More productivity.
More willpower.
More discipline.
More effort.
And when I couldn’t keep up, I assumed I was the problem.
But the truth is… most people don’t struggle because they aren’t
trying.
They struggle because they’re trying to build lasting change from a
stressed, overloaded state. And just like you wouldn’t build a house on a shaky
foundation, you can’t build lasting change on a nervous system that feels
unsafe. We need your foundation to be steady and secure — rooted in calm — so
what you build can actually hold.
When you’re overwhelmed, you don’t need another plan.
You need a reset.
Not a big one.
Not a perfect one.
Just one that brings you back into the present so you can think clearly again.
Because when your mind is racing and your nervous system is
overloaded, “pushing harder” doesn’t work.
It usually makes you feel worse.
Overwhelm Isn’t a Character Flaw
Overwhelm is often a nervous system response.
It can look like:
- you
can’t focus, even when you want to
- you
feel tense, irritated, or emotionally reactive
- you
keep scrolling, snacking, or shutting down
- you
know what would help you… but can’t follow through
- you
feel like you’re “behind” no matter how much you do
If you’ve been there, I want you to hear this clearly:
You are not lazy.
You are not broken.
You are not failing.
You’re overloaded.
And when you’re overloaded, your brain isn’t prioritizing healthy
habits — it’s prioritizing survival.
That’s why the most powerful thing you can do in the moment is not
“fix your life.”
It’s this:
Reset your state first.
The Best Reset Is the One You’ll Actually Use
When people hear “self-care,” they often imagine long routines.
But real life doesn’t always allow that.
That’s why I love simple grounding tools — they work in the middle
of real moments:
- before
a hard conversation
- during
a stressful workday
- when
your emotions feel too big
- when
your mind won’t shut off at night
- when
you feel scattered and can’t focus
Here’s one of my favorites, and it takes about two minutes.
The 5–4–3–2–1 Grounding Reset (2 Minutes)
This reset brings you back into the present through your senses.
Name:
- 5
things you can see (name them one by one)
- 4
things you can feel (your feet on the floor, the texture of
your clothing, the temperature of the air)
- 3
things you can hear (even if it’s faint)
- 2
things you can smell (or imagine a scent — fresh-baked
chocolate chip cookies works great)
- 1
thing you can taste (or take a sip of water and notice
it)
Bonus: When you finish, take one slow breath and
say:
“I’m here. I’m safe. I can slow down.”
That’s it.
No pressure.
No perfection.
Just a return.
Why This Works (Even If You’re Not “Good at Calm”)
Grounding doesn’t erase stress.
It gives your body a signal that you’re safe enough to respond
instead of react.
It helps you go from:
- overwhelmed
→ present
- reactive
→ steady
- scattered
→ clear
- stuck
→ able to take one supportive step
And when you can return to the present, you can choose what comes
next — instead of letting stress choose for you.
The Real Skill Isn’t Perfection — It’s Returning
Most people think consistency means “never falling off.”
It doesn’t.
Consistency is the ability to return.
To come back to yourself.
To reset.
To take one supportive step again.
And that is exactly what I teach inside the Intentional Calm
Method™ — not perfection, not pressure…
Just a whole-life framework for becoming calmer, steadier, and
more resilient from the inside out.
Want to Go Deeper?
Enrollment for the upcoming group is currently closed as I prepare
for the start of the program.
But the waitlist is open for the next round.
If you’d like first access (plus a simple starter toolkit), add
your name here:
Join the waitlist : [RESERVE MY SPOT]
Until then, keep it simple.
When you feel overwhelmed this week, don’t push harder.
Ground yourself first.
With calm and care,
Mary-Anne
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