Mentis- Calm the spike first: two or three slow sighs (two inhales, one long exhale).
- Get everything out of your head onto one list.
- Sort it into four boxes: urgent and important, important, urgent, neither.
- Do one thing at a time. Switching leaves "attention residue" that slows you down.
- Renegotiate what doesn't fit, out loud, with your manager.
Why do I feel so overwhelmed at work?
Overwhelm is the feeling that the load is bigger than you. It's usually a mix of too many tasks, constant interruptions (pings, calls, "quick favours"), unclear priorities (everything is "ASAP"), and a tired brain. Christina Maslach's research shows that workload and lack of control are two of the biggest drivers of burnout. Overwhelm is often the early warning.
Multitasking makes it worse. Sophie Leroy's research describes attention residue: when you switch from task A to task B, part of your mind stays stuck on A, so you do B less well. A day of jumping between Slack, email and three projects leaves you exhausted with little to show for it.
What should I do right now?
- Pause for 60 seconds. Breathe in, take a second small inhale, then breathe out slowly and fully. Repeat two or three times. In Balban's 2023 study, five minutes a day of this "cyclic sighing" improved mood and reduced anxiety. The Mentis activity "Two Sighs" is a one-minute version.
- Brain-dump. Write every task, request and worry on one list. Overwhelm shrinks when it's on paper and not spinning in your head. The activity "Everything, In One Place" guides it.
- Sort into four boxes. Urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, neither. Try the "Sort Your Load" journal.
- Pick one thing. The single task that matters most today. Block 60–90 minutes for it and close everything else.
- Decide what to drop or delay. Not everything fits. Choose what can wait, what can be delegated, and what can be done "good enough".
- Tell someone. Make the trade-off visible to your manager. See below.
How do I stay focused with constant interruptions?
- Batch messages. Check Slack, Teams and email at set times, say every 60–90 minutes, instead of constantly. "Messages In Three Windows" is a Mentis activity for this.
- Protect a focus block. Put it on your calendar before others fill it. Try "Block One Hour Before Others Fill It".
- Use status and do-not-disturb. Let people know when you're focusing and when you'll reply.
- Write next steps before switching. If you must switch, jot where you left off. It cuts attention residue.
How do I say no without sounding difficult?
Turn "no" into a priority question: "Happy to take this on. Which of these should I move to make room?" or "I can do this by Thursday, or by tomorrow if we push the report. Which is more important?" You stay helpful, and the trade-off becomes your manager's decision, not your silent burden. More scripts in manager stress.
What if overwhelm is every week?
Occasional overwhelm in a crunch week is normal. If it's constant, the workload itself needs to change, not just your coping. Look at the signs of burnout and the burnout recovery guide. Make sure your evenings are actually off. See how to switch off after work.
How Mentis helps
The Burnout Recovery plan has chapters for exactly this: One thing at a time, What I'm carrying and Steady when it spikes. Activities include "Two Minutes, Properly", "What Have You Actually Got Today" and "My If-Then Spike Plan". When the pile feels huge, Rant it out to Mimi and get a shorter, clearer list back.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do when I feel overwhelmed at work?
Pause for a minute and slow your breathing, then write down every task, sort them by importance and urgency, choose one thing to do next, and tell your manager what won't fit this week.
Why do I feel overwhelmed so easily?
Overwhelm comes from a gap between demands and capacity. Constant interruptions, unclear priorities, poor sleep, perfectionism and taking on too much all make the gap feel wider.
Is multitasking making me more overwhelmed?
Often, yes. Switching between tasks leaves 'attention residue' that makes each task harder, so you feel busier and get less done.
How do I say no at work?
Frame it as a priority question: 'I can take this on; which of these should I move to make room?' This keeps you collaborative while making the trade-off visible.
- Leroy S (2009). Why is it so hard to do my work? The challenge of attention residue when switching between work tasks. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 109(2).
- Masicampo EJ & Baumeister RF (2011). Consider it done! Plan making can eliminate the cognitive effects of unfulfilled goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 101(4).
- Balban MY et al. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Reports Medicine 4(1).
- Maslach C & Leiter MP (2016). Understanding the burnout experience. World Psychiatry 15(2).