Intelligence Squared: “How To Take the Pressure Off and Live Well” with Claudia Hammond (Part One)

Date: January 21, 2026
Host: Dr. Radha Modgil
Guest: Claudia Hammond

Episode Overview

In this episode, psychologist and broadcaster Claudia Hammond joins Dr. Radha Modgil for a discussion centered on Hammond’s new book, Overwhelmed: How to Take the Pressure Off, exploring evidence-based strategies for managing overwhelm and living well in today’s demanding world. Drawing on psychology, neuroscience, real-life stories, and practical tips, the conversation addresses what it means to feel overwhelmed, how we can better understand and manage those feelings, and why rest and self-acceptance are crucial. Key topics include news overload, procrastination, the comfort of nostalgia, and setting boundaries with work in a tech-driven era.

Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. Why Write About Overwhelm? (04:17–05:45)

• Motivation for the Book:

  • Claudia was inspired by overwhelming demands in 21st-century life and by the positive impact her insights on rest had on readers from her previous book.
  • She wanted to explore “the 16 things you need to know in order to feel less overwhelmed,” blending science, personal anecdotes, and actionable advice.

• Quote:
  “There does seem to be something where a lot of people are feeling they've just got too much to do and too little time, and that it is just somehow all too much.”
  — Claudia Hammond (04:36)

2. Book Structure: Balancing Science, Stories, and Tips (05:45–06:20)

• Claudia’s approach integrates fascinating scientific studies (sometimes quirky, like spontaneous karaoke in research), relatable personal and others’ anecdotes, and end-of-chapter practical tips.
• She emphasizes the importance of solid evidence: “not making up self-help,” but ensuring advice is research-based and directly applicable.

3. Reframing Stress and Overwhelm (07:26–11:20)

• Anecdote: The Surprise Speech at St. Paul’s

  • Claudia describes being unexpectedly called on to give a talk at an event, highlighting how acute stress narrows focus, sometimes allowing us to perform well under pressure.
  • This links to the Trier Social Stress Test in research and the strategy of telling yourself "I am excited" (rather than “I am calm”) before stressful tasks.

• Quote:
  “We can—stressful moments like that—we can really turn to our advantage by reframing them and thinking, ‘The reason this feels stressful is because I want to do this really well.’”
  — Claudia Hammond (09:43)

• Defining Overwhelm:

  • While not a clinical diagnosis, “overwhelm” is described as stress that feels like too many inputs with insufficient capacity to relax and cope; it’s emotional and universally experienced.

4. News Overload: How (and Why) to Set Boundaries (11:57–16:16)

• Statistics:

  • Reuters Institute (2024): “4 in 10 people now say they often, or at least sometimes, avoid the news in order not to feel overwhelmed.”

• Claudia notes news outlets’ focus on negative updates, suggesting intentional, limited consumption: choose sources, limit frequency, and avoid continuous interruptions (e.g., turning off news alerts).

• Processing News:

  • Observing your feelings before and after consuming news is crucial. Debriefing is rarely done among adults, but valuable.

• Notable Research:

  • Prof. Roxanne Cohen Silver's study on the Boston Marathon bombing found people consuming 6+ hours/day of news experienced nine times more distress than those watching 1.5 hours—a higher distress rate than some direct witnesses.
  • “For the people who are just watching it again and again, it's not over. It's always stuck in that middle bit...” (16:00).

• Quote:
  “If you know that you get made to feel anxious by the news… choosing which source to do it, and maybe looking more in depth at something… can be done.”
  — Claudia Hammond (14:40)

5. Procrastination: Emotional Roots and Self-Forgiveness (18:26–25:02)

• Audience Poll:
  • Roughly 70% raised hands as procrastinators.
• Reframing Procrastination:
  • It’s less about time management, more about emotion management. We procrastinate on emotionally uncomfortable tasks, not straightforward ones.
• “Swallowing the Frog”:
  • Based on Brian Tracy: do the hardest task first each day.
• Key Strategies:
  • Identify emotional barriers.
  • Forgive yourself—research shows self-forgiveness increases likelihood of future action.
  • Break big tasks down, focus on pleasant aspects where possible.
  • Use reward-pairing strategies (e.g., “Holding the Hunger Games Hostage at the Gym”—only enjoying an audiobook during workouts).
  • “If-then” planning: set pre-defined alternatives if circumstances disrupt intentions.
• Quote:
  “The people who forgave themselves for having procrastinated were more likely to revise the next time and actually get on with doing it.”
  — Claudia Hammond (21:23)

6. The Power of Self-Acceptance and Realistic To-Do Lists (24:13–25:30)

• Sometimes, perennial tasks on your to-do list don’t need to be done at all.
• The myth that we’ll “have more time” in the future is persistent but unfounded—future selves are unlikely to be magically more organized.
• Accepting imperfection and the perpetual nature of to-do lists is liberating:
  “A to-do list is just a record of what’s happening. In a way, it's a sign of a busy life... but you don’t necessarily have to do all those things.” — Claudia Hammond (25:30)

7. Nostalgia: A Surprising Antidote to Overwhelm (27:00–30:25)

• Why Nostalgia Helps:
  • Shown to increase self-esteem, boost mood, ease loneliness, and create a sense of meaning.
  • It even provides measurable pain relief (experiment: thinking about positive memories increased pain tolerance).
• For those with depression, assistance recalling positive memories (“nostalgia boxes” or photo collections) is beneficial, especially if drawn from recent years to avoid negative longing for the distant past.
• “Nostalgia is… something that we can really enjoy, so it is something we can turn to, to feel less overwhelmed.” (30:17)

8. Work Overwhelm and the Tech “Always-On” Trap (31:02–33:10)

• Blurred Boundaries:
  • Tech and remote work erode natural “stop” signals (like commutes), pushing people to extend work hours and check emails at all times.
• Upward trends:
  • Younger professionals are reportedly better at establishing boundaries (not checking emails after certain hours, delaying sends).
• “Absolutely not checking your email last thing at night, because you could get an email that really annoys you… you’ll probably all get sorted out in half an hour anyway.” (32:10)
• Advice: Notice which stressors fade quickly (“how long before this thing resolves itself?”), so you can resist giving them disproportionate attention.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Rest is good for your mental health and not something to feel guilty about.” — Claudia Hammond (04:00)
• “Be intentional about your consumption of news.” — Claudia Hammond (15:30)
• “We know from research, even in two days time, we believe we'll have more time than we do now. And there's no reason to think that…” — Claudia Hammond (24:34)
• “Accept ourselves for who we are and that that's fine and that we're good enough and that we don't have to be perfect…” — Claudia Hammond (25:31)
• “Nostalgia... connects us with our earlier selves, which can give life, show that there's a kind of course through life and give it some meaning…” — Claudia Hammond (27:28)

Key Timestamps

• 02:14 — Introduction of Claudia Hammond and the evening’s structure
• 04:17 — Why Claudia wrote about overwhelm
• 05:45 — The book's blend of personal stories, science, and tips
• 07:26 — The surprise stress story at St. Paul’s and reframing stress
• 10:44 — Defining overwhelm
• 11:57 — News overload and intentional news consumption
• 16:16 — The psychological cost of repeated exposure to distressing news
• 18:26 — Procrastination, emotion, and self-compassion
• 24:13 — Letting go of “shoulds” and the myth of future spare time
• 27:00 — Nostalgia as a tool for resilience
• 31:02 — Work-life boundaries in the digital era

Closing Reflection

This episode provides a science-backed, compassionate exploration of how to feel and live better when demands threaten to overwhelm. By reframing stress, forgiving procrastination, savoring nostalgia, and setting practical boundaries with news and work, Hammond and Dr. Modgil offer listeners permission to embrace imperfection and more gentle, sustainable ways to thrive in a pressure-filled world.