How to Compassionately Navigate Overwhelm

a free video lesson to help you get back on track

You can listen to an audio version of this newsletter above. Please note that this is unedited and there may be some natural stumbles, as I’m recording in my home office.

Photo by Milan Seitler on Unsplash

Before we dive in

December’s co-working session for paid subscribers is on Friday the 8th from 12pm-3pm EST. You can learn more here.

There’s something particularly confusing about balancing a current to-do list with aspirations for future goals and deadlines looming months or years down the line. This gets even more challenging when you’re feeling overwhelmed or burnt out.

I’ve been there—as an academic, as a business owner, as a writer—and I know how slippery the slope is from just checking one email to multitasking to overwhelm to shutting your computer and wandering off to make a cup of tea, never to return.

Just kidding! When that overwhelm happens, taking a break to make a tea or stare out the window or stretch your limbs are excellent ways to hit the refresh button.

Budgeting some blank space into our schedule may be enough to reground and refocus, but when our goals and projects feel unwieldy, we may need to overhaul our approach and set up systems to make more intentional progress.

There’s no shame in struggling to do it all, particularly in spaces like academia or entrepreneurship where it’s easy to compare ourselves to superstars who seem to be gleefully working all the time. First of all: work isn’t always fun, and second of all, glamorizing overwork and normalizing workaholism is something we need to stop.

I created a video lesson for you that shares the process that I walk my coaching clients through when we’re making game plans for their overlapping projects and goals in a season of burnout or overwhelm.

In this video, I cover:

• Why our to-do list has more on it than meets the eye

• Reasons we overcommit ourselves and unintentionally stretch ourselves too thin

• Methods to help you ease the decision-making process and say “yes” and “no” to potential opportunities with confidence

Exciting news!

I’m announcing new coaching offerings next week. Stay tuned!

Curiosities

This section of my letters is for things that made me say “hmmm” or “wow!” recently.

• I’ve been trying to attend more cultural events this year and I was thrilled to recently book tickets to see José González. I’ve been a big fan of his music since college, so I was blown away that he was going to be playing a concert so close to me! The day before the show when Kris and I looked up more details, I discovered that it was not a concert but was in fact a 75-minute documentary followed by a discussion and a short concert. I did end up enjoying myself and I did get to see González play “Heartbeats,” but I do have to laugh a bit at myself for buying “concert” tickets without reading the fine print.

• I’ve been on a graphic novel kick. I just finished and loved Kate Gavino’s A Career in Books. It features three Asian-American women navigating the world of publishing, friendship, and community in New York City. It made me laugh and made me think—two good things for a book to do.

• I also loved Mall Goth, which was written and illustrated by Kate Leth with coloring by Diana Sousa and lettering by Robin Crank. This reminded me of growing up as a queer teen in a small town, and while the book touches on heavy topics, it’s a tender and fun read.

Talk to you next week!

Dr. Kate

Photo by Amanda Macchia

For Your Consideration

• Follow me on Instagram

• Order my book, Tend to It: A Holistic Guide to Intentional Productivity

• Listen to my podcast interviews