Burned Out From Being Productive? Read This.
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Each week, I share real talk about building a life you actually enjoy—the wins, the fails, and everything I'm learning along the way.
(Prefer to listen? Throw on the audio version on Speechify and absorb this while you're doing literally anything else. Real human voice, zero robot vibes.)
For a long time, I was optimized within an inch of my life.
Systems. Routines. A calendar with no empty space. Every minute assigned. Every goal tracked.
It was exactly what I needed in that season.
But then the season changed. And I didn’t.
I kept running the same productivity playbook on a life that had quietly shifted underneath me. I would look at my packed schedule and think: why am I doing all of this?
I was productive. But I had lost the plot.
If you’re feeling burned out, overwhelmed, or quietly questioning whether your packed calendar is actually working for you anymore, this might be the reframe you need.
The Problem With Staying “Optimized” Forever
Most high achievers learn how to manage time efficiently.
You build systems. You time block. You plan your weeks. You get really good at getting things done.
The problem is not productivity itself.
The problem is assuming the same level of intensity should apply to every season of your life.
What works when you are building may not work when you are stabilizing.
What works when you are climbing may not work when you need space to think.
When your life shifts but your systems don’t, burnout is often the result.
What Happens After You Take a Pause
You might assume that once you create breathing room, clarity will magically appear.
That once the calendar lightens up, the right rhythm will naturally follow.
That’s not always how it works.
What I discovered is that my default setting is still do more.
When I feel uncertain or behind, my instinct is to:
Schedule the thing
Optimize the thing
Add another commitment
Habits don’t disappear just because you had a breakthrough.
So instead of relying on willpower, I had to intentionally rebuild my approach to time management from the ground up.
My “Time Block Light” Approach
I still use time blocking. I believe in and thrive on structure.
But now I practice what I call time block “light”.
Here’s what that looks like:
Some time blocks have themes instead of specific tasks
I leave significantly more white space to allow for flow
Open space is allowed to stay open
If I want to use that space productively, I can.
If I want to sit on the couch and do absolutely nothing, I can.
Without the guilt spiral.
When I notice my calendar creeping back toward over-scheduled, I remove something. I can always add it back later. But my default is now less, not more.
This single shift has dramatically improved my work life balance and overall energy.
Slower Doesn’t Always Mean Avoidance
One of the biggest mindset shifts has been learning to trust that slower is not always procrastination.
Sometimes slower is self care.
I still hold myself accountable. When I’m clearly avoiding something important, I push through.
But the key is trusting that I know the difference.
That level of self awareness changes everything.
The Book That Changed How I Think About Time
Much of this clarity came while rereading one of my favorite books: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman.
The premise is simple:
The average human life is about four thousand weeks long.
That’s it.
Burkeman argues that much of our obsession with productivity is really an attempt to outrun that reality. We try to fit everything in. We try to optimize every hour. We believe that if we just become efficient enough, we will finally feel in control and able to do anything and everything we want to.
But efficiency doesn’t create breathing room.
It creates capacity for more commitments.
And then we fill it.
The Trap of “Fitting Everything In”
One idea from the book that has stayed with me:
The more you believe you might eventually succeed at fitting everything in, the more you take on.
I lived this.
I became very good at getting things done. So I just kept adding more things to get done.
The goalposts kept moving.
There was always a new level of optimized.
If you’re constantly feeling behind despite being productive, this may be why.
Decide in Advance What to Fail At
The most counterintuitive productivity advice I read is this:
Decide in advance what to fail at.
Not what to succeed at.
What to fail at.
Maybe this season you focus heavily on your career and allow your house to be messier than you prefer.
Maybe you prioritize family and let your fitness goals take a backseat.
Maybe you build your business and say no to social commitments.
The point is not neglect.
The point is intentional trade offs.
Instead of asking, “How do I fit this in?” ask, “What am I willing to let go of to make room for this?”
That question leads to far better decisions.
Right now, I’m choosing to fail at building my next path quickly so I can protect my peace, presence, and long term sustainability.
That clarity feels very different than accidental burnout.
How to Know If Your Productivity System Needs to Change
You might need to adjust your time management approach if:
You feel constantly behind despite high output
Your schedule is full but your work feels misaligned
You have no white space in your week
You’re productive but not fulfilled
You can’t remember the last time you felt truly rested
Productivity systems are tools.
They’re not identities.
What worked for a previous version of you is not automatically the right blueprint for who you are now.
Recommended Reading: Best Time Management Books
If this conversation resonates with you, I included Four Thousand Weeks in my full roundup of the best time management books that shifted how I think about work and life.
After reading more than 50 books on productivity and personal growth, I narrowed it down to the five that truly moved the needle.
If you’re looking for thoughtful, sustainable approaches to time management and burnout recovery, start here.
Final Thoughts
Your productivity style doesn’t have to be permanent.
Seasons change.
You are allowed to change with them.
Recognizing that your schedule no longer fits your life is not failure.
It’s awareness.
And awareness is where better decisions and a better life begins.
Some of the links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I only share things I truly use and love.
About Me
Hi, I’m Kara. I’m a former workaholic turned time-management expert. I help women stressed out in their 9-5 get more done, in less time, so they can get back in the driver’s seat and start living a life they love.
