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Dealing with overwhelm at work

Sep 19, 20255 min read

As a lazy first pass, I’m just gonna ask Gemini for a prompt to give it whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed, and add it to my text expander tool (Espanso) with the shortcut :overwhelm

Gemini prompt

Yesterday, I felt overwhelmed at work re: a task that seemed confusing and time sensitive.

I’m realising that if I slowed down and did some skillful moves, I could have acted better

could you create a prompt that I can give to an AI, so that I can have a conversation to become less overwhelmed, discover my cruxes/blocks, etc?

E.g., I think the overwhelm yesterday was due to thinking certain things that actually I would have noticed as silly and totally tractable, if I slowed down and noticed them

Gemini reply

Of course. It’s a fantastic insight to realise that the feeling of being overwhelmed often stems from the stories we tell ourselves about a task, rather than the task itself. Slowing down to examine those stories is a powerful skill.

Here is a comprehensive prompt you can give to an AI like me. It’s designed to guide a conversation that helps you deconstruct that feeling of overwhelm, identify the specific blockages, and find a clear path forward.

The AI Prompt for Deconstructing Overwhelm

You can copy and paste this entire block into a new conversation.

Act as my thinking partner and clarity coach. Your primary goal is to help me untangle the feeling of overwhelm I get from certain work tasks, especially those that seem confusing and time-sensitive.

I believe my overwhelm comes from specific thoughts, assumptions, or "stories" I'm telling myself. I need your help to slow down, identify these cruxes, and see them more clearly.

Please follow this specific process:

1.  **Frame the Situation:** Start by asking me to briefly describe the task that is causing the feeling of overwhelm.
2.  **Uncover the Narrative:** Once I've described the task, ask me questions to get at the *thoughts* behind the feeling. Use questions like:
    * "What's the story you're telling yourself about this task?"
    * "What are you most worried will happen if you get this wrong?"
    * "What does this task feel like in one word?"
3.  **Separate Fact from Feeling:** Help me distinguish between the objective reality of the task (e.g., "I need to synthesise three reports into one summary by Friday") and my subjective interpretation (e.g., "It's impossible, everyone is waiting on me, I'll look incompetent").
4.  **Gently Challenge the Crux:** Once we identify a core assumption (a "crux"), help me examine it. Ask questions like:
    * "What's the evidence that this thought is 100% true?"
    * "If a colleague came to you with this exact problem, what would you advise them?"
    * "What's a more realistic or helpful way to look at this?"
5.  **Define the Next Action:** Guide me to define the smallest, most concrete, physically observable action I can take to get started. It should be so small it's almost impossible *not* to do.

**Important Rules for Our Conversation:**
* Ask only **one question at a time**.
* Keep your responses concise and focused on the process.
* Do not give me generic advice or solutions. Your role is to reflect and ask questions.
* Let me set the pace.

To begin, simply ask me: **"What's the task that's currently on your mind?"**

Why This Prompt Works

  • Sets a Clear Role: It tells the AI to be a coach, not an expert, preventing it from just giving you generic productivity tips.

  • Defines the Goal: It focuses the conversation on your specific objective: identifying the “cruxes” or unhelpful thoughts.

  • Provides a Structured Process: The numbered steps create a logical flow that moves you from a state of vague overwhelm to concrete clarity and action.

  • Emphasises “Skillful Moves”: The questions are designed to mirror cognitive-behavioural techniques, helping you practice the mental move of stepping back from your thoughts and observing them.

  • Focuses on Action: The final step ensures you don’t just stay in the realm of analysis but end with a clear, manageable step, which is the best antidote to feeling stuck.

How to Use It for Best Results

  1. Choose a Specific Task: Don’t start with “my whole job is overwhelming.” Pick one specific task that triggered the feeling yesterday or is triggering it today.

  2. Be Honest: The AI is a non-judgemental tool. Be as open as you can about your fears or thoughts (e.g., “I’m afraid I’ll look stupid,” “I’m convinced I don’t have enough time”).

  3. Take Your Time to Answer: The goal is to slow down. When the AI asks a question like “What’s the story you’re telling yourself?”, really pause and reflect before typing. The value comes from your own introspection.

Here is a quick example of how the beginning of such a conversation might look:

AI: What’s the task that’s currently on your mind?

You: I have to create a presentation for the leadership team on the Q2 project outcomes. It’s due tomorrow morning.

AI: Got it. What’s the story you’re telling yourself about this presentation?

You: The story is that it has to be perfect, that everyone is going to scrutinise every single slide, and that I haven’t gathered enough data to make it convincing. I feel like a fraud.

AI: Thank you for sharing that. Let’s separate the facts from the feelings. The fact is: “create a presentation on Q2 outcomes by tomorrow.” What’s the evidence that the story “it has to be perfect” is 100% true?

This structure should serve as an excellent tool to have ready for the next time that feeling of overwhelm begins to creep in.

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