Make Peace with Doing Less
—Especially when everyone else seems to be doing more.
You see how much other people seem to get done. The packed schedules. The energy. The constant output. And you wonder—why can’t I keep up?
Then comes the disappointment. The shame. The quiet burnout you try to push through.
But what if the goal isn’t to keep up?
What if the goal is to move through your days with ease, spaciousness, and enough left in the tank to feel like yourself?
Many of the sensitive, thoughtful adults I work with are high-achieving, high-functioning—and privately, exhausted. They measure their worth by how much they can do, and feel ashamed when they can’t do as much as others appear to.
But the truth is: your nervous system isn’t a productivity tool. It’s a barometer. And when you learn to read it, it becomes one of the most reliable ways to care for yourself.
Making peace with doing less starts with understanding your actual capacity—not your ideal capacity, or your capacity from five years ago, or what you wish it were. Your capacity right now.
That means planning for breaks before you crash. Leaving work at a consistent time. Building buffers into your day. Saying no when something will cost you more than you have to give.
Here’s what it can look like:
🕰️ Planning short breaks between meetings or responsibilities
🧠 Noticing your mental fatigue and stopping before you hit overload
📅 Limiting how many things you schedule in a day
Saying no sooner or pausing before saying yes so you can think it through
Choosing sustainability over output
Doing less doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you are building a life that fits.
If you’re ready to build a life that works with your energy—not against it—therapy can help.
Visit maryletttherapy.com to learn more or schedule online.
