How to Reduce Mental Load: 8 Simple Ways to Stop Overthinking and Feel Less Overwhelmed
These are small changes that reduced how much mental energy I was using every day. If you feel overwhelmed, scattered, or stuck in overthinking, this is what helped.
What Is Mental Load and Why It Leads to Overthinking
Mental exhaustion is not usually about big problems. It comes from an accumulation of small decisions, tasks, and reminders you are holding in your head. Over time, that builds into stress and overthinking.
8 Simple Ways to Reduce Mental Load in Daily Life
Roomba
I love clean floors and hated the task of sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming. When things felt messy, my mind felt messy too. Automating it removed a decision, a task, and a layer of background stress. Clean floors make it easier for me to move, stretch, and even get into yoga. It is about reducing friction in your environment.
Buying a Roomba also felt like a “frivolous” purchase as an Asian immigrant. Spending money on ourselves can feel hard when our families had to be so careful. I talk more about this here: Why it Feels so Hard to Spend Money on Yourself as an Asian Immigrant or Second Generation Adult.
Google Calendar
I have basically offloaded my brain into my calendar. I used to rely on a paper agenda, but it came with limitations and a low level anxiety about forgetting things.
Now I do not have to hold any of that mentally. It is not about being more productive. It is about having fewer things competing for your attention and energy. I have even set reminders years in advance.
Not Buying Things Anymore
I used to spend a lot of time researching purchases. Comparing, optimizing, trying to find the best option. At some point, I realized how much time and energy that was taking.
Now I default to not buying unless I really need something. It reduced decision fatigue more than I expected. And it avoids buyer’s remorse.
Giving Up White T-Shirts
I used to wear white t-shirts. But every time I did, I was on edge. Do not spill. Do not stain. Be careful. Do not sweat too much.
That low level vigilance adds up. So I stopped wearing white. It is a small change, but it removed a constant undercurrent of tension I did not need.
Lockbox for My Phone
Phones and apps are designed to be addictive. I noticed myself scrolling at night, overstimulated and physically tense.
Putting my phone in a lockbox created a clear boundary. A lot of mental exhaustion comes from constant micro decisions and resisting distraction. This removes both. And I no longer have to deal with the guilt after scrolling for too long.
Less Screen Time
When I spend too much time on screens, my brain feels scattered and my eyes feel tired. Reducing it improves my focus and changes how I feel in my body.
Calmer, slower, and more present. Overall, happier.
Forgiving My Past Spending
We all have money regrets and moments of buyer’s remorse. Some of it comes from a scarcity mindset passed down to us from our upbringing. Some of it comes from chasing a quick dopamine hit.
It is easy to get stuck overthinking these decisions. Learning to forgive myself for past spending has been part of becoming more compassionate with myself. That self-compassion makes it easier to move forward instead of staying stuck in the past.
Dishwasher
I grew up in an Asian household where the dishwasher was never used. It was storage for plastic containers.
It took time to shift into actually using it, but it has been freeing. It saves time and energy, and challenges the belief that life always has to be difficult.
Now I can use that time for other things, like reading or enjoying slower moments.
None of these changes are dramatic on their own. But together, they reduce the number of decisions, distractions, and small stressors you carry every day.
Closing Reflection
A lot of people try to improve their mental health by adding more. More habits. More structure. More effort. But sometimes the biggest shift comes from subtracting.
What is one small thing in your life that is quietly draining your mental energy?
Still Struggling with Overthinking?
If your mind feels constantly busy, overwhelmed, or hard to shut off, there is usually a deeper pattern underneath it.
I break this down more here:
Why You Overthink (And How to Actually Stop)
It will help you understand what is driving overthinking and how to start changing your relationship with your thoughts.
Hi, I’m Harry, a psychotherapist in Toronto. I work with 1.5 and second generation Asian Canadians navigating trauma, identity, and emotional patterns shaped by family and culture.
If you want a simple way to support your mental health, you can join my 1-Minute Mental Health Task, where I share a small practice every week to help you build more calm, connection, and well-being in your daily life.
