How to Stop Being Overwhelmed: The Magic of Doing Less, But Better
Overwhelmed? You’re Not Alone.
Do you ever feel like you are doing too much? Like no matter how much you do, there’s always more?
You’re not imagining it. Modern life is a relentless cycle of demands, distractions, and expectations. We balance work, love, social media, chores, self-care… and somehow we are supposed to do it all right?
No wonder we’re exhausted.
But here’s the secret: You don’ t have to do it all.
Now let’s see how less is more and doing less, but doing it better will help you out of overwhelm.
The Reason Doing More Makes You Slower
We’ve been conditioned to believe that the more we do, the more successful we will be. But in reality, being busy isn’t the same as being productive. When we stretch ourselves too thin, everything fails — our work, our relationships, our mental health.
Think about it:
Ever worked right through the day only to feel like you accomplished nothing?
Do you spent a lot of hours replying to emails but make no headway on larger projects?
Said yes to too many things and left stress, not productivity, in your wake?
That’s the overwhelm trap. The key isn’t to do more. It’s to do less, but do it on purpose.
The Lazy Genius Way: Be lazy about the things that don’t matter.
The Lazy Genius is a system of how to be smart about what matters and letting the rest go. Not lazy — just making smarter decisions with your time and energy.
If all is a priority, nothing is a priority. So let’s take this apart into actionable steps.
Decide What Actually Matters
The overwhelm comes from wanting to do it all. But newsflash—you can’t. And you don’t need to.
What to do:
Determine your top three goals for the day/week/month.
Allow yourself to let go of what truly doesn’t matter.
This means: If I had to whittle my to-do list down to half, what survives?
👉 For example, only do the work that gets you closer to your goals, rather than saying yes to everything.
cut down on multitasking (it’s a myth)
Multitasking gives us the illusion of productivity and in reality slows us down and stresses us out.
What to do:
Do one thing at a time (your brain will be grateful).
Use time-blocking: Isolate time windows only to complete particular tasks.
Silence notifications when working on important projects
📌 Tips: Stop switching from email to meetings to deep work all day — batch things into blocks of focused time.
Say No Without Feeling Guilty
Every “yes” to something trivial is a “no” to something important.
What to do:
Learn to say “no” to things that take your time and energy.
Use straightforward, kind replies: “I’d like to help, but I can’t handle this right now.”
Create boundaries — your time is precious.
📌 For example: Do you really need to be attending that meeting? If not, decline and request instead a summary.
Don’t make things complicated, automate processes, and create simple systems to make things easier for yourself.
Your brain doesn’t have to recall everything. Let decision making drift with simple systems.
What to do:
Use a planner or a digital task manager to keep track of your to-dos.
Set up automatic payments (bills, grocery lists, meal-planning).
Have a routine for daily tasks (like a morning routine with set tasks you do every morning).
📌 e.g.: rather than make a dinner decision every night, have a weekly dinner rotation (like Taco Tuesdays, Pasta Thursdays). One less decision to make.
Let Go of Perfectionism
Perfectionism keeps us stuck. Done is better than perfect.
What to do:
Set time limits on some tasks — no over-edited emails or presentation tweaks that last for days.
Embrace “good enough” in places that don’t require excellence.
Don’t forget: No one sees the little things you worry about.
📌 For example: Rather than redrafting email ten times, proofread it once and send. It’s fine. Really.
Acknowledge that a break is neededWithout guilt
Time off builds productivity, not detracts from it.
What to do:
Take breaks like you schedule work.
If there is stagnation mentally — step away.
Get into your body — walks, stretching, even dancing in your kitchen count.
📌 In practice: Take a break instead of working through lunch. You’ll be more alert afterward.”
Declutter Your Space (And Your Mind)
Cluttered surroundings = cluttered mind.
What to do:
Go minimal on your workspace—less clutter, fewer distractions.
Schedule a daily 10-minute reset (clear your desk, return things to their homes).
Declutter digitally — unsubscribe from junk mails, declutter files.
📌 Example: Don’t stack dishes; wash them as you go. Future you will thank you.
Make Rest a Non-Negotiable
You don’t have to “earn” rest. You need it to function.
What to do:
Sleep, sleep, sleep—your brain and body need it.
Give yourself time, before you burnout.
Try doing something for the pure joy of it, productivity be damned.
📌 Try it: Watch a show, read a book, take a nap, without guilt.
Celebrate Small Wins
If you’re constantly running toward the next goal, you’ll never feel satisfied with what you’ve done.
What to do:
Honor what you did accomplish at the end of each day.
Maintain a “wins” list that tracks progress (big and small).
Cut yourself some slack — progress, not perfection.
📌 For example: Rather than dwelling on what’s still on your to-do list, do a celebratory dance for what you crossed off.
Conclusion: Less Overwhelm and More Peace
Doing less but better isn’t an excuse to slack, of course — also the exact opposite: It is going to be the direct opposite, or the first steps to start doing the things that really matters.
Establishing priorities, making decisions simpler and releasing perfectionism will help you feel in control and less overwhelmed.
So here’s your challenge: Choose ONE of these strategies, and implement it this week.
You don’t have to solve everything in an instant. Little steps yield great results.
Because life’s not about doing it all. And that’s about doing the right things — and actually enjoying it.
You got this. 💡