Do Something Small to Feel Less Overwhelmed
Summer Life Edit Challenge Week Five
Welcome to The Summer Life Edit Challenge, an 8-week series from The Life Edit! Each week, I’ll share a simple prompt or quick win designed to help you live with more clarity, ease, and intention this season.
I've dedicated my career to helping people escape overwhelm by taking small, consistent action. While the foundation of my work began in the home, I've found that action is the antidote to overwhelm in pretty much every area of life - from filing taxes to tackling work projects to writing a book.
Week Five: Do Something Small to Feel Less Overwhelmed
Here's how this works:
Step One: Pick one area of your life where you are feeling overwhelmed
Step Two: Choose one tiny action you can take in that area and do it
Here's what this can look like:
Overwhelmed by your cluttered home » Clear just one drawer that's been nagging at you
Overwhelmed by a large project or deadline » Set a timer for 15-minutes and dig in
Overwhelmed by your massive to-do list » Book that overdue appointment you've been avoiding or knock out that dreaded errand
Overwhelmed by the state of the world » Volunteer (even for an hour) or set up a small monthly donation to a cause you care about deeply
Why Action is the Antidote to Overwhelm
When we're overwhelmed, our brains convince us that everything is urgent and nothing is manageable. We freeze because the mountain feels too tall to climb. But here's what I've learned: even the smallest step can break the spell of overwhelm (hence my 15-minute win challenge).
The science backs this up. Taking action, no matter how small, activates our prefrontal cortex and releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin.
But beyond the biochemistry, action reconnects us to our own agency. It reminds us that we have power, even when so much feels out of our control.
When the world feels heavy and the news cycle feels relentless, purposeful action becomes both anchor and antidote. It's proof that even when we can't fix everything, we can still create positive change in our sphere of influence.
I know small actions can feel insignificant when it feels like the world is on fire, but they're actually how we build resilience and maintain hope when everything else feels chaotic. These small actions compound. They build momentum. They prove to your overwhelmed brain that you are capable of making things even a little better, one small step at a time.
Your assignment: Pick one small thing. Do it this week. It doesn't have to be heroic or profound. Tiny counts. Messy counts. Less than perfect definitely counts.
💬 Reader Prompt: Tell me what you're planning in the comments, or share a small action you've taken that helped you feel less overwhelmed.
P.S. My new book LifeStyled is packed with practical tools and inspiration to help you streamline your space, schedule, and mindset all year long.
Reading-ish: Al Fresco: Inspired Ideas for Outdoor Living
Making: Smitten Kitchen’s Cucumber Crunch Salad
Listening: Playing this joyful song on repeat until my kids threaten mutiny. You're welcome!
Fewer Better Faves: A chic cross-body bag, my favorite huggie hoops, this tinted lip oil (pointelle) and pocket blush balm (stockholm) truly looks good on everyone.
1:1 Business Mentoring: No-fluff strategy and support to help you tackle your large and small goals. Get support here
My Signature Online Course: Learn how to edit, organize, and elevate your home like a pro. To the course
Curated Product Recs: My fewer better faves for your home, life, and wardrobe. To the recs
I Wrote Some Books: Actionable strategies to clear clutter, get organized, & elevate your home and life. To the books
Order LifeStyled now from your favorite bookshop! bookshop | target | amazon | barnes and noble | signed copies - now available in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand
As a newly self-employed retired high school teacher and empty nester solo mom, I have a lot of freedom in my schedule and a lot of breathing room. So one might think I have no stress. I’m finding myself overwhelmed with decision fatigue, though, because I do have the luxury of planning my days very differently from when I was in the frenetic energy of teaching and parenting. I am working on building a business and publishing more writing but even knowing what to prioritize has been difficult. By the evening, I usually feel like I’ve over analyzed and ran my self in circles so the idea of creating an interesting dinner for myself isn’t appealing. After getting stuck in a dinner rut of either sautéed chicken breasts and spinach salad or eggs and fruit for months, I decided to go back to a meal subscription service. I’ve been using Green Chef the last two weeks and it actually feels so much better, despite having to spend half an hour cooking and then cleaning all the pans and prep items. I don’t love all of the bags and boxes that I need to add to my (hopefully!) recycling bins, but know I’m eating a wider variety of herbs and greens, so I’m sure my gut is happier, and while it is a little more expensive than my previous dinners and their minimum order basically covers all of my dinners for the week, it’s a relief knowing I don’t have to make more decisions at the end of the day (weekly meal planning has never been a consistent thing for me!).
I am going to edit my make up drawer. I have been avoiding it for 2 months. Thanks for the nudge!