Think of your brain like a computer.
Every worry, unfinished task, responsibility and difficult conversation is another tab left open.
When someone first used this analogy with me, it resonated immediately because my brain is definitely one that likes to keep a lot of tabs open. Before I know it, I've gone from productive to overwhelmed, under pressure and heading straight for burnout.
One or two tabs open? Manageable. We can still think clearly, prioritise and find solutions.
But when dozens are running at once, the whole system slows down. The computer isn't broken—it's simply overloaded.
Our brains are no different.
Too many mental tabs don't just create emotional fatigue; they eventually become physical fatigue too.
The goal isn't to close every tab. Life doesn't work like that.
The goal is to stop opening unnecessary ones and deal with what's in front of us, one tab at a time.
We all know the generic advice for reducing stress: breathe, exercise, get better sleep. These are all incredibly valuable habits that support our wellbeing, but they don't remove the things causing us to feel stressed in the first place.
When you're in the middle of overwhelm, your brain is consumed by everything demanding your attention. Stopping for a five-minute breathing exercise or heading off for a workout isn't always that simple. And as for improving your sleep? If stress is keeping your brain switched on, we all know there isn't an overnight fix—however much we'd love there to be (without medication!).
Instead, we need to ask a different question:
What's creating the stress?
What's taking up the most mental space right now?
What keeps replaying in your mind?
Often, the most effective way to manage stress is to tackle those triggers head-on.
That might mean planning ahead, learning to say no, setting boundaries, asking for help or making changes that protect your time and energy.
Is it easy?
No.
Is it necessary?
Absolutely.
If the thought of making those changes feels overwhelming, don't try to figure it all out on your own. Speak to someone who isn't emotionally caught up in your situation. An outside perspective can often spot solutions that are impossible to see when you're in the middle of it.
That person might be a union representative if it's work-related, a trusted friend who'll tell you what you need to hear rather than what you want to hear, a coach, a therapist—or even ChatGPT to help organise your thoughts?
Talk through the stressors.
Name the triggers.
Get your thoughts out of your head and into words.
Once they're written down or spoken aloud, they're no longer spinning around your mind at a hundred miles an hour. They're visible. You can start separating what you can control from what you can't, identify practical next steps and build a realistic plan.
Every boundary you set.
Every decision you make.
Every trigger you work through.
Each one closes another mental tab.
And every tab you close creates a little more space—for clarity, confidence and the capacity to cope.
Because stress isn't always reduced by doing more.
Sometimes it's reduced by carrying less.