Last week, I did something I know better than to do. I have cautioned clients about it too. I bet you have done something just like it at least once. I worked myself straight into the ground. For four days, I pushed through 14-hour stretches of heavy writing, fast-moving deadlines, and grant expectations outside my usual lane- like creating budgets with little or no information. Instead of slowing down, I did what so many high-performing people do. I doubled down, skipped breaks, ignored meals, slept poorly, ignored my family, and promised myself that I’d rest “after one more page.”
During this time, the only word that really fit was “overwhelmed.”
Why Overwhelm Happens More Than We Admit
A recent Harvard Business Review article describes overwhelm as what happens when the demands in front of us exceed the capacity we feel we have. That resonated more than I wanted it to and wanted to admit. According to their research, most episodes stem from the exact conditions I was in with heavy workloads, conflicting roles, limited control, and high expectations in a short window.
And when people feel overwhelmed what happens? Most of us respond by doing the opposite of what we need. We work longer, push harder, and isolate ourselves. At the same time convincing others (and ourselves) that we’re fine. HBR calls this the “paradox of productivity,” performing at a high level through overwhelm, only to collapse once the deadline passes. Boy, I recognized myself in that line instantly.
Why We Keep Powering Through
I don’t think feeling overwhelmed is a sign of weakness. I think it’s a sign of caring. People who own businesses, organizational leaders, and people who provide service push through because it matters. We want to deliver, to keep promises, to avoid letting anyone down. We wear every hat, fill every gap, and absorb every expectation.
But even strong systems buckle under excessive load, and so do people.
What My Four-Day Spiral Taught Me
Here’s what became clear once I stepped back:
Pushing past your limits doesn’t improve anything really.
No project is worth sacrificing your health or your stability. I should have asked for help.
Rest isn’t selfish.
It’s a critical part of offering sustainable high-quality work. I wish I’d not overworked myself.
Overwhelm is data, not a moral failing.
It’s your mind and body saying, “This pace isn’t sustainable.”
Self-care is structural.
It’s the foundation that keeps you capable of showing up. Self-care is not the reward you will get after you have crashed.
None of these insights are new, but the last few days forced me to relearn them with a knock on my head. Hello?!
What Self-Care Looks Like
Real self-care during a high-pressure week isn’t glamorous. It looks like small, unremarkable choices that keep you grounded:
- Claiming five minutes to breathe before the next task
- Drinking water you didn’t think you had time for (hydrate!!!)
- Pausing long enough to eat something real
- Breaking a huge deliverable into one manageable step (set a timer)
- Asking for clarity instead of guessing
- Ending the day before exhaustion makes the decision for you
- End the work session by moving
These choices aren’t dramatic, but they’re stabilizing. They keep you functional when everything feels urgent.
If You Recognize Yourself, You’re Not Alone
You’re not the only one who’s
- ignored warning signs
- felt your mind go blank under pressure
- maintained external calm while internally unraveling
Overwhelm happens to capable people, often because they are capable.
The shift that matters means that overwhelm doesn’t mean you’re failing. It’s a warning. It means something in the system. Workload, timing, expectations, capacity need attention.
A Final Thought
Workloads will always vary. Some periods will be heavier than others, and occasionally, you’ll have weeks like mine when everything lands at once. But the answer isn’t to push harder. It’s to notice sooner. It’s to ask what could wait, what could be simplified, what could be clarified, and what support is available.
You don’t need to earn rest through exhaustion. Listen to your inner limits. Your work matters, and it matters more when the person doing it is steady, rested, and supported.
Take care of yourself. Your future self, your business, and your clients will all benefit from it.
Meister, Alyson, and Nele Dael. “Do You Know If Your Team Is Overwhelmed?” Harvard Business Review (Digital Article), December 8, 2025. Copyright © 2025 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Reprint H090BQ.
