I recently received this incredible testimonial from someone I’ll call “Tia” that perfectly illustrates the transformative power of Tapping in the midst of chaos:
“The Release Overwhelm Quick Tap is nothing short of amazing. I was directing a play – a professional production, and this happened in the middle of rehearsal. Between working with the actors, coordinating the dancers, supporting the designers, and integrating the technology, I had had it. I told folks I needed to take a 5 and I went outside and sat on the steps trying to figure it all out. And I realized I was in complete overwhelm. I saw your mention of the new Quick Taps in an email, so I searched through them, and I found one on releasing overwhelm so I thought I’d give it a try. The change was indescribable! It’s like a veil lifted, and I could clearly see the steps I need to take to get everything done. It didn’t make it any easier, but it gave me clarity and I was able to move forward with much more focus and motivation. I cannot say enough about the Quick Taps.”
Reading Tia’s story made me smile from ear to ear. Not because theater directing is easy—it’s absolutely not—but because her experience so perfectly captures that magical “before and after” moment that happens when we use Tapping to shift from panic to peace.
Let’s dive into why Tia’s experience was so powerful and how you can apply the same principles when overwhelm threatens to derail your day.
When Your Brain Goes Into Overwhelm Overdrive
Picture this: You’re juggling multiple responsibilities, everyone needs your attention simultaneously, and you’re responsible for bringing all the moving pieces together into something cohesive and beautiful. Oh, and there’s a deadline looming.
Sound familiar?
Whether you’re directing a play like Tia or managing a household with young children, leading a team at work, or trying to launch a new project, that feeling of “I’ve had it” is universal. It’s that moment when your brain essentially throws up its hands and says, “I cannot compute all of this information at once!”
“What’s fascinating about overwhelm is that it’s actually your brain’s primitive response trying to protect you.”
What’s fascinating about overwhelm is that it’s actually your brain’s primitive response trying to protect you. If you’ve read my book, you may remember the story about the cavemen Grog and Thor. Grog was the one who survived because his cautious brain was constantly scanning for danger, while peace-loving Thor ended up as tiger lunch. Our brains have adapted to scan for danger — to keep us safe.
And when you’re juggling too many elements, your inner Grog goes on high alert.
The problem is that once this happens:
- Your prefrontal cortex (the rational, planning part of your brain) gets hijacked
- Stress hormones flood your system
- Your ability to prioritize and see solutions dramatically decreases
- Everything feels equally urgent and impossible
You’re no longer in a state of peace, where creative solutions flow. You’re in a state of panic, where your brain is essentially just screaming “Danger! Danger!” without offering any useful guidance.
The Veil Between You and Your Solutions
What Tia described as a “veil lifting” is scientifically spot-on. Overwhelm literally creates a cognitive fog that prevents you from accessing your own wisdom and problem-solving abilities.
The solutions were there all along in Tia’s capable mind—she’s clearly an experienced director handling a complex production. She didn’t suddenly gain new knowledge during her Tapping break. What happened instead was that tapping helped clear away the neural static that was blocking her access to her own expertise.
This is why her description is so perfect: “It didn’t make it any easier, but it gave me clarity.” The challenges themselves didn’t disappear, but her ability to navigate them returned.
What Happens in Your Body During Overwhelm
When you hit that wall of overwhelm, your body responds with a cascade of physical reactions:
- Your heart rate increases
- Your breathing becomes shallow
- Muscle tension builds (especially in your shoulders, jaw, and back)
- Digestive issues may flare up
- Your perception narrows (literally—your peripheral vision can decrease)
- Mental fog sets in
This state makes it nearly impossible to direct a play, lead a meeting, parent effectively, or do anything that requires your higher brain functions. The body believes it’s in danger and is preparing either to fight or flee—neither of which helps when what you actually need is to calmly coordinate multiple elements.
Why Quick Taps Work So Rapidly for Overwhelm
Tapping is uniquely suited to address overwhelm because it works directly with your body’s stress response system. When you tap on specific acupressure points while acknowledging your feelings of overwhelm, you’re sending calming signals directly to the amygdala—the part of your brain that triggers the stress response.
At the Tapping Solution, we created a new format of Tapping meditations called “Quick Taps” to fill a gap we observed.
While sometimes it’s helpful to do several rounds of Tapping and go deep on certain topics (which you can do with our regular Tapping meditations), sometimes we just need a short round of Tapping to give ourselves a boost or give ourselves a moment of quick relief as needed in the moment. And such, Quick Taps were born.
Quick Taps are 2-minute guided video sessions that are so simple and easy to do –whenever and wherever you find yourself needing some support.
The Quick Tap approach is particularly effective because:
- It meets you exactly where you are—in a state where you don’t have time or mental bandwidth for a longer process
- It acknowledges the reality of your feelings instead of trying to push them away
- It gives your nervous system clear, physical input that helps shift it out of fight-or-flight mode
- It rapidly reduces cortisol levels, allowing your prefrontal cortex to come back online
All of this happens in just a few minutes, which is exactly what Tia needed during her quick break from rehearsal.
Quick Tap Meditations for Your Own Moments of Overwhelm
If you find yourself in your own version of Tia’s story—sitting on the steps wondering how you’ll ever manage everything on your plate—
Here are a few of the Quick Taps we have in The Tapping Solution App that are great for those moments when you’re feeling overwhelmed and just need a quick little reset:
The Science Behind Tia’s “Veil Lifting” Experience
What Tia experienced wasn’t magic (though it certainly can feel that way!). Research shows that Tapping affects several important systems in your body and brain:
- Stress hormone reduction: Studies show that EFT Tapping can significantly reduce cortisol levels in as little as one session
- Neural rewiring: Tapping helps create new, calmer neural pathways around stressful topics
- Parasympathetic activation: Tapping activates your “rest and digest” nervous system, counterbalancing the sympathetic “fight or flight” response
- Improved brain coherence: EEG studies have shown that Tapping helps synchronize brain activity, which may support clearer thinking
These physiological changes explain why Tia could step back into her rehearsal with “more focus and motivation” after just a brief Tapping session.
From Stage Direction to Life Direction: Broader Applications
While Tia’s story takes place in a theater setting, the same principle applies to countless other scenarios:
- Parents facing a chaotic household with multiple children needing attention
- Professionals preparing for a major presentation or deadline
- Students juggling multiple assignments and exams
- Caregivers coordinating medical appointments and daily care
- Event planners bringing together multiple vendors and timelines
- Anyone facing a to-do list that seems to grow faster than items can be checked off
In each case, the overwhelm isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a state that prevents you from accessing your own capabilities and solutions. And in each case, a quick Tapping break can help restore your clarity and focus.
The “Take a 5” Strategy That Changed Everything
“This isn’t avoiding responsibility—it’s actually taking responsibility for your mental state so you can show up more effectively for the people and projects that matter to you.”
One of the most powerful parts of Tia’s story is her decision to “take a 5” when she realized she had hit her limit. This self-awareness and willingness to step away briefly is something we can all learn from.
In our culture of constant productivity and availability, we often push through overwhelm, believing that’s what dedication looks like. But Tia’s story illustrates a more effective approach: recognize when you’re in overwhelm, step away briefly, address the emotional and physiological state with tapping, and then return with renewed clarity.
This isn’t avoiding responsibility—it’s actually taking responsibility for your mental state so you can show up more effectively for the people and projects that matter to you.
The Ripple Effect of Managing Your Overwhelm
When Tia returned to her rehearsal with greater clarity and focus, her shift didn’t just benefit her—it benefited everyone involved in the production. The actors likely received clearer direction, the designers better feedback, and the entire creative process probably flowed more smoothly.
This ripple effect happens in all areas of life. When you manage your own overwhelm effectively:
- Your children experience a more present, patient parent
- Your team gets a more focused, clear-thinking leader
- Your students receive more attentive, thoughtful instruction
- Your patients benefit from more careful, centered care
- Your creative projects flow with greater ease and inspiration
This is why taking those few minutes for Tapping isn’t selfish or unproductive—it’s one of the most generous and effective things you can do for everyone who depends on you.
Creating Your Own “Overwhelm Circuit Breaker”
Based on Tia’s experience, here’s a simple protocol you might adopt for those moments when overwhelm threatens to derail your effectiveness:
- Recognize the signs: Learn your personal early warning signs of overwhelm (irritability, difficulty focusing, physical tension, etc.)
- Create space: Like Tia, give yourself permission to “take a 5” when needed
- Name it: Acknowledge that you’re feeling overwhelmed (this alone begins to activate your prefrontal cortex)
- Tap through it: Use a Quick Tap meditation, or do your own short round of Tapping, to fit your specific situation
- Return with intention: Come back to your task with clarity about your next steps
What’s powerful about this approach is that with practice, you can move through this process more quickly. Eventually, you might even be able to tap discreetly right in the moment when you feel overwhelm beginning to build.
Beyond the Quick Fix: Building Resilience to Overwhelm
While Tia’s story beautifully illustrates the immediate benefits of Tapping for overwhelm, regular Tapping practice also builds longer-term resilience.
With consistent Tapping:
- Your baseline stress level decreases
- Your threshold for overwhelm increases
- You recognize the early signs of stress before they cascade into full overwhelm
- Your nervous system becomes more flexible, able to shift more easily between focused activity and restful recovery
- Your relationship with challenges transforms—they become problems to solve rather than threats to your wellbeing
This long-term resilience means that over time, you might find yourself needing the emergency “take a 5” breaks less frequently, though they’ll always remain a valuable tool in your emotional wellness toolkit.
Your Turn: From the Theater to Your Life
Tia’s story is a wonderful reminder of how powerful a brief Tapping break can be, even in the midst of complex, high-pressure situations. Whether you’re directing a play, leading a meeting, parenting active children, or managing any other demanding situation, Tapping offers a rapid path from overwhelm to clarity.
Ready to experience your own overwhelm-to-clarity transformation?
- The Tapping Solution App – We have so many meditations to help you release overwhelm and connect with greater clarity! Our 2-min guided video sessions, called Quick Taps, are well loved among our users because they’re so easy to make time for, and you can experience a shift in just 2 minutes! I’ll highlight a few below that are particularly helpful for releasing overwhelm and connecting with clarity.
- Release Overwhelm
- When Feeling Overwhelmed: Overcoming Stress Quick Tap – This one is designed for kids, but we have adults writing in all the time telling us who helpful the kids Quick Taps are!
- When Distracted or Overwhelmed: Focus Quick Tap – Same with this one! It’s designed for teens, but don’t let that stop you from trying it out. And if there’s a teen in your life who could benefit, you can tap with them!
- Clarity Is on Its Way
- Tuesday: Flow and Clarity – This is one of our Daily Tapping Tuneups, which are designed for each day of the week to help you feel grounded and clear for what each day brings. The theme for Tuesday is great for connecting with clarity!
- And if you’d like to dig into overwhelm and clarity topics a bit deeper, you can explore some of our longer sessions. Here’s what I’d recommend:
Note: You can access these meditations by clicking the links above using your mobile device, or type the name of the meditation into The Tapping Solution App’s search function.
- Check out Tapping for Stress Relief on our blog for more techniques to help!
Remember, even the most complex productions—whether on stage or in life—become manageable when you have the tools to maintain your clarity and focus.
I’d love to hear about your experiences with Tapping for overwhelm. Have you had your own “veil lifting” moment like Tia? What situations tend to trigger overwhelm for you, and how has Tapping helped? Share your story in the comments below!
Until next time… Keep tapping!
Nick Ortner