How to Shift Out of Overwhelm Using the NLP Hierarchy of Ideas

If you’re a female entrepreneur, I don’t have to tell you what overwhelm feels like.
You already know.

The mental tabs are open: clients to serve, content to post, emails to answer, programs to build, families to support. You’ve got big dreams—maybe even a big mission—but some days it feels like the weight of your vision is crushing you.

That’s why I want to introduce you to one of the most powerful mindset tools I use with my clients: the NLP Hierarchy of Ideas.

It’s deceptively simple. Incredibly effective. It just might be your new favorite tool for finding clarity.

What Is the NLP Hierarchy of Ideas?

The NLP Hierarchy of Ideas (also called “chunking”) is a mindset tool from Neuro-Linguistic Programming that helps you shift your perspective in three ways:

• Chunk Up to see the big picture and reconnect with your “why”
• Chunk Down to identify specific, doable action steps
• Chunk Across to generate creative alternatives and new strategies

Most overwhelm happens when you’re stuck at the wrong level of thinking.
This framework helps you get unstuck.

1. Chunk Up: Zoom Out and Reconnect to Purpose

Sometimes you're lost in the weeds—managing details, juggling tasks, checking off boxes—but you’ve lost touch with why you're doing it all.

This is your cue to chunk up.

Ask yourself:

• Why is this important to me?
• What’s the bigger purpose or impact behind this task?
• What will this allow me to create, become, or feel?

When you shift into this higher-level thinking, your nervous system relaxes. You remember that you’re building something meaningful. You stop reacting—and start leading.

2. Chunk Down: Get Clear on the Next Step

Other times, your goal feels huge and vague:
“I need to launch my new course,” or “I should rebrand.”

These undefined to-dos create paralysis.

When this happens, you need to chunk down.

Ask yourself:

• What’s the very next step I need to take?
• Who’s involved?
• What’s one thing I could do in the next 10 minutes?

Clarity replaces chaos when you get specific.
Action replaces anxiety.

3. Chunk Across: Find New Possibilities

What if you’re stuck in just one way of doing something—launching, pricing, selling—and it’s not working?

That’s your sign to chunk across.

Ask:

• What are 2–3 other ways I could approach this?
• What would this look like if it were simple, fun, or light?
• Who else does this successfully, and how do they do it?

When you explore lateral options, you reclaim your creativity.
You stop forcing and start flowing.

Why This Matters for Female Entrepreneurs

Overwhelm isn’t always about time.
It’s often about disconnection—from your values, your clarity, or your choices.

The NLP Hierarchy of Ideas brings you back to yourself.
It helps you lead from vision, take aligned action, and stay open to possibility.

This is what empowered entrepreneurship looks like.

Try This: A 5-Minute Chunking Exercise

1. Name what’s overwhelming you right now.
2. Chunk Up — Why is it important?
3. Chunk Down — What’s the very next step?
4. Chunk Across — What are 2–3 alternatives?
5. Take a breath. Choose your next move.

If you found this helpful, share it with a fellow woman in business who might be feeling the weight of it all.

If you want to learn how to coach yourself out of overwhelm—
let’s talk. This is the kind of work I live for.