Overwhelmed Working Woman: Boost Productivity, Master Time Management, Overcome Overwhelm & Stop People Pleasing

As a busy working woman, you probably have a never-ending to-do list filled with emails, deadlines, and requests from other people. Even when you know what matters most, the urgent stuff can easily take priority, leaving your bigger goals and personal projects waiting for a quieter week that never seems to come.

In this episode of Overwhelmed Working Woman, Michelle Gauthier shares how to use the Eisenhower Matrix to organize your tasks, prioritize what matters, and finally make progress on the projects you've been putting off.

You'll learn:

What if the key to feeling less annoyed by other people isn’t changing their behavior, but changing how you interpret it?

When someone ignores your text, drops the ball at work, or does something differently than you would, it’s easy to jump to conclusions and let frustration take over. But when you’re already juggling work, family, and a never-ending to-do list, those assumptions can add even more unnecessary stress to your day.

In this revisited episode of Overwhelmed Working Woman, Michelle Gauthier introduces the concept of Most Generous Interpretation (MGI), a simple mindse...

Are you busy all day but still feel like your most important work isn't getting done?

If you're constantly saying yes to everyone, beating yourself up for falling behind, or spending too much time deciding what to do next, you might be dealing with productivity killers you don't even realize are holding you back.

In this milestone 300th episode of Overwhelmed Working Woman, life coach Michelle Gauthier reveals the three habits that quietly sabotage your productivity before you even get started. You'll learn how to recognize these patterns, interrupt them, and make more room for...

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Do you feel like everything in your life needs to be done at an A-plus level, even when you're already exhausted and overwhelmed?

As a high-achieving working woman, you're probably used to holding yourself to high standards. But when you try to give your best to everything — your career, your home, your health, and your family — something eventually has to give. And too often, the people and priorities you love most get whatever energy you have left.

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Do you ever check everything off your to-do list and still go to bed feeling like you haven’t done enough?

If you’re a busy working woman who constantly feels behind, focuses on what you didn’t accomplish, or struggles to recognize how far you’ve come, your approach to measuring progress might be the problem. In this episode of Overwhelmed Working Woman, Michelle Gauthier shares the difference between measuring yourself against where you think you should b...

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Have you ever finally found a free hour to get things done, only to waste the entire time deciding what to work on?

When everything on your to-do list feels equally urgent, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, lose focus, and end up doing nothing that actually moves you forward. The good news? You don’t need more time to be productive. You need a simple way to decide what matters before your free time arrives.

In...

Do you feel like you can’t truly relax after work because there’s always one more email, task, or open loop demanding your attention?

When your work has no natural finish line, trying to complete everything before you leave can keep you mentally stuck in work mode long after the workday ends. You may technically leave the office, but your brain comes home with you—replaying your to-do list, answering emails, or planning tomorrow instead of being present with the people you love.

In this episode, you’ll discover why giving yourself permission to stop can...

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Being busy can feel like productivity, especially when your inbox is full, your to-do list keeps growing, and you're constantly checking things off. But there’s a difference between doing a lot and making meaningful progress.

In this episode, Michelle Gauthier explores why “busy” has become a status symbol, how your brain can prioritize urgency over what actually matters, and why spending your day on “work about work” may be keeping you stuck in overwhelm. You’ll learn how to...

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What if the fastest way to quiet your inner critic isn't to argue with it—but to simply stop giving it your attention?

Negative self-talk can drain your confidence, productivity, and energy before your day even gets started. When you try to prove those critical thoughts wrong, you may actually give them more power by continuing the conversation. In this episode, you'll learn a simple way to create distance from your inner critic and five ready-to-use scripts th...

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Do you ever make a small mistake at work, fix it, and then spend the rest of the day—or even the night—replaying it and beating yourself up?

Negative self-talk can turn a minor mistake into hours of lost mental energy and productivity. Instead of simply fixing the problem and moving forward, your inner critic keeps the mistake alive with thoughts like “I’m so stupid” or “Why do I always mess things up?” In this episode, Michelle Gauthier break...

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What if the difference between ending your day feeling calm and ending it completely overwhelmed came down to a handful of small choices you make throughout the day?

You don't necessarily need a less busy job, more responsible kids, or fewer things on your to-do list to feel less overwhelmed. In this episode, Michelle Gauthier walks through two versions of the exact same day: overwhelmed Annie and calm Caroline. From the moment they wake up to the...

Are you spending days, weeks, or even months rehearsing a difficult conversation in your head because you're waiting for the “right time” to finally have it?

Difficult conversations can feel risky when you're worried about being misunderstood, disappointing someone, damaging a relationship, or being seen as unkind. But avoiding the conversation doesn't necessarily make the discomfort disappear. Instead, you may find yourself caught in what Sara Fisk calls “good girl math”—constantly calculating whether speaking up is worth the potential stress, conflict, or disapproval.

In this episode, you will:

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Are you actually stressed—or are you overwhelmed by too many things piling up at once?

If you’ve been trying to push through your never-ending to-do list but your brain feels fuzzy, scattered, and unable to figure out where to start, you may be dealing with something very different from ordinary stress.

In this episode, Michelle breaks down the important difference between stress and overwhelm—and why knowing which one you’re experiencing changes what you...

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Have you ever said yes because you thought, “If I don’t do it, nobody will”—only to feel resentful, overwhelmed, and frustrated afterward?

If you're the capable woman who always figures things out, handles the details, and makes sure nothing falls through the cracks, your capability may have quietly turned into an obligation.

In this episode, you'll learn what's really happening when you say yes out of guilt or people pleasing, why the belief that “if I don't do...

How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed Live Class: https://michellegauthier.mykajabi.com/offers/gAtYyHen/checkout  

What if you could be around someone who is stressed, frantic, or in a terrible mood without letting their emotions become yours?

It’s easy to believe you’ll finally feel calm once everything around you settles down. But life is always going to be a little wild—and other people’s moods, stress, and energy are outside your control.

In this episode, Michelle Gauthier talks with therapist MJ Murray Vachon about how to cultivate...

How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed Live Class: https://michellegauthier.mykajabi.com/offers/gAtYyHen/checkout  

What if the reason you can't stick to your habits isn't a lack of discipline—but that the habits were never designed for your real life?

If you're an overwhelmed working woman juggling invisible labor, unpredictable schedules, changing energy levels, and constant interruptions, traditional habit advice can leave you feeling like you're failing when the real problem is the method. In this episode, Monica Packer explains why perfectionism can show up as both over-functioning and under-functioning, why...

How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed Live Class: https://michellegauthier.mykajabi.com/offers/gAtYyHen/checkout  

What if the solution to overwhelm is deciding what you simply won't do?

If your calendar is packed, your brain is constantly making decisions, and you're tired of trying to squeeze more into every day, a better to-do list may not be the answer. In this episode, Michelle Gauthier shares the final seven rules on her personal to-don't list—simple decisions she has made once so she doesn't have to renegotiate them over and over again. You...

How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed Live Class: https://michellegauthier.mykajabi.com/offers/gAtYyHen/checkout  

Ever arrive at your destination still gripping the steering wheel, replaying what happened in traffic, and carrying that frustration into the rest of your day?

A stressful drive can affect much more than your commute. When someone cuts you off, traffic slows you down, or another driver makes a dangerous move, it's easy to believe the situation itself is causing your overwhelm. But what if the real source of your stress is the thought you're having a...

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Are you bad at time management—or are you simply trying to fit more into your day than your day can physically hold?

If you're constantly running late, juggling an unfinished to-do list, double-booking your calendar, and feeling like everyone else has figured out how to manage life except you, this episode will challenge the way you think about your overwhelm.

You'll discover why the problem isn't that you're flawed or undisciplined—it's that you're asking your life...

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What if the fastest way to reduce your overwhelming to-do list isn't getting better at checking things off—but deciding what you will never do in the first place?

If your calendar and to-do list keep filling up faster than you can clear them, you may not need another productivity system. In this episode, Michelle Gauthier shares her approach to creating a “to-don’t list”: a set of personal rules that automatically eliminate decisions, commitments, worries, and tasks yo...

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Have you ever started decluttering, created an even bigger mess, and immediately regretted opening that can of worms?

Clutter can quickly become another source of overwhelm, especially when a decluttering project feels so big that you don't know where to start—or when the mess gets worse before it gets better. In this episode, you'll learn how to reframe that messy middle and use a simple approach to make decluttering feel manageable, so you can create a mo...

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Are you carrying so much of the emotional and household labor in your marriage that you’re starting to wonder whether the relationship itself is contributing to your overwhelm?

For many working women, marriage can quietly become another source of stress when they become the default parent, cleaner, shopper, planner, and emotional caretaker. Therapist and divorce specialist Oona Metz explains why 70% of divorces in straight marriages are initiated by women, how unequal emotional labor can erode a re...

Set up a consultation with me here: www.michellegauthier.com/bookme

What if feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed isn’t who you are—and calm is actually your natural state?

As an overwhelmed working woman, it can be easy to believe you’ll finally feel calm when your inbox is empty, your family needs less from you, or life simply slows down. But the world may never settle down enough to give you the calm you’re waiting for. In this episode, therapist MJ Murray Vachon shares a practical approach...

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Could your bedroom be quietly contributing to your overwhelm every night—even when you’re trying to relax?

Your bedroom is supposed to be your refuge, but when it becomes a storage space, home office, laundry drop zone, or catch-all for unfinished tasks, your brain may continue scanning the room for everything you still need to do. The good news? You don't need to completely declutter your bedroom to create more calm. In this episode, Michelle shares a simp...

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Do you wake up after a full night’s sleep feeling completely exhausted—and wonder why you can’t seem to catch up no matter how hard you try?

If you’re the woman everyone relies on—the one who handles the work, remembers the details, solves the problems, and keeps everything moving—your exhaustion may have very little to do with sleep. It may come from the belief that everything depends on you and that your value is connected to...

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Do you keep giving yourself more time to get something “just right,” only to find that the task somehow takes even longer?

If you’re an overwhelmed, high-achieving working woman, you may believe that more time equals better work. But Parkinson’s Law suggests the opposite: work expands to fill the time you give it. In this episode, Michelle Gauthier explains how perfectionism, overthinking, and unlimited timelines can keep you stuck in tasks that were already good enough—a...

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Are you overwhelmed before 8 a.m. because getting dressed has turned into a daily decision-making marathon?

Your closet might not be the real problem—it may be the thoughts and decisions you have attached to getting dressed. When you're constantly asking yourself what to wear, trying on multiple outfits, and second-guessing how you look, you're starting your day with unnecessary decision fatigue and overwhelm. In this quick episode, Michelle Gauthier explains how to simplify your wardrobe and your thinking so...

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Are you exhausted and numb even though everyone around you thinks you’re absolutely killing it?

High-functioning burnout doesn’t always look like burnout. You may be meeting deadlines, managing your household, taking care of everyone else, and checking every box while secretly feeling exhausted and disconnected.

In this episode, Michelle Gauthier breaks down what high-functioning burnout really looks like, the “pink flags” you shouldn’t ignore, and why you don’t have to wait until your health, care...

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What if just five quiet minutes each morning could help you feel calmer, more present, and more productive before the busy fall season begins?

As summer winds down, it's easy to slip back into rushing, multitasking, and feeling overwhelmed before school schedules and work routines ramp up again. In this episode, Michelle shares an unexpected lesson from an unplugged vacation that shows how a simple morning practice can help you carry that calm vacation feeling into everyday life—no mountain cabin required.

...

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How many of the things filling your calendar today came from saying "yes" before you even realized you had a choice?

If you're constantly wondering how your schedule became so overwhelming, the answer may not be the big commitments—it's the dozens of tiny, automatic yeses you make every day. In this episode, Michelle Gauthier uncovers why capable, high-achieving women default to saying yes, why traditional boundary-setting often fails, and how one simple mindset shift can help you reclaim your time, energy, and pe...

Are you halfway through the year wondering what happened to the goals you were so excited about in January?

If you've been busy checking off everyone else's priorities while your own goals have quietly slipped into the background, you're not alone. In this episode, Michelle shares a refreshing approach to a mid-year review that replaces guilt, hustle, and self-criticism with curiosity, bold thinking, and intentional action. You'll discover how to reconnect with your goals without adding more work to your already full plate.

By listening, you will:

What if the fastest way to help an anxious teen—or yourself—isn't another strategy, but learning how to pause before stress takes over?

Today's teens are facing unprecedented pressure from academics, sports, social media, friendships, and uncertainty about the future. But the truth is, adults experience many of these same stressors every day. In this conversation, health and wellness coach Laura Ollinger shares practical tools that help both teens and adults interrupt stress spirals, regulate emotions, and build lasting resilience without relying on willpower alone.

In this episode, you will:

One of the biggest sources of your overwhelm might be hiding in plain sight.

If you've ever walked past a pile of mail, an overstuffed drawer, or a storage room full of things you "might need someday," you're carrying more than physical clutter. Every unfinished pile represents a decision your brain is still tracking, quietly draining your mental energy. In this episode, Michelle explains why clutter feels so heavy, why organizing alone doesn't solve the problem, and how making just a few simple decisions can create immediate relief.

After listening, you'll:

Have you ever said "yes" just because you didn't want someone to be disappointed—even when you desperately wanted to say "no"?

Many working women believe being "nice" means putting everyone else's needs ahead of their own. But what if that habit isn't kindness at all? In this episode, Michelle unpacks the surprising connection between people-pleasing and control, explains why honesty is actually the kinder choice, and shares a simple mindset shift that helps you set boundaries without guilt.

By listening to this episode, you'll discover:

Have you ever agreed to something before you even had a chance to think about whether you actually wanted to say yes?

If setting boundaries still feels uncomfortable no matter how much advice you've heard, you're not alone. In this episode, Michelle explains why your nervous system can interpret a simple request as a threat, causing you to default to people-pleasing before your logical brain has a chance to respond. You'll learn how to interrupt that automatic pattern so you can make decisions that protect your time, energy, and peace.

In this episode, you will:<...

Have you ever felt like people keep crossing your boundaries—even after you've clearly communicated them?

If you're constantly saying yes when you want to say no, working later than you planned, or feeling responsible for everyone else's reactions, this episode will completely change how you think about boundaries. Instead of trying to control other people's behavior, you'll discover how to make decisions that protect your priorities, reduce burnout, and help you respond with confidence—even when it feels uncomfortable.

By listening, you will:

What if your overwhelm isn't just draining your energy—but quietly costing you money?

Many working women believe the path to earning more is simply working harder. But what if the same habits creating stress, burnout, and constant overwhelm are also limiting your financial growth? In this episode, Michelle explores the surprising connection between building wealth and creating a calmer life through insights from Rachel Rodgers' bestselling book We Should All Be Millionaires.

By listening, you'll discover:

Many overwhelmed working women believe the answer is to work harder and push through exhaustion. But constantly saying yes and staying available only creates more stress and leaves little room for the life you actually want. In this episode, Michelle shares why one intentional boundary can create positive ripple effects across every area of your life.

After listening, you'll discover:

What if the biggest thing standing between you and a relaxing vacation isn't your workload—but the guilt you carry with you?

If you're an overwhelmed working woman, taking time off doesn't always feel restful. Maybe you're checking emails by the pool, thinking about your to-do list during family time, or feeling anxious the moment you disconnect. Only 9% of women truly relax on vacation and we want to help you become one of them.

In this episode, you will:

If you're constantly rushing, saying yes to everyone, and ending every day exhausted, you're not alone. Most overwhelmed women try to solve stress by working harder or becoming more organized, only to feel even more burned out. In this episode, you'll discover a different approach: changing the thoughts that create overwhelm, intentionally doing less, and building habits that lead to lasting calm and confidence.

By listening, you will: