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Overbooked & Overwhelmed (again): How to Prune What You Can When Your Calendar Feels Impossible
In this episode, I’m revisiting a topic I first talked about last year: what to do when you look at your calendar and genuinely can’t see how you’re going to make it through the week.
I’m naming the backdrop we’re all living inside of (what some people are calling a “polycrisis”) and why it matters that we stop pretending our overwhelm exists in a vacuum. Then I take you into a simple (not easy) starting point: notice what’s depleting you, and prune what you can—without needing a perfect plan or a five-step system.
In this episode, we talk about:
- A quick 2020 story (my cancelled “Cinderella’s castle” 40th birthday moment) and why the 2020s have felt like a relentless era
- The concept of a “polycrisis” and why therapists have been bracing for years
- Why you can’t live in nervous system dysregulation forever (your body has a limit)
- What brain injury recovery taught me about burnout recovery: it’s rarely “one fix”—it’s ongoing listening + experimenting
- The burnout reckoning: “When can I function like I used to?” (and why that question can keep you stuck)
- The practical starting point:
- Notice depletion
- Identify what’s non-negotiable vs. optional
- Prune what you can
- The “come to Jesus” questions:
- What is this pace doing to your body in 6 months?
- What is it doing to your patients, your partner, your kids, your life?
- How resentment shows up internally (and why it’s human)—and when you’re past “just do more consultation”
- Why “doing less” does not mean you care less
- Cognitive overload + sensory input (especially your phone), and how to titrate it down without going cold turkey
- Concrete examples of pruning:
- fewer evening sessions
- dropping one non-essential obligation
- simplifying meals/snacks so you’re not running on fumes
- delegating home tasks (yes, even feeding the dog)
- pausing trainings/certifications when you have no bandwidth
A gentle prompt to try (from the episode)
If you can (and not while driving):
Look at your calendar and just sit with it for a minute. Then ask:
- What do I dread every week?
- What is the cost of continuing to do it like this?
- What’s truly non-negotiable… and what’s optional even if it doesn’t feel optional?
- What’s one small thing I can prune this week?
Key line from this episode
Doing less does not mean you care less.
It may be the exact thing that helps you care more—because it protects your capacity.
Mentioned / referenced
- “Polycrisis” (the idea that multiple crises are happening at once and compounding)
- Cognitive burnout + constant input (especially phone use / scrolling)
Stay connected
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- Email: info@drjenblanchette.com
- LinkedIn: Find me at Dr. Jen Blanchette
