Overcoming Overwhelm: Practical Strategies for Leaders
Sep 5, 2025
Leaders everywhere are feeling overwhelmed, spurred by AI and heavy workloads. The discussion highlights less obvious culprits like perfectionism and emotional overload. Jean shares her personal journey and practical tools to shift from stress to enjoyment. Strategies such as time-blocking, acknowledging small joys, and fostering open team conversations are explored. Discover how creativity can alleviate anxiety and the importance of tracking progress to manage overwhelm effectively.
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insights INSIGHT
Overwhelm Is Widespread And Contagious
Overwhelm is rising sharply now due to global pressures and AI-driven workload growth.
Social contagion amplifies overwhelm as we mirror others' stress.
insights INSIGHT
Overwhelm Has Multiple Hidden Causes
Overwhelm isn't just 'too much to do' and often has multiple hidden causes.
Understanding these layered causes creates more practical routes out of overwhelm.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Investigate Root Causes First
Pause and do an honest inquiry into what contributes to your overwhelm.
Identify both external workload and internal stories to target specific changes.
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Overwhelm seems to be everywhere right now. In fact, LinkedIn’s Chief Economist Karin Kimborough recently shared that posts mentioning overwhelm have increased by 82% this year. With so many leaders and professionals struggling, Jean revisits this topic with fresh eyes and shares practical ways forward.
In this episode, Jean Balfour explores:
Why overwhelm is so widespread right now, including the impact of AI, workload, and hidden fears at work.
The less obvious causes of overwhelm that I often see in coaching, like perfectionism, people-pleasing, emotional overload, unfinished projects, and constant task-switching.
Her own journey with overwhelm, what drained her energy, and what restored it.
A range of practical strategies to help you move from stuck and stressed into energy and enjoyment.
You’ll hear about:
The hidden stories we tell ourselves that fuel overwhelm.
The role of unfinished tasks and “cognitive shifting” in draining our focus.
How to identify what feeds you and what depletes you at work.
The power of completion, time blocking, and building in breaks.
Why connecting with “glimmers” those small moments of joy, matters.
The surprising link between creativity and reducing anxiety.
How to scale your sense of overwhelm and track progress over time.
Simple team practices that can make overwhelm an acceptable and solvable conversation at work.
This episode is both compassionate and practical. It’s about understanding that overwhelm has many causes,not just workload, and about finding hope, small shifts, and strategies that really make a difference.
May you find rays of sunshine in these overwhelming times.
The Fulfilled Leader with Jean Balfour 
