I keep noticing how my default reaction to feeling overwhelmed used to be 'optimize everything!' which always made things worse. Oh, I know that urge. For me, it was always 'research everything!' as a way to avoid the feeling itself -- and then drowning in data, more lost than before. Now, I try to name the feeling first, as dumb as it sounds, like shining a tiny light in the dark. My version of that was 'control everything' -- micromanaging details that didn't matter while the important stuff went unaddressed. The urge to control always flares up when I feel most vulnerable, a misguided attempt to build a fortress around my fear.