract  Coloring Book because I can just go wild with my colour choices. 

The designs feel like strange doodles and looping shapes, and the mindlessness of it grounds me.

Why it works: I genuinely cannot mess it up. And "zero chance of failure" is the exact vibe I need when I feel overwhelmed and frustrated.

Coloring gives me mild sensory stimulation without screens.

 I explicitly avoid my phone during these breaks because I am a chronic doomscroller, and hours can disappear into random reels before I even realize what happened.

When I feel calmer, I reach for the When Everything Feels Like Too Much Workbook—which I literally created for exact moments like this.

Sometimes I grab a fresh notebook and restart the workbook from Day 1 if I need a complete reset. 

Other times, I just continue wherever I left off. 

It’s designed as a 7-day journey through overwhelm, and I love it equally as both the creator and the user.

It helps me see my emotions as valid signals—not as villains to fight, repress, or itemize as another task on my never-ending to-do list.

When the workday is completely over and I’m ready to wind down, I reach for the While I’m Away Comfort Journal.

I love this journal because it feels comforting and romantic all at once. 

On days where overwhelm and self-doubt kick my ass, having a gentle voice in a prompt asking how I am, if I’ve eaten, if I’ve stayed hydrated, and inviting me to offload my grievances in a private space is everything.

 I’m not much of a talker when I’m overstimulated, so journaling is my sanctuary.

To cap off the night, I might look over what I wrote, watch one of my favorite dramas, take a hot shower, and hit the hay.

In the morning, I set my intentions for the day with The Morning Anchor Journal. 

(Right now, I’m obsessed with the brown Confidence & Self-Trust Reset cover—it reminds me of coffee and prompts me to take care of my body alongside my mind.) 

But if I wake up feeling low-capacity, I skip the deep dive and reach for The Unscripted Daily Journal instead.

Being overwhelmed and overstimulated isn't something that instantly vanishes. 

Feeling relaxed in one moment doesn't automatically mean your nervous system has fully shifted out of survival mode.

That’s why I build frameworks and journals for different stages of regulation—because meeting yourself where you actually are is the only way through.

The next time you feel overwhelmed, overstimulated, or stressed AF, step away from the desk, unlock your jaw, and give yourself a soft place to land.

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