3 Mistakes That Create Overwhelm (and How I Fix Them)

There’s a pattern I’ve noticed in my own life—whenever I start feeling completely overwhelmed, I can usually trace it back to three specific habits that creep in when I’m stressed. If I don’t actively fight against them, they take over. And the worst part? These habits make everything worse—compounding the stress, making me feel scattered, and draining my energy.

But when I take the time to clean them up? Everything shifts. I can handle way more without feeling overwhelmed. I feel more in control, I can prioritize effectively, and I move through my day with more ease.

Here are the 3 biggest mistakes that send me into overwhelm (and what I do to fix them).

1. Taking Notes Everywhere Without a System

When I have a lot on my plate, I have a bad habit of scribbling notes everywhere—on sticky notes, scraps of paper, my planner, the back of an envelope. My brain just wants to dump information so I don’t forget it. And that’s the problem—we write things down because we’re afraid we’ll forget.

But if there’s no system for managing those notes? It doesn’t actually help.

Instead, it makes everything worse. Every time I glance at a note, my brain registers it as something I need to remember to do—but if I can’t find what I need or don’t know where to look, my stress multiplies. My brain stays in a constant state of low-level anxiety, trying to keep track of it all.

When I force myself back into my system—where all my tasks and notes go in one place—I feel so much more in control. My brain can see everything in front of me, prioritize what matters, and actually take action. Instead of juggling a mess of scattered reminders, I have a clear path forward.

2. Starting (But Not Finishing) Tasks

When my to-do list is overflowing, my brain does something incredibly unhelpful—it jumps from task to task, leaving a trail of unfinished work behind me.

Here’s how it happens: I start a task, but then I hit a snag. Maybe I have a question, or I need to look something up, or I realize I’m missing a piece of information. Instead of solving that problem, I put the task aside and move on to something else. 

And then I do it again and again—until my brain is trying to track a dozen open loops at once.

This happens because our brains want to be in action. When we’re overwhelmed, our brains try to reduce stress by moving forward—but the second we hit friction, we jump to the next thing. The more we do this, the more we train our brains to keep doing it, and suddenly we can’t even sit down to focus without bouncing between five different tasks.

This cycle is exhausting.

And here’s the kicker: The actual amount of work I have to do doesn’t change—but my stress level skyrockets because my brain is carrying the weight of all those unfinished tasks.

When I catch myself doing this, I reset by committing to one thing at a time. If I start something, I finish it. If I think of something I need to do, I write it down instead of jumping straight into action. It takes discipline, but when I force myself to complete things before moving on, my stress level drops almost instantly.

3. Keeping Too Many Open Browser Tabs

You know the old saying out of sight, out of mind? Well, this is the reverse of that.

When I have a ton of open browser tabs, my brain sees them as constant reminders of things I need to do. Each one represents an unfinished task, an idea I need to follow up on, or a piece of research I don’t want to forget. And because my brain doesn’t want me to forget, it keeps pulling my attention to them.

The more tabs I have open, the harder it is to focus on what’s in front of me.

I’ve talked before about how I use a plugin called OneTab—and let me tell you, this tool is a lifesaver. Instead of keeping 30 or 50 tabs open, I can take five minutes to close and organize them. I can save everything in grouped lists so that when I need to come back to a particular project, I can easily access those tabs again—without them cluttering up my screen and my brain.

Anytime I feel like my focus is slipping, I pause and do a tab cleanup. I close out what I don’t need, organize what I do, and instantly, I can breathe again.

The Bottom Line

When I let these habits take over—scattered notes, unfinished tasks, endless open tabs—my stress level spikes, and I feel like I’m drowning. But when I clean them up? Everything shifts.

• When my notes are in one place, I can prioritize and take action.
• When I finish what I start, I reduce mental overload.
• When my digital space is clean, my focus improves.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, ask yourself: Am I doing any of these things? And if the answer is yes—try cleaning them up. I promise, you’ll feel the difference.

Remember, iIf you’re tired of feeling stretched too thin and ready to finally create breathing room in your day, let’s talk. I offer free 30-minute clarity calls to help you identify where overwhelm is creeping in—and what to do about it. 

Whether you’re juggling too many tasks, struggling to stay focused, or just want to reclaim your time, this call is a zero-pressure way to get personalized insight and support. Click here to book your free call.