Episode 23: Conquering the Chaos: How I Turned my Own Overwhelm into a Mission to Help Quirky Individuals Find Focus
Ever feel like your brain is the ball in a pinball machine, bouncing between rabbit holes and to-do lists with no real focus?
Same.
In this episode of Get It Together, Weirdo, get-your-shit-together coach and host Sarah Bowser shares her journey from chaos to clarity. It’s a personal look at how she manages to keep moving forward even when life feels like a whirlwind of weird, nerdy chaos. She discusses what can trigger overwhelm, why aligning your actions with your values matters, and how experimenting with your quirks can lead to better time management.
Whether you’re overcommitted, stuck in perfectionist loops, or just craving more structure that works for your brain, you don’t have to go it alone—and you are not broken.Want to stay in the loop on new episodes, posts, and other tidbits that Sarah shares? Go to thatweirdnerdymom.com to hop on her email list, or join her for weekly coworking on Mondays.
See the full transcript below, or get a PDF of the transcript here.
Prefer to read as a blog post? Click here.
What you’ll learn in this episode
- What hidden patterns might be contributing to your overwhelm
- Why understanding your core values helps you set better boundaries
- How self-compassion can shift your relationship with productivity
- How experimenting with tools, routines, and rest can lead to surprising breakthroughs
- How to embrace your weird, nerdy quirks as the strengths they actually are
- Why building (or joining) a supportive community is key to staying grounded
Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“Here I am helping you get your shit together… when most days I still feel like a squirrel on about eight shots of espresso.”
“The problem wasn’t me or my abilities—it was the unrealistic expectations I was putting on myself.”
“Your quirks aren’t flaws. They’re part of what makes you amazing.”
“Perfectionism is a trap. It’s unattainable and chasing it only leads to burnout.”
“It’s not about getting it perfect—it’s about finding what works for you and giving yourself permission to grow at your own pace.”
Transcript
Welcome to Get It Together Weirdo, the podcast where we dive into ways to help you figure out how you can tackle your to-dos, keep track of your side quests, and manage your time in a way that works for your brain so you can focus on nerding out on the things that make you do a happy dance. I’m Sarah Bowser, your get your shit together coach and resident weirdo, here to guide you on your journey. So let’s get it together, weirdo.
Hey there, my wonderfully weird friend. Welcome back to Get It Together Weirdo, the podcast where we embrace the chaos, figure out what works for our quirky brains, and slowly but surely find a way to get through life without losing our minds. Today’s episode is a bit of a paradox because here I am helping you get your shit together and find focus when most days I still feel like a squirrel on about eight shots of espresso. Usually because I have had literally eight shots of espresso. But anyway, seriously, how did I end up here? And yet somehow I found ways to keep moving forward, even when life feels overwhelming.
So if you’re juggling 50 different projects, barely keeping up, and wondering how on earth you’re supposed to get it together, trust me, you’re in good company. Let’s dive in and explore how I’ve navigated this chaos. I’ve always been someone who oscillates between having everything perfectly organized and watching it all dissolve into absolute chaos. One week, I’m on top of every task, every deadline, every plan. Things are going great. The next, my desk is buried under a mountain of papers, my to-do list is a joke, and I’m wondering how I let it all get this messy.
Looking back, I can see a pattern. I’ve taken on too many projects, said yes when I should have said no, and pushed myself to the brink of burnout more times than I care to admit. And the worst part? I got really good at masking it. From the outside, it probably looked like I had it all together. But inside? Total overwhelm. It was exhausting. And it left me questioning how I could ever help myself, let alone anyone else, keep it all together.
Let’s talk about how I started to unravel this overwhelm. The first step was understanding it, figuring out what was really going on beneath the surface. I started by asking myself some questions. What was triggering the overwhelm? How and where was it showing up in my life? And what patterns keep popping up that make me feel like I’m spinning my wheels. For me, the triggers were often tied to overcommitment and perfectionism. I take on too much because I didn’t want to let anyone down. And then I’d get stuck in this loop of trying to do all of the things perfectly.
Recognizing those patterns was a game-changer because it helped me see that the problem wasn’t me or my abilities. It was the unrealistic expectations I was putting on myself. Once I started recognizing those patterns, I turned my attention to something more important: my core values. What truly mattered to me? What did I want my life to look like? To figure this out, I reflected on past experiences, times when I felt really aligned with who I am, and times when I felt completely out of sync. And through that reflection, I identified a few core values: creativity, authenticity, and connection.
When I looked at the triggers and patterns contributing to my overwhelm, it became clear that I was often making decisions that didn’t align with those values. For example, saying yes to projects I didn’t care about just to please someone else was draining my energy and pulling me away from the things that actually mattered to me. So I started working on realigning my actions with my values. It’s not a quick fix, but every time I made a decision that honored my values, I felt a little less anxious and a little more at peace.
The next piece of the puzzle was self-compassion, a skill I am still working on, by the way. For so long, I was my own worst critic. If I couldn’t keep up with everything, I’d beat myself up for not being good enough. But perfectionism is a trap. It’s unattainable, and chasing it only leads to burnout. So I started trying, practicing self-compassion. When I dropped the ball on something, instead of berating myself like I often would do, I tried to respond the way I would to a friend, with kindness and understanding. I also made space for self-care, which for me looks like quiet time with a good book, going for a walk, or even just sitting and doing nothing, staring at the wall for a few minutes.
I began to embrace my quirks. The things I used to see as weaknesses, like my tendency to jump between tasks or my love of nerdy deep dives into nerdy rabbit holes. Those are actually strengths when I use them intentionally. Your quirks aren’t flaws. They’re part of what makes you amazing. Of course, none of this would have been possible without a little experimentation. I started treating my life like a series of experiments. What happens if I try a new task management app? Or if I block out time for creative projects or if I take Sundays completely off. Experimentation gave me the freedom to try new ideas and tools without the pressure of getting it perfect. It also helped me develop personalized strategies for managing my thoughts and tasks. Some things would work great, others not so much. But every experiment taught me something valuable about what works for my brain and my life.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I encourage you to try the same approach. Start small. Pick one thing that you want to experiment with, test it out, reflect on how it feels, and tweak it as needed. Another thing that’s been a game-changer for me is building supportive communities. Finding like-minded people who understand your challenges can make all the difference. Whether it’s an online group, a co-working session, or just a friend who gets it, having that support system can provide encouragement, accountability, and a sense of belonging.
If you can’t find a community that feels right for you, consider creating one. Invite a few friends to join you in experimenting with new habits or tackling projects together. You don’t have to go it alone. So here’s the takeaway for today. Overwhelm happens. It’s part of being human. When we take the time to understand our triggers, reconnect with our values, and embrace our quirks, we can start to shift from chaos to clarity. It’s not about getting it perfect, it’s about finding what works for you and giving yourself permission to grow at your own pace. Thanks so much for listening. Today you can find complete show notes, links to resources mentioned, as well as a link to our co-working community on our website thatweirdnerdymom.com. Be sure to leave a rating or review and check me out on Instagram at that_weirdnerdymom. Feel free to shoot me a DM. I’d love to hear from you. Until next time, my wonderful weirdo. You’ve got this. Bring out your weird.
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