Overwhelm: The Push, the Freeze, and the Crushing Weight

An illustration depicting the feeling of overwhelm: people rushing to meet deadlines, a large hourglass running out of time, a packed calendar, and individuals struggling under pressure. Represents the push to keep going, the freeze from stress, and the weight of burnout—key themes in Internal Family Systems (IFS) work on overwhelm.

The Experience of Overwhelm I know overwhelm well. It’s not just a clinical concept or something I help my clients navigate—it’s something I experience, too. Like so many of us, I have parts that push me to keep going, to check one more thing off the list, to be productive even when my body and […]