If you’ve been sitting around thinking, “My life feels a little too peaceful lately,” let me help you fix that.
Because if there’s one thing I know about, it’s how to turn a completely normal day into a chaotic, overstimulated, slightly panicked experience — without even leaving my house.
So if you’re hoping to feel overwhelmed, scattered, and mildly annoyed at everything by 10:30 a.m., here are a few tried-and-true methods.
You’re welcome.
1) Start your day by picking up your phone immediately
Do not stretch.
Do not drink water.
Do not look at the actual human life around you.
Just grab your phone and let it hit you in the face like a newspaper thrown from a moving vehicle.
Bonus points if you:
• check 4 apps in a row
• read a comment section you know will raise your blood pressure
• open an email that starts with “Just circling back…”
Nothing says “good morning” like instant mental clutter.
2) Decide today is the day you’re finally getting your life together
This is KEY.
Not “I’ll do one helpful thing today.”
No no.
Today must be the day you:
• catch up on everything you’ve ever procrastinated
• become organized
• clean out the junk drawer
• meal prep
• schedule appointments
• fold laundry AND put it away (lol)
Your brain will immediately begin acting like it’s being chased through the woods.
3) Make a to-do list that has 37 items… and write it like it’s reasonable
Write everything down. Every single thing.
Not just “clean the kitchen,” but:
• clear counters
• empty dishwasher
• load dishwasher
• wipe stove
• wipe microwave
• wipe fridge handle
• question all your life choices
Then stand there staring at the list like, “Wow. I’m so productive.”
Spoiler: you will do two things, then need a snack and a nap.
4) Tell yourself you can multitask
Say the words out loud:
“I’ll just do a few things at once.”
This is how it begins.
Next thing you know you’re:
• cleaning the bathroom
• while listening to a podcast
• while answering a text
• while remembering you didn’t pay that bill
• while stepping over the laundry pile like it’s a wild animal
Multitasking is just overwhelm in a trench coat pretending to be efficiency.
5) Start three projects before finishing one
This is one of my personal specialties.
Begin by:
• reorganizing the pantry
Which leads to:
• finding expired cinnamon from 2009
Which leads to:
• deciding the spice cabinet needs to be redone
Which leads to:
• wiping shelves
Which leads to:
• realizing you should paint the kitchen
Which leads to:
• sitting on the floor eating crackers and wondering what happened.
Relatable?
6) Open 12 tabs in your brain and refuse to close any of them
Let your brain do this:
“I should wash the towels.”
“I need to call that place.”
“What day is trash day?”
“Why haven’t I heard back from that person?”
“I should probably work out.”
“I wonder if I have a vitamin deficiency.”
“Wait… did I feed the dog?”
The goal is to keep your brain as busy as a call center.
7) Agree to things before checking your energy level
Just say yes. To everything.
Yes to:
• helping someone
• attending something
• doing that extra thing
• organizing the event
Even if your soul is already whispering,
“Girl. No.”
This is a fantastic way to develop resentment and exhaustion simultaneously.
8) Tell yourself you’ll relax after everything is done
This one is my favorite because it’s so delusional.
You’ll think:
“Once I get caught up, then I’ll rest.”
Sweetie. Nothing will ever be done.
There will always be:
• a dish
• an email
• a phone call
• a dust bunny with ambition
Waiting until everything is finished is basically scheduling relaxation for 2047.
9) Add one “self-improvement” task to an already full day
Because why not?
You’re busy, you’re tired, you have 19 responsibilities…
So naturally you decide this is the perfect day to:
• start a new workout routine
• learn a new language
• overhaul your diet
• become a morning person
• learn sourdough
• read a personal development book that makes you feel behind before you even find the starting line
Nothing calms the nervous system like a fresh wave of self-judgment.
10) End the day by mentally replaying everything you didn’t do
This is important.
Do not end the day thinking about what you accomplished.
Instead, do a full highlight reel of:
• everything you forgot
• everything still on the list
• what you should’ve done differently
• why you didn’t do more
Then climb into bed and let your brain suddenly remember 12 more tasks you forgot.
In conclusion…
If you want to feel overwhelmed, I can’t recommend these strategies enough.
But if you accidentally end up overwhelmed (which is the more likely scenario), here’s the good news:
You’re not failing.
You’re just living in the modern world, trying to do life, and your brain is doing what brains do… spiraling for sport. So if today went off the rails, consider this your reminder: you don’t need to fix your whole life tonight.
Eat something. Drink water. Put on comfy pants. Turn off one noise.
And if nothing else, you can always comfort yourself with this truth:
Tomorrow is a fresh start.
Not to do more… but to choose the next thing intentionally — and let the rest calm down.
If your mornings feel noisy, this is one quiet thing I’ve been doing: I listen to Scripture on the Dwell app before I let the rest of life pile on.
It helps me start my days with calm before the chaos.
If you’ve made it to the bottom of this post, I’m guessing something here resonated—whether it’s navigating grief and growth, diving into natural wellness, or just trying to live a more intentional life in a fast-paced world.
This space is where I share what I’m learning (and unlearning), the tools that are helping me along the way, and the little things that bring joy, healing, and clarity—even on the hard days.
This space is where I share what I’m learning (and unlearning), the tools that are helping me along the way, and the little things that bring joy, healing, and clarity—even on the hard days.
Want in?
You’re invited to join my newsletter, Finding What Works—a weekly-ish note from me with practical wellness tips, nostalgic nods for GenX souls, and honest reflections from someone who’s still figuring it all out (but loves sharing the good stuff along the way).
This isn’t about perfection or pressure. It’s about finding what supports us, what lights us up, and what brings us back to ourselves—together.
You’re invited to join my newsletter, Finding What Works—a weekly-ish note from me with practical wellness tips, nostalgic nods for GenX souls, and honest reflections from someone who’s still figuring it all out (but loves sharing the good stuff along the way).
This isn’t about perfection or pressure. It’s about finding what supports us, what lights us up, and what brings us back to ourselves—together.
Click here to subscribe and come along for the ride. I’d love to have you in my corner.
Have a question or something to share?
✨ My blog exists because I know what it feels like to keep everything jumbled in your head — like a messy pile of clothes you can’t sort through.
Writing it all down brings clarity, calm, and sometimes even healing answers I didn’t know I was looking for.
Honestly, that’s why I keep showing up to write — it helps me make sense of things.
Even if you have no intentions of ever publishing your work, I highly recommend writing stuff down. It doesn't have to be a literary masterpiece or even full, grammatically correct sentences... just dump those random thoughts onto paper... you'll see what I mean.
*This blog centers the GenX experience, simply because that’s the lens I live through—but anyone looking for connection, natural wellness, grief support, or a little real-talk in this messy stage of life is more than welcome.
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