Sometimes it feels like my mind isn’t my own. It’s a hive, buzzing, frantic, full. Each thought is a bee, darting from one worry to another. One stings me with deadlines. Another hums reminders of conversations I forgot to finish. Some just circle endlessly, what ifs, should haves, to-dos.
There’s no peace, just motion. Constant motion. Sleeping is a challenge.
I try to catch one, to focus, to quiet the noise, but the swarm is faster. Louder. It vibrates behind my eyes, keeping me in motion but never in control. That’s the hardest part: the noise isn’t outside. It’s in me. In the very space that’s meant to guide me.
And that’s when I know, I’m not just busy, I’m overloaded. I need stillness. I need space. I need to let the bees settle, or fly away.
Have you ever felt like your head was full of buzzing bees one for every email, obligation, or to-do swirling around your brain? That “bee head” sensation is familiar to many of us trying to juggle demanding careers, home responsibilities, and personal goals. Despite high ambitions and careful planning, we often hit only 70-80% of what we set out to achieve. The rest? It gets lost in the hum.
For years, I operated in this mode high-performing but anxious, productive but never quite settled. Eventually, I realised the problem wasn’t capability or even time management. It was mind management.
Ditch the Buzz: Simple Tools for Mental Focus in a Noisy World
Here’s what helped me quiet the buzz.
🐝Understand Yourself with Science
I turned to Hogan Assessments, a powerful tool often used in leadership and career coaching. It helped me understand my natural drivers, derailers under stress, and the values that fuel my decision-making. Knowing these allowed me to predict what situations would trigger “bee head” and take preventative action—rather than reacting with stress and overwhelm.
Tip: Don’t guess what derails you. Diagnose it. Knowing your profile can be a game changer.
🐝Visualise Your Time – and Be Honest About It
I started using a simple but transformative tool: the Wheel of Life. I plotted my time and energy against the key areas of life—career, health, family, personal development, social life, and so on. It gave me a visual truth: I was pouring disproportionate energy into certain areas and starving others. No wonder I felt off balance.
Exercise: Spend 10 minutes drawing your own wheel. Plot your current state honestly. Then draw a second version showing your ideal balance. Compare the two and look for where “bee head” is born.
🐝Set Limits—and Stick to Them
Boundaries aren’t a luxury they’re a survival skill. Once I had visibility over my time and energy, I began setting stricter limits. I learned to say no, to protect white space in my week, and to stop treating recovery as optional.
This wasn’t about doing less. It was about doing the right things, at the right time, for the right reasons.
🐝Create a Daily Mind Management Ritual
I now check in with myself each morning. Three simple steps:
Name one thing that might trigger stress today.
Choose one mindset I want to carry into my day.
Decide one boundary I will hold (e.g. no emails after 7pm, or 15-minute screen breaks every 90 minutes).
These tiny rituals anchor my focus and remind me I’m in charge - not the bees.
🐝Accept That 70–80% Might Be Enough
This might be the hardest lesson: sometimes, 70–80% is success. Holding yourself to an impossible 100% standard every day is a fast track to burnout. Being intentional, aligned, and present matters more than squeezing in that last task.
Avoiding “bee head” isn’t about perfection. It’s about clarity, boundaries, and understanding the self beneath the stress. With the right tools like Hogan Assessments, the Wheel of Life, and daily mind rituals—you can lead with calm in a chaotic world.
Buzz Off, Stress: How to Clear Your Head in a Swarm of Demands
Where are you on the Bee Head Scale? It’s time to test yourself.
If your mental buzz is tipping into overload, it might be time to take action. Working with a coach can help you pause the noise, assess your mental landscape, set healthier boundaries, and create space for personal growth.
Overwhelmed! Work with a coach to declutter your mind and gain clarity.
You can achieve a clearer, calmer, more focused life—one that’s buzz-free.
Curious where to start? Get in touch to explore how coaching can help you move from overwhelmed to empowered.
