How I Reset When Everything Feels Too Loud

Some days, everything is just… loud.
The classroom noise.
The to-do list.
The mental tabs I forgot to close.
Even silence feels loud because my brain won’t shut up.

Here’s how I reset when I feel that inner buzz of overwhelm and everything feels “too much.” It’s quick, it’s free, and I do it right at my desk or in my car before heading home.

I close my eyes or glance at my planner and just name how I feel.

“I feel overstimulated. I feel behind. I feel like hiding.”

Naming it helps me stop trying to outrun it. It’s data, not drama.

Simple box breathing: 4 seconds in, 4 hold, 4 out, 4 hold.
I trace a square with my finger or my eyes while I do it. One full minute of this shifts me from frantic to slightly less frantic. That’s enough to get started.

I ask:

“What’s one thing I can do in the next 5 minutes that will make me feel more grounded?”

Sometimes it’s clearing off a small space on my desk.
Sometimes it’s sending that one email I keep avoiding.
Sometimes it’s just drinking a glass of water and walking outside for two minutes.

I write this prompt in my planner or journal:

“Even though I feel [insert emotion], I’m still allowed to pause. I’m not behind, I’m resetting.”

This isn’t a fix-all. But it’s a small reentry point.
Because when everything feels too loud, I don’t need to do everything.
I just need to lower the volume enough to hear myself again.

You can copy this and keep it in your notes app, journal, or even write it on a sticky note and toss it in your desk drawer.

You’re allowed to pause. Remember that and please, freakin please remind me of that. I need it. We ALL know I need it.