EP296 Minisode: Embracing Overwhelm

In this episode, Colleen pulls the curtain back on overwhelm and names it for what it really is: a trauma response living in your nervous system, not a personal failing or lack of willpower. She walks through the five stages your body moves through when the demands on you exceed your capacity, and why trying to "push through" that wall only drives you deeper into shutdown.

Instead of treating overwhelm as something to beat, Colleen shows you how to use it as a litmus test that tells you exactly when to stop, step back, and tend to your nervous system first. You'll learn a simple five-minute reset practice you can use anytime you feel yourself hit the wall, so you can move forward from compassion instead of self-criticism.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Overwhelm isn't weakness or drama; it's a physiological trauma response in your nervous system
  
  

• The five stages of the body's trauma response: startle, stress activation, hitting the wall, freeze, and shutdown
  
  

• Why trying to "power through" overwhelm keeps you stuck and deepens shame, anxiety, and self-doubt
  
  

• How chronic internal narratives (people pleasing, perfectionism, fear, guilt) quietly drain your capacity long before the "last straw"
  
  

• A simple litmus test and five-minute pause practice to respond to overwhelm with compassion instead of pressure

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

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Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

Transcript