Feeling Overwhelmed? What if the answer was… adding something?

These days, it feels harder than ever not to feel overwhelmed. Even when we do our best to tune out the news or limit our screen time, we’re still navigating unprecedented change, at a pace we’ve never experienced before — all while juggling family, work, and personal interests. It’s a lot. Truly a lot.

Recently, I came across a video by Mel Robbins, whom I started following after reading her book The Let Them Theory — which I highly recommend, by the way. It was a short clip from her podcast, but her words stopped me in my tracks. She said:

“If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I’m going to share something that might sound completely counterintuitive — but trust me, it’s a real shift in perspective: it’s time to ADD something to your life.”

Yes, you read that right. Not remove something — but add something. Something that fills your cup. Something that brings you joy.

I let those words sit with me for a while.

Then I started looking at my own life. And I realized something important was missing — something that deeply nourishes me: writing.

Not long ago, over coffee, a friend asked me where I was at with my writing. She had noticed that this blog had been pretty quiet over the past few months. I shared with her that I was feeling a bit lacking in creative momentum, and a little lost in my creative process — without really being able to explain why.” She shared her own journey of reconnecting with her voice and her writing, and gently encouraged me to dig deeper and reflect on what I truly wanted to say.

That evening, a small seed was planted somewhere within me — a creative seed. But I still didn’t feel quite ready to restart the process. Until I heard that video from Mel.

The idea of adding something — something that sparks joy — was the gentle nudge I needed.

I then asked myself what was truly energizing me these days. And right at the top of the list: our small ecological home-building project. As I reflected on the journey so far — the frustrations, the small wins, the lessons learned, the advice received — I realized I could use my writing skills to document this experience and share it with others.

Over the past week, I dove into creating the EcoLuma blog. I brought the website to life, launched social media accounts, and began preparing content. My mornings started with a coffee and a keyboard, and my evenings ended the same way. My creative energy flowed freely. It felt like my fingers couldn’t type fast enough to keep up with everything I wanted to express.

And you know what? Mel Robbins was right.

By adding this passion project to my life, I invited creativity, joy, and pleasure back in. Yes, it’s work — but it’s the kind of work that nourishes, that uplifts, that feels good.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed too — not just busy, but drained, disconnected — maybe it’s not about doing less, but about doing more of what feeds you. For me, it was reconnecting with my voice through writing and channeling my energy into a project that feels meaningful. For you, it might be painting, dancing, gardening, learning something new, or simply making real space for joy again.

We often think the solution is to subtract. But sometimes, the most healing thing we can do is add — something meaningful, something that fills our cup.

What would that be for you?

A gentle reminder: sometimes, the best way to ease overwhelm is to refill your own cup.