Feeling Overwhelmed? Maybe it's Time to Add What Fills Your Cup

These days, it's harder than ever not to feel overwhelmed. Even if you do your best to tune out the news or limit screen time, we’re still navigating unprecedented changes at a pace we’ve never experienced before — all while juggling family, careers, and personal interests. It’s a lot.

Recently, I came across a video by Mel Robbins (whom I started following after reading her book The Let Them Theory — highly recommend, by the way). The video was a short excerpt from one of her podcast episodes, but it stopped me in my tracks. She said:

“If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I’m going to share something that sounds completely counterintuitive — but trust me when I say it will be a game changer: it’s time you ADD something to your life.”

Yep. Not removing something — adding something. Something that fills your cup and brings you joy.

I let those words sink in.

I started looking at my own life. I realized I had been missing something that truly fueled me: writing. Not too long ago, over coffee, a friend asked how my writing was going. She’d noticed this blog had been quiet for some time. I told her I’d felt uninspired, somewhat lost in my creative process — though I couldn’t exactly put my finger on why. She gently shared her own experience reconnecting with her voice and invited me to explore what I really wanted to say.

That night, a seed was planted somewhere in my creative self — but I still didn’t feel ready to dive back in. Until I watched Mel’s video.

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

I started thinking about what genuinely excited me these days, and right at the top of the list was the journey of building our small ecological home. As I reflected on the process so far — the frustrations, the small wins, the advice we’ve received — I realized I could use my writing skills to document it all and share it with others.

This past week, I poured my energy into building the EcoLuma blog. I brought the website to life, launched the social media accounts, and started creating content. Mornings over coffee and evenings before bed were suddenly filled with creative energy. My fingers couldn’t keep up with everything I wanted to say. The ideas flowed effortlessly.

And you know what? Mel Robbins was right. By adding this passion project to my life, I invited creativity, joy, and fun back in. Yes, it’s work — but it’s the kind that fills you up, not burns you out.

So, if you're feeling overwhelmed — not just busy, but drained and disconnected — maybe it’s not about doing less, but about doing more of what feeds your soul.

For me, it was reconnecting with my voice through writing and pouring it into something that truly matters to me. For you, it might be painting, dancing, gardening, learning something new, or simply giving yourself permission to follow 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.