It was one of those mornings when everything felt heavy before the day even began. I woke up already frustrated – my brain jumped straight into writing a TO-DO list the moment I opened my eyes. And not a cute little “today” list. I’m talking a never-ending TO-DO monster.
There it was: buy a gift, book a dentist appointment, organise a party, cancel that subscription, reply to three voice notes… you get the idea 🤯. A full-on task festival – one thing after another, an endless loop. As soon as I wrote one item down, another popped up.
The Spiral of Overwhelm and Guilt
- Why do I have to do all this?
- Why did I say yes to so many things?
- Why is everything so damn hard?
I sat on the edge of the bed, a heavy lump in my throat, and just allowed the feeling to be. Uncomfortable as hell, but I didn’t fight it. I didn’t try to force calm.
I told myself: I see you’re furious. Yes, this list is hard. Yes, it’s a lot. That simple act of naming it already slowed my thoughts down a little. Then a magic question landed and lifted five kilos off my shoulders:
⇨ Is there anything on this list I can do in under two minutes?
The Power of the 2-Minute Rule
There was. Actually two things! I wanted those tiny tasks gone as quickly as possible, so I just did them. I was still frustrated, but it didn’t matter – that small bit of movement reminded me that I don’t need to feel calm or perfect to start moving.
I felt instant relief and it gave me momentum. Could I analyse why I reacted so intensely to a to-do list? Of course. But in that moment, I chose to channel my anger into action, not resistance. Sometimes, rage is a better motivator than any amount of Zen.
Turning ADHD Overwhelm Into Action
Yes, I felt drained afterwards. I don’t want to live in that mode every day. But if doing something takes less time than writing it on the list and complaining about it – then even in full-blown fury, I’ll do it. Future-Me will thank me when she looks at the list tomorrow with a little less dread 😉.
💬 So, how about your list? Is there one two-minute task on it that could take a few kilos off your shoulders?
If you often find yourself stuck under that endless list, you’re not alone – that’s exactly where many of my coaching clients start.
In our sessions, we turn that overwhelm into clarity – finding tailored ways to take first step without pressure or burnout.
You can ⇨ book a free intro session here ⇦ to see what that could look like for you.