A method and corresponding apparatus or system is disclosed for managing operating in a cellular wireless communication system. The method involves detecting a threshold transition of user devices (generally any wireless communication devices) that are actively operating in a given wireless coverage area into a state of soft handoff between the given coverage area and another coverage area, and perhaps a resulting threshold increase in total transmission power in the given coverage area, and responsively forcing out of the given coverage area at least one user device that is in soft handoff with the given coverage area. The method may thereby help to avoid or minimize an undesirable cyclic power increase effect that could lead to power overload.