Feeling Overwhelmed? Here’s How to Take Back Control of Your Day (and Your Direct Sales Business)

Hi, friend!
Welcome to another episode of the Passports, Profits and Pixie Dust Podcast. I’m Lindsay Dollinger—high school Spanish teacher, dog mom, world traveler, and direct seller. I help women run their direct sales businesses the right way so they can earn the money they deserve, live the life of their dreams, and travel the world.

Now that we got that out of the way… let’s dive in.

Listen in to the episode of the podcast here:

https://pod.co/the-social-selling-sisterhood/stop-the-overwhelm

Let’s Talk About Overwhelm (Because We ALL Feel It)

Whether you’re listening in the morning (in which case—hi! Go crush your day!) or winding down at night, today’s topic is one that literally every single one of us has experienced:

✨ Overwhelm.

Here’s the truth:

Overwhelm is normal.
Overwhelm is human.
Overwhelm happens to EVERY single one of us.

But something incredibly powerful was once shared with me inside a coaching container:

👉 Overwhelm is a choice.

Read that again.

Overwhelm isn’t something that happens to us—it’s something we can influence by how we think, how we interpret our situation, and what we decide to focus on.

When we tell ourselves “I’m overwhelmed,” we’re actually slipping into:

• racing thoughts
  
• negative mindset
  
• self-doubt
  
• fear of falling behind
  

But we also have full permission to shift that.

Step 1: Accept What Is (Instead of Fighting It)

When overwhelm hits, try saying:

✔️ “I accept that I didn’t get everything done today.”
✔️ “I accept that I have a lot on my plate right now.”
✔️ “I accept that my to-do list is long—but I am in control.”

Acceptance takes the pressure off your chest.
Acceptance creates space to breathe.
Acceptance brings logic back online so you can actually make decisions.

The moment you remind yourself:

“I am in control of my day. I decide how I respond.”

…something shifts internally.

Step 2: Identify What’s Actually Making You Feel Overwhelmed

For most entrepreneurs (especially creative ones like us!), overwhelm often comes from:

✔️ too many ideas
✔️ too many yeses
✔️ too many open tabs—literally and mentally
✔️ a brain full of projects
✔️ perfectionism
✔️ overcommitting

As a creator and visionary myself, I totally get it.
One of my brand archetypes is magician and another is creator. I LOVE ideas. I LOVE new projects. I LOVE to build things.

But being creative also means:

👉 I can accidentally start 56 projects at once.
👉 I get inspired constantly.
👉 I want to do ALL the things.

And that leads to… you guessed it: overwhelm.

One of my coaches said something life-changing:

“Have a place to store your ideas that is NOT your daily to-do list.”

Game changer.

Start a “Someday Projects List.”
Dump everything creative and amazing there.
Allow yourself to dream without committing to every idea immediately.

Step 3: Ask Yourself—What Are My REAL Priorities Today?

Overwhelm disappears when clarity appears.

So ask:

👉 What MUST get done today to move my business forward?
👉 What three tasks are my non-negotiables?

Not 37 tasks.
Not the entire notebook full of ideas.
Just THREE.

For direct sales, that might be:

• messaging follow-ups
  
• inviting a customer to a party
  
• sending a sample
  
• posting intentionally in your VIP group
  
• emailing your list
  
• checking in with your team
  

These are needle-movers.

And remember: you don’t have to DO everything.
You just have to do the right things.

Step 4: Avoid “End of the Month Panic Mode”

Most overwhelm isn’t actually overwhelm—it’s procrastination sprinkled with panic.

If you’re in direct sales, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

For example, in my own company:

• $300 in personal volume unlocks bonuses
  
• it qualifies you toward rank
  
• it keeps your business active
  

If you wait until day 27 to think, “Oh shoot, I still need $300,” of course you’ll feel overwhelmed. Anyone would.

But if you break it down?

$300 ÷ 10 days left = $30/day.
Totally manageable.

Overwhelm shrinks when your plan grows.

Step 5: Work Your Business Daily (EVEN In Small Chunks)

I commit to one hour a day in my business.

Not always in one sitting.
Not always glamorous.
Not always easy.

But always done.

Sometimes that hour is:

• 15 minutes in the morning
  
• 20 minutes on lunch
  
• 25 minutes in the evening
  

It doesn’t matter how you slice it.
What matters is consistency.

When you skip multiple days, overwhelm grows like a weed.
When you show up daily, overwhelm doesn’t stand a chance.

Step 6: Visualize Your Success (Because It Actually Works)

Visualization is REAL science—not woo.

There was a study (I want to say Harvard, but don’t quote me!) that showed:

🎹 People who simply visualized practicing the piano improved just as much as people who actually practiced.

🤯

Your brain literally cannot distinguish between vividly imagining something and actually doing it.

So visualize:

• hitting your sales goal
  
• ranking up
  
• earning that trip
  
• signing that new teammate
  
• showing up confidently
  
• staying calm and clear
  

It works.
And your body follows your brain.

Step 7: Brain Dump EVERYTHING (This One Is HUGE)

When I feel overwhelmed, nothing calms me faster than dumping EVERYTHING swirling in my head onto paper.

Literally everything:

• groceries
  
• shipping orders
  
• grading papers
  
• scheduling vet appointments
  
• following up with customers
  
• team events
  
• ideas for next month
  
• errands
  
• emails
  
• self-care tasks
  

Write until the noise stops.

Then pick your top three.
Boom—clarity.

Step 8: Organize Your Space & Energy

Sometimes overwhelm doesn’t mean you need a new plan.
Sometimes it means you need a reset.

Things that help:

• cleaning your workspace
  
• organizing your desk
  
• decluttering your inbox
  
• sorting your shipping supplies
  
• rearranging your office
  
• lighting a candle
  
• turning on calm music
  

Does it make you money instantly?
No.

Does it make everything FEEL lighter?
Absolutely.

And that matters.

Step 9: Shift Your Perspective (The Most Important Part)

Overwhelm often masks deeper feelings like:

• sadness
  
• fear
  
• uncertainty
  
• guilt
  
• frustration
  
• pressure
  

When I went back to the classroom this year, I felt overwhelmed.
But when I dug deeper?

I was really feeling:

• worry about my students
  
• stress about technology
  
• sadness for kids struggling
  
• fear of the unknown
  

Naming the REAL emotion takes the power away from overwhelm.

Step 10: Remember—Overwhelm Means You Have Opportunities

People who feel overwhelmed often feel that way because they have:

✨ a life full of responsibilities
✨ a job or career
✨ a thriving business
✨ people who count on them
✨ skills and gifts
✨ ideas
✨ goals
✨ dreams

There are people wishing for the very things you’re calling “overwhelming.”

That perspective alone shifts everything.

Final Thoughts

You’re human.
You get to feel overwhelmed.
You get to cry.
You get to struggle.

But you ALSO get to:

• shift it
  
• choose calm
  
• choose clarity
  
• choose control
  
• choose a plan
  

Overwhelm doesn’t get to run your life unless you let it.

You’re powerful.
You’re capable.
And you’re in control.

If This Helped You…

Please:
✨ screenshot this episode
✨ share it in your Instagram or Facebook stories
✨ tag me @lindsaydollinger

It helps more women find this show—and I LOVE resharing your posts!

And don’t forget to join my free community:
🎉 The Marketing Magic & Business Systems Group
(A free space to learn how to build your business the RIGHT way!)

You’ll find it linked in the show notes or through my Linktree.

Thanks for being here, friend.
Make today FABULOUS. 💖