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When Everything Feels Too Much

You know those days when it feels like everything hits at once? The pressure builds, the emotions rise, and the to-do list keeps growing. It’s hard to tell where the stress ends and you begin. Everything blurs together, and it feels impossible to get any real perspective.

That’s when decentering can help. It’s a simple practice I return to whenever things feel too loud or too close to think clearly. It’s not about pretending everything’s fine. And it’s definitely not about pushing feelings away. It’s about stepping back—just enough—to see what’s happening without getting swept up in it. If this kind of pause sounds like something you could use more often, I share creative strategies for emotional clarity and mindfulness each week in The Creative Shift. You can sign up here to start receiving it.

And when you pair that pause with a creative moment, something shifts. Not because the problem disappears, but because you create a bit of breathing room. Let me show you how.

What Is Decentering?

Decentering means noticing your emotions and thoughts without getting completely caught up in them. You’re still aware of what you’re feeling, but you’re not tangled in it. It’s like watching waves roll past from the shore instead of being pulled under.

Here’s what that looks like in action:

• Recognizing that emotions are temporary
• Observing what you feel without judging or blaming
• Gaining just enough distance to respond with care

Pause for a moment: Can you think of a time when you noticed your feelings without reacting right away? What helped you pause?

Why Creating Space Makes a Difference

When emotions take over, it’s hard to make thoughtful decisions. Stress narrows your focus and pulls you into overthinking or avoidance. Decentering gives you a small pause, which creates just enough space to ask, “What’s really going on here?”

That’s where clarity begins. It doesn’t erase the feeling, but it helps you move through it.

This kind of space can give you:

• A calmer response to something difficult
• A break from the mental spiral
• A reminder that your emotions don’t define who you are

Try this next time you feel overwhelmed: Take one slow breath and gently remind yourself, This feeling isn’t forever. I can notice it without letting it take over.

How Creative Expression Supports Decentering

Sometimes thoughts and emotions get so tangled that they’re hard to put into words. That’s where art can help. Drawing, colouring, or simply scribbling shapes on a page gives your mind a safe way to express what feels unmanageable.

This kind of creative pause isn’t about making something beautiful. It’s about making space.

Art helps you:

• Process emotions without overthinking
• Gently observe what’s going on inside
• Shift your perspective, even just a little

Ask yourself: How does your body feel after five quiet minutes of doodling or colouring? What changes?

Creative Practice: The Decentering Doodle

This is one of my favourite ways to step back when everything feels like too much.

What You’ll Need:

• A blank sheet of paper
• Coloured pencils, markers, or pens

Try This:

1. Sit somewhere quiet and take a few slow breaths.
2. Think about a feeling or thought that’s been sitting with you lately.
3. Draw a small circle in the centre of your page. Inside it, doodle shapes, textures, or colours that represent how that emotion feels.
4. Around that, draw a larger circle. This one represents your observing self.
5. In the outer circle, add colours, shapes, or words that feel calm, steady, or curious.

There’s no wrong way to do this. Let it be a gentle reminder that you’re more than whatever feeling is sitting at the centre of your day.

If you’d like more practices like this, the 5-Day Creative Reset Challenge offers simple creative exercises to help you feel calmer and more centred. You can join the free challenge here.

Reflection prompt: What shifts when you view the emotion from the outside instead of being inside it?

Why Emotional Distance Helps

Let’s be clear. Decentering isn’t about avoiding your emotions. It’s about giving them space. That space is what helps you respond with care instead of reacting out of habit.

Here are a few simple ways to build that space into your day:

• Slow your breathing and notice what’s around you
• Imagine your thoughts as clouds or waves passing by
• Use drawing or journalling to explore what you’re feeling

Consider this: What happens when you let an emotion exist without rushing to change it?

How to Make Decentering Part of Your Routine

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s a practice. And it’s especially helpful when things are busy or overwhelming.

Here are a few ways to make it easier:

• Take two quiet minutes in the morning to check in with how you’re feeling
• Keep a sketchbook or notebook nearby for quick doodles or visual notes
• When something feels intense, try writing about it from an outside perspective

Decentering works best when it becomes a habit. The more you practise, the easier it is to access when things get hard.

End With Reflection

After any creative activity, pause to reflect:

• What was I feeling before and after?
• Did anything shift once I put it on the page?
• How might this help me when stress comes up again?

You don’t need long answers. Even a few words can help you make sense of the experience.

Final Thoughts: You Are Not Your Emotions

Emotions are powerful. But they don’t get to run the show.

You are allowed to pause. You are allowed to step back. You are allowed to say, This is hard—and I don’t have to carry it alone.

Decentering gives you that pause. Creativity gives you a gentle way to find it.

Looking for more ways to reset and feel more grounded?

Sign up for The Creative Shift, my weekly newsletter for creative strategies that support emotional clarity, mindfulness, and calm.

Let’s build your creative coping toolkit—one moment of space at a time.

CREATIVE SHIFT