Ep. 48 ‣ The Overwhelm Epidemic: Finding Calm in Chaos
In this timely episode of The Dang Good Show, Christine Dang tackles one of the most pressing challenges of our time: the overwhelm epidemic. With constant information streams, economic uncertainty, climate anxiety, and rapid technological change, many of us feel like we're drowning in chaos we can't control.
CDang explores the psychology behind chronic overwhelm and why our brains struggle with the pace of modern life. Through personal stories and research-backed insights, she reveals how emotional intelligence becomes our anchor in turbulent times. Discover practical strategies for managing information overload, creating boundaries that actually work, and finding moments of calm even when life feels chaotic.
Learn how to distinguish between productive stress and harmful overwhelm, why our nervous systems need intentional reset practices, and how mindfulness can become your superpower for navigating uncertainty. Whether you're feeling stretched thin by work demands, anxious about world events, or simply exhausted by the constant need to make decisions, this episode offers compassionate guidance for finding your center.
This isn't about toxic positivity or pretending everything is fine—it's about developing the emotional resilience to handle what life throws at you while protecting your mental wellbeing in an increasingly chaotic world.
Episode Breakdown
00:00 - Introduction: The Modern Overwhelm Crisis
02:41 - Segment 1: Understanding the Psychology of Overwhelm
06:24 - Segment 2: Personal Story - My Overwhelm Wake-Up Call
10:34 - Segment 3: The Information Avalanche and Decision Fatigue
15:42 - Segment 4: Practical Strategies for Finding Calm in Chaos
21:34 - Segment 5: Building Emotional Resilience for Uncertain Times
26:39 - Conclusion: Your Calm is Your Superpower
Transcript
Introduction: The Modern Overwhelm Crisis (0:00)
Hey there, beautiful people! Welcome back to The Dang Good Show! I'm your host, Christine Dang, but you can call me CDang. Today, we're diving into something that I know so many of us are experiencing right now: overwhelm. And not just regular stress—I'm talking about that deep, persistent feeling of being completely swamped by everything happening in our world.
If you've been feeling like there's just too much coming at you from all directions—work demands, family responsibilities, news cycles, social media, economic uncertainty, climate anxiety, technological changes—you are absolutely not alone. We're living through what I call "the overwhelm epidemic," and it's affecting people across all walks of life.
I've been reflecting on this a lot lately, especially after our recent episodes exploring how to thrive in our digital age. In Episode 43, we talked about the choice paradox and decision fatigue. In our mini-series from Episodes 44 through 47, we explored emotional intelligence, connection, purpose, and creativity in an automated world. And all of these conversations have led me to this realization: we're not just dealing with individual stress anymore—we're dealing with a collective overwhelm that requires new strategies and deeper emotional resilience.
So today, we're going to unpack what's happening to our brains and nervous systems when we're chronically overwhelmed, why traditional stress management advice often falls short in our current reality, and most importantly, how we can use emotional intelligence to find genuine calm even when the world feels chaotic.
This isn't about toxic positivity or pretending everything is fine when it's not. It's about developing the skills to navigate uncertainty with grace and protect our mental wellbeing in an increasingly demanding world. So grab your favorite drink, take a deep breath with me, and let's explore how to find your center in the storm.
Segment 1: Understanding the Psychology of Overwhelm (2:41)
Let's start by understanding what overwhelm actually is and why it feels so different from regular stress. Overwhelm isn't just having a lot to do—it's the feeling that the demands on you exceed your capacity to handle them. It's when your mental, emotional, or physical resources feel completely depleted.
Dr. Susan David, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School, describes overwhelm as what happens when we feel like we're losing our agency—our sense that we have some control over our circumstances. Unlike healthy stress, which can motivate us and help us perform better, overwhelm leaves us feeling paralyzed, scattered, and unable to prioritize effectively.
From a neurological perspective, chronic overwhelm keeps our brains stuck in what's called "continuous partial attention." Our prefrontal cortex—the part responsible for executive functioning, decision-making, and emotional regulation—becomes overloaded. Meanwhile, our amygdala, the brain's alarm system, stays hyperactivated, constantly scanning for threats and keeping us in a state of low-level fight-or-flight.
What makes modern overwhelm particularly challenging is that it's not just personal—it's collective. We're dealing with what psychologists call "ambient anxiety"—a background hum of stress that comes from living in times of rapid change and uncertainty. The 24/7 news cycle, social media comparison, economic instability, climate concerns, and technological disruption create a constant stream of inputs that our brains weren't designed to handle.
Research from the American Psychological Association shows that rates of anxiety and overwhelm have skyrocketed, especially since 2020. But here's what's really interesting: the people who are managing best aren't necessarily those with fewer stressors—they're those who have developed better emotional regulation skills and clearer boundaries around their attention and energy.
This is where emotional intelligence becomes crucial. When we understand our own emotional patterns, recognize our triggers, and develop strategies for self-regulation, we can maintain our center even when external circumstances feel chaotic. We can't control everything happening around us, but we can influence how we respond to it.
Think of it like being in a small boat on choppy waters. You can't calm the ocean, but you can learn to navigate the waves skillfully, adjust your sails, and find your balance. That's what emotional resilience in the face of overwhelm looks like—not eliminating chaos, but developing the skills to move through it with greater ease and less internal turbulence.
Segment 2: Personal Story - My Overwhelm Wake-Up Call (6:24)
I want to share a personal story about my own struggle with overwhelm, because I think it illustrates how sneaky this epidemic can be, even when you think you have good self-awareness and coping strategies.
About six months ago, I was juggling multiple projects—working on podcast episodes, managing various creative collaborations, keeping up with social media, trying to maintain relationships, staying informed about current events, and dealing with some family health concerns. On paper, none of these things seemed unmanageable individually. I pride myself on being organized and having good boundaries, so I thought I was handling everything well.
But I started noticing these subtle signs that something was off. I'd sit down to work on a podcast script and feel this weird paralysis—like my brain was full of cotton. I'd open my laptop and just stare at the screen, unable to focus on any single task because my mind was simultaneously processing fifteen other things. I was having trouble making even simple decisions, like what to have for lunch or which email to respond to first.
The wake-up call came during a conversation with a close friend. She was telling me about something important happening in her life, and I realized I was only half-listening because part of my brain was thinking about a work deadline, another part was processing a news headline I'd seen that morning, and yet another part was mentally reviewing my to-do list. I felt terrible—here was someone I care about, sharing something meaningful, and I couldn't give her my full presence.
That night, I did some journaling and realized I had been living in a state of continuous partial attention for weeks. I was consuming information constantly—podcasts while getting ready, news updates throughout the day, social media during any free moment. My brain never had space to process or integrate anything. I was responding to everything and prioritizing nothing.
What really struck me was that this wasn't happening because I had too much work or too many commitments. It was happening because I had lost control of my attention. I was letting every notification, every news cycle, every random thought fragment compete for my mental resources. I had unconsciously created a state of overwhelm through my relationship with information and stimulation.
The scariest part? I'm someone who teaches emotional intelligence and self-awareness, yet I had gradually slipped into patterns that were undermining both. It was a humbling reminder that overwhelm can affect anyone, and that maintaining emotional balance requires constant, conscious effort—especially in our current environment.
This experience taught me that modern overwhelm often isn't about external circumstances being objectively unmanageable. It's about our internal relationship with stimulation, information, and attention. And that was actually encouraging, because it meant I had more control than I initially realized. I couldn't change the world's chaos, but I could change how I engaged with it.
Segment 3: The Information Avalanche and Decision Fatigue (10:34)
One of the biggest contributors to modern overwhelm is what I call "the information avalanche"—the sheer volume of data, news, opinions, and choices coming at us every day. We're processing more information in a single day than our ancestors processed in months or even years.
Let's put this in perspective: The average person encounters about 34 GB of information daily—enough to fill a laptop hard drive from the 1990s. We see roughly 5,000 advertisements per day. We make an estimated 35,000 decisions daily, from what to wear to what to eat to which email to answer first. Our brains are working overtime just to keep up with the basic cognitive load of modern life.
This connects directly to what we discussed in Episode 43 about the choice paradox and decision fatigue. But the overwhelm epidemic takes this to another level. It's not just that we have too many choices—it's that we're making these choices while simultaneously processing breaking news, social media updates, work communications, and personal responsibilities, all layered on top of background anxiety about larger global issues.
Dr. Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist at McGill University, explains that this constant multitasking and information processing depletes glucose in the brain, leaving us feeling mentally exhausted even when we haven't done anything particularly challenging. It's like running a marathon with our cognitive resources.
Then there's what researchers call "headline stress disorder"—the psychological impact of constantly consuming negative news. Our brains are wired to pay attention to potential threats, which made sense when dangers were immediate and local. But now we're processing information about tragedies, conflicts, and crises happening all over the world, creating a sense of ambient threat that keeps our nervous systems activated.
Social media compounds this by adding social comparison and FOMO to the mix. We're not just dealing with our own lives and immediate communities—we're comparing our behind-the-scenes reality to everyone else's highlight reel, across potentially hundreds or thousands of connections. Our brains are trying to track social dynamics on a scale that's completely unprecedented in human history.
The result? Many of us feel like we're drowning in input while simultaneously feeling like we're not doing enough, not staying informed enough, not achieving enough. We're overwhelmed by everything happening around us, but also anxious that we're somehow missing out or falling behind.
Here's what I've learned: our brains didn't evolve for this level of informational complexity. We need to become much more intentional about what we allow into our mental space. This isn't about being uninformed or disconnected—it's about recognizing that our attention is a finite resource that needs to be protected and directed consciously.
Just like we wouldn't eat everything put in front of us without considering nutrition, we can't consume every piece of information available without considering its impact on our mental and emotional wellbeing. Developing what I call "informational hygiene" is becoming as important as physical hygiene for maintaining our health.
Segment 4: Practical Strategies for Finding Calm in Chaos (15:42)
Now let's get into the practical strategies—the tools and techniques that can help you find calm even when everything around you feels chaotic. These aren't just nice theories; they're evidence-based practices that can genuinely shift your experience of overwhelm.
1. Practice the "One Thing" Rule
When overwhelm hits, our instinct is often to try to tackle everything at once, which only increases the chaos. Instead, practice radical focus on one thing at a time. Before you start working, ask yourself: "What is the one most important thing I can do right now?" Then commit to doing just that one thing with your full attention.
This might sound simple, but it's incredibly powerful for two reasons. First, it gives your prefrontal cortex something concrete to focus on, which calms the anxiety of having too many open mental loops. Second, completing even small tasks builds momentum and confidence, which counteracts the helplessness that often comes with overwhelm.
2. Create "Attention Boundaries"
Just like we set boundaries with people, we need boundaries with information and stimulation. This might mean checking news only once per day at a designated time, turning off non-essential notifications, or creating phone-free zones in your home. The goal is to create pockets of mental space where your brain can process and integrate rather than constantly consuming new input.
I now have what I call "information sabbaths"—periods where I step away from all news, social media, and even podcasts, and just exist in my immediate environment. Even short 30-minute breaks from information consumption can help reset your nervous system.
3. Use the "Emotional Weather Report" Check-In
Throughout your day, pause and ask yourself: "How am I feeling right now?" Notice your emotional state without trying to change it immediately. Just like checking the weather helps you decide what to wear, checking your emotional weather helps you decide what you need in that moment—maybe a few deep breaths, a short walk, a conversation with a friend, or simply acknowledging that you're feeling overwhelmed.
This practice builds emotional self-awareness, which is the foundation of emotional intelligence. When you can recognize overwhelm as it's building rather than after you're already drowning in it, you can intervene earlier and more effectively.
4. Practice "Micro-Meditations"
You don't need hour-long meditation sessions to calm your nervous system. Research shows that even 30 seconds of focused breathing can activate your parasympathetic nervous system and interrupt the stress response. Try this: take three deep breaths, focusing completely on the sensation of air entering and leaving your body. Do this between tasks, before meals, or whenever you notice tension building.
I like to call these "reset buttons" for your nervous system. They're not about achieving perfect calm—they're about creating small moments of presence that add up to greater overall resilience.
5. Implement "Good Enough" Decision Making
Remember our discussion about satisficing versus maximizing from Episode 43 ? When you're overwhelmed, trying to make perfect decisions will only increase your stress. For non-critical choices, set a "good enough" threshold and stick to it. This might mean spending only 10 minutes researching a purchase instead of hours, or choosing the first restaurant option that meets your basic criteria rather than scrolling through every possibility.
6. Create "Containment Rituals"
Develop specific practices that help you transition between different parts of your day or different emotional states. This might be changing clothes after work, taking a short walk between meetings, or spending five minutes organizing your workspace. These rituals signal to your brain that you're shifting gears, which helps prevent different stressors from bleeding into each other.
The key with all these strategies is consistency rather than perfection. You don't need to implement everything at once—start with one or two practices that resonate with you and build from there. Small, consistent actions compound over time to create significant shifts in your resilience and peace of mind.
Segment 5: Building Emotional Resilience for Uncertain Times (21:34)
As we start to wrap up, I want to talk about building long-term emotional resilience—the ability to maintain your equilibrium even when external circumstances are genuinely challenging or uncertain.
Resilience isn't about being unaffected by stress or never feeling overwhelmed. It's about recovering more quickly from difficult experiences and maintaining access to your inner resources even during tough times. And in our current world, this capacity is becoming essential for mental health and overall wellbeing.
Cultivate Self-Compassion
One of the most powerful resilience tools is learning to treat yourself with the same kindness you'd show a good friend. When you're feeling overwhelmed, notice your internal dialogue. Are you being critical and harsh with yourself? Or are you offering yourself understanding and support?
Research by Dr. Kristin Neff shows that self-compassion actually increases motivation and resilience more than self-criticism does. When you're struggling, try placing a hand on your heart and saying something like: "This is a moment of difficulty. Difficulty is part of life. May I be kind to myself right now." It sounds simple, but this practice can genuinely shift your relationship with challenging experiences.
Focus on Your Circle of Influence
When we're overwhelmed, we often spend mental energy on things completely outside our control—global events, other people's choices, future uncertainties. While it's natural to care about these things, focusing too much attention on them increases feelings of helplessness.
Instead, regularly redirect your attention to your "circle of influence"—the things you can actually impact through your choices and actions. This might be how you treat the people in your life, how you spend your time, what you consume mentally, or how you take care of your physical health. When you focus on what you can influence, you rebuild your sense of agency and personal power.
Build Your Support Network
Resilience isn't a solo endeavor. Having people you can connect with authentically—whether for practical support, emotional understanding, or just companionship—is crucial for managing overwhelm. This doesn't mean you need dozens of close relationships; even one or two people who truly see and support you can make an enormous difference.
Make it a priority to nurture these connections, even when you're busy. Send that text, make that phone call, or suggest that coffee date. Connection is both a source of resilience and something that requires ongoing investment.
Remember what we talked about in Episode 42 about the loneliness epidemic? In times of overwhelm, the temptation is often to isolate, but that's exactly when we most need authentic connection with others.
Practice Future-Self Thinking
When you're in the middle of overwhelming circumstances, it can feel like they'll last forever. One helpful practice is to imagine yourself one year from now, looking back on this current challenge. What would your future self want you to know? What perspective might they offer? This practice helps create psychological distance from current stressors and reminds you that difficult periods are temporary.
The truth is, we're living through a particularly challenging time in human history—rapid technological change, global connectivity that exposes us to worldwide problems, economic uncertainty, and environmental concerns. It makes sense that many of us feel overwhelmed. The goal isn't to eliminate these feelings entirely but to develop the skills to navigate them with greater ease and wisdom.
Conclusion: Your Calm is Your Superpower (26:39)
As we wrap up today's conversation about the overwhelm epidemic, I want to leave you with this thought: in a world that profits from your distraction and overwhelm, your calm is actually a radical act. Your ability to stay centered, to think clearly, to respond rather than react—these aren't just personal wellbeing skills anymore. They're forms of resistance against forces that benefit from keeping you scattered and anxious.
When you practice emotional intelligence in the face of chaos, you're not just taking care of yourself—you're modeling a different way of being for everyone around you. You're showing that it's possible to stay human, connected, and thoughtful even when the world feels like it's spinning out of control.
The strategies we've discussed today—protecting your attention, building emotional awareness, practicing self-compassion, focusing on your circle of influence—these aren't just coping mechanisms. They're skills for thriving in uncertainty and maintaining your humanity in an increasingly complex world.
If you're feeling overwhelmed right now, please be gentle with yourself. You're not broken, and you're not failing. You're a human being trying to navigate unprecedented circumstances with a nervous system that evolved for a much simpler world. The fact that you're here, listening to conversations about emotional intelligence and wellbeing, shows that you're already on the path toward greater resilience.
For more insights on related topics, check out Episode 43 where we discussed the choice paradox and decision fatigue, or our recent mini-series from Episodes 44 through 47 about thriving in our digital age.
I'd love to hear how you're managing overwhelm in your own life. What strategies have been most helpful? What challenges are you facing? Share your experiences with me on Instagram @christine_dang or visit c-dang.com.
Thank you so much for joining me on The Dang Good Show. Remember, in a chaotic world, your calm is your superpower. Until next time, be gentle with yourself, stay connected to what matters most, and as always—stay dang good! Much love, CDANG, signing off!
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