Episode 2: What Do You Do When You Feel Overwhelmed?

Recorded: Saturday, September 13, 2025

Today Greg and Rich discussed “What Do You Do When You Feel Overwhelmed?”

Episode summary Greg and Rich unpack what it feels like to be overwhelmed and share practical, compassionate strategies that work in real life - especially when you’re juggling brain injury, ADHD, family, and daily noise. They cover slowing down, prioritizing, grounding the nervous system, writing lists that actually help, shrinking big tasks, setting boundaries, delegating, and caring for the basics (food, water, sleep, movement). 

Greg also reads a thoughtful list of tips he received from GPT-5, which both hosts reflect on and endorse. They close with an open invitation to their free, confidential peer-led support groups held weekly.

Slow down and prioritize:

 


Pause, breathe, and pick the next single step.
Make a simple list and sort by “must do today,” “could do this week,” and “parking lot.”

Ground your nervous system:

 


Try box breathing: inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4 (repeat 4–6 times).
Use a cold-water reset: rinse hands/face or hold an ice cube for 30–60 seconds.
5-4-3-2-1 grounding: name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.

Shrink the task:

 


Cut big tasks in half, then in half again. Examples:



“Write a report” → open a doc and write one sentence.
“Clean the kitchen” → clear the sink and run the dishwasher.
“Work out” → put on shoes, take a 5-minute walk.

Use a 10-3-10 reset:

 


10 minutes: tidy one visible area or answer one small email.
3 minutes: stretch, breathe, hydrate.
10 minutes: focus on the single most important next step—no multitasking.

Protect your inputs:

 


Silence non-urgent notifications, close extra tabs, place your phone in another room.
Use a calming playlist or white noise.

Ask for help and delegate:

 


Share bandwidth: “Could you summarize 5–10 pages?” “Can you handle dinner tonight?”
It’s okay to ask early and delegate a piece, not the whole project.

Set compassionate boundaries:

 


“I don’t have capacity right now.”
“I need to finish X before I commit.”

Care for the basics:

 


Eat protein + fiber, drink a full glass of water, move for 5 minutes, aim for consistent sleep.

Reframe the story:

 


“I can do this in small steps.”
“Not everything is urgent. I will choose one.”
Progress > perfection.

End your day with a soft landing:

 


Note 3 small wins, set tomorrow’s top 1–2 tasks, and do one soothing ritual (warm shower, tea, light reading, brief guided breathing).

Overstimulation can escalate to panic or even seizures for some—slowing down isn’t optional; it’s protective.
Families and teams can learn to spot early signs of overwhelm and support with simple cues like “slow down.”
Delegation can be growth-building, especially for kids or teammates—assigning roles helps them step up.

Quotes:

 


“Just the act of slowing down can make all the difference.”
“Feeling overwhelmed doesn’t mean that you’re failing—it means that you’re human.” (reflecting on the AI advice)
“I feel lost and afraid and scared… my breathing labors. It’s just like I need some help.”

Key points:

 


Emphasizes the physical side of anxiety—tension and constriction—and how slowing down helps.
Believes in writing things down as both a practical and calming step, even if the notebooks pile up.
Endorses breathing as a reliable first-line tool when you’re on your own.
Highlights the HALT guideline: don’t get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.
Reads and validates a comprehensive list of practical tips (breathing, cold water, 5-4-3-2-1, brain dump, shrinking tasks, 10-3-10 reset, protecting inputs, delegating, boundaries, basics, reframing, soft landing).

Quotes:

 


“When I feel pressured, I freeze up… I can work myself into panic attacks or even seizures with overstimulation.”
“I try and slow down and figure out what order I need to prioritize them in… take the food out so it doesn’t burn, then talk to my family member.”

Key points:

 


For TBI and ADHD, overwhelm often comes from overstimulation—multiple inputs at once.
Uses both a digital list (big tasks) and a notepad (today’s tasks).
Family has learned supportive signals—hands up, “slow down, Dad”—to prevent escalation.
Delegation and coaching aren’t just relief valves; they build capability (his soccer coaching example of teaching players to run the offside trap).

Quick-start steps:

 


Take 2–5 minutes for box breathing.
Do a brain dump for 3–5 minutes; sort into “must today / could this week / parking lot.”
Pick one next action and shrink it until it feels doable.
Silence notifications, close tabs, and set a 20–30 minute focus window.

Scripts you can use:

 


“I don’t have capacity right now. I’ll get back to it tomorrow.”
“I need to finish X before I commit.”
“Could you take task B? I can’t take it all on today.”

End-of-day reset:

 


List 3 wins, set 1–2 top tasks for tomorrow, choose one calming ritual.

Support groups

Free, confidential, peer-led support groups with Greg and Rich:



Monday: Brain injury support group (time in show notes)
Tuesday: Chronic pain support group at 12:00 PM Eastern
Wednesday: Mental health support group at 5:00 PM Eastern

Details and links in the show notes.

Call to action

Have a question or topic you’d like covered? Visit kindnessrx.org and send it in.
Join a support group this week if you need community or a place to process.
Try one tool today: box breathing, a 3-minute brain dump, or the 10-3-10 reset.

Episode credits

Hosts: Greg and Rich
Producer: Support & Kindness Podcast Team
Publisher: kindnessrx.org

Timestamps (approximate)

00:00–01:10: Introductions; weekly support groups overview
01:10–03:30: What overwhelm feels like; slowing down; prioritizing
03:30–05:35: Freezing, overstimulation, family support cues
05:35–09:35: Greg reads AI’s practical tips; grounding, brain dump, shrinking tasks, 10-3-10
09:35–12:30: Delegation, teaching moments (coaching example)
12:30–14:15: It’s okay to ask for help; learning from failure
14:15–15:18: How to join the free support groups; closing

Gentle Reminder From the Episode

You don’t have to fix everything today. Focus on the next kind step. Small actions count, and they add up. You’re doing your best - and that’s enough for right now.

If you are interested in taking part in one or more of the support groups mentioned in today’s episode, you can find more information and register by clicking HERE

Click Here for Support Groups