5 Steps to Flipping the Script on Overwhelm - Rewire, Reframe, Relax

Rewire, Reframe, Relax: 5 Steps to Flipping the Script on Overwhelm

1. Notice What’s Actually Going On

📝 Pause and Name the Thought.

• Free-write everything running through your head (do NOT censor yourself).

• Keep writing until you feel a sense of relief or your body signals that you're done.

• If words are too much, simplify: “Work Stress” or “Feeling Not Enough.”

📌 How to write it:

• Paper & pen

• Notes app

• Google Doc

• Voice note to yourself (or a trusted friend!).

🔍 Feel & Name the Tone.

• What’s the vibe of this thought? Heavy? Urgent? Spiteful?

• Just noticing it gives you a little breathing room.

2. Spot the Distortion

• Go back to the 10 Cognitive Distortions (yep, the ones from earlier).

• Label what’s happening: Is this All-or-Nothing Thinking? Catastrophizing? Overgeneralization?

• Often, just naming it helps reduce its power.

3. Ask, “What Else Could Be True?”

• Break Down the Assumptions. (Are you assuming you know what someone else is thinking? Assuming the worst?)

• Reality Check: Is this 100% true? Is there another way to see this?

4. Try a Kinder Reframe

✔ Find a Realistic Reframe:

• Not “Everything is amazing” but “This is hard, and I’m learning.”

✔ Use Humor or Curiosity:

• If this thought was in a sitcom, how would they work through it?

5. Take a Tiny, Anchoring Action

🔹 Pick a Small Next Step:

• If your reframe is “I’m allowed to make mistakes,” your next step could be taking a deep breath or texting a friend for a pep talk.

🔹 Give Yourself Permission to Keep Trying:

• Reframing isn’t about erasing bad thoughts.

• It’s just about choosing different ones—one step at a time.

Some Real-Life Examples of Reframing

Thought: “I’m a terrible parent for losing my shit.”

Name: Overgeneralization

Reframe: “I’m human. I’m not perfect, and I’m doing my best. Meltdowns happen, and so do apologies. Tomorrow’s a new day to try again.” (Let’s be real—who hasn’t lost it over a wayward Lego?)

Thought: “I’ll never be treated the same after my maternity leave.”

Name: All-or-Nothing Thinking

Reframe: “This moment feels tough, but that doesn’t mean I’m stuck forever. One small step forward today is still forward.” (Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is finding your rhythm after maternity leave.)

Thought: “I should be able to handle this (ALL of this).”

Name: “Should” Statements

Reframe: “It’s okay to want/need help. I don’t have to be Superwoman. Asking for help isn’t weakness—it’s strength in action.” (Even Wonder Woman had a sidekick—just saying.)

Final Thoughts: This Isn’t Overnight Magic—It’s a Practice.

Your mind is built to protect you—and sometimes, that comes at the cost of your peace.

This guide isn’t about seeing the world through rose-colored glasses.

It’s about:

✔ Recognizing when your mind is distorting reality.

✔ Gently questioning those thoughts.

✔ Being open to a softer, more balanced perspective.

You’re allowed to feel what you feel, question it, and find a way to see things in a way that actually helps.

You’re already flipping the script—one thought at a time.

Ready? Let’s keep going. 🚀💜

This Is Hands-On Healing - Not Just Another “Think Positive” Lecture

Each session isn’t just about learning—it’s about doing.

You know how you can tell a kid something 20,000 times, but if you show them through play just once, it sticks?

That’s exactly what we’re doing here.

We’re not just talking about flipping the script—we’re actually rewriting it in real-time.

What This Work Looks Like (Yes, Even If You’re Not “Creative”)

Through creative expression, we’ll:

🎭 Unpack these dark & twisty thoughts. (Because ignoring them doesn’t make them go away—it just lets them fester.)

📝 Write our way through it. (Because getting words on paper can be a portal to self-awareness.)

🧘‍♀️ Get mindful about where it shows up in the body. (Because our thoughts don’t just live in our heads—they show up in our chest, our jaw, our shoulders…)

🎨 Art it out. (Even if you don’t think you’re “artsy.” Even if you haven’t drawn since middle school. Even if the last time you picked up markers was to write a grocery list.)

💡 Reflect on what we discover. (Because sometimes, the thing we didn’t realize we needed to see shows up in a doodle, a journal entry, or a messy scribble of words.)

🤝 Debrief as a group. (Because we heal in connection. Because saying “me too” out loud is its own kind of medicine.)

…And maybe not always in that order, because creativity isn’t linear—just like motherhood.

Who This Is For: The Overthinking, Overwhelmed Mom Who’s Ready to Change the Conversation in Her Head

If you’re tired of the same negative thought loops, the same guilt spirals, and the same mental load overload—this space is for you.

You don’t need to be “fixed.”

You don’t need to be “more positive.”

You don’t need to “try harder.”

You just need to give yourself permission to explore something different.

💡 This work is messy. It’s raw. It’s real. And that’s exactly what makes it powerful.

Let’s get into it.

Next up: Module 1 – “I’m a Bad Mom” – Breaking the Taboo on Negative Thoughts.

Take a deep breath. Notice how you’re feeling as you start this process. What thoughts, expectations, or fears are coming up?