#143| Why You NEED to Practice Self-Care and Self-Compassion to Beat Overwhelm and Increase Productivity: Overwhelm, Productivity, Time Management & People Pleasing

Do you feel like you're constantly taking care of everything except yourself?

In this episode, Michelle walks you through a powerful 21-point self-care inventory used in her group coaching program. You’ll discover how most overwhelmed women unintentionally skip their own needs and how simple awareness (not guilt!) can create a meaningful shift toward peace and presence.

In this episode, you will:

• Learn the exact areas where your self-care may be slipping—and celebrate the areas you’re already succeeding.
• Discover why massive overhauls rarely work and how to take just one supportive, doable step forward.
• Walk away with a small, actionable change that can immediately increase your calm, connection, and confidence.

Press play now to uncover your self-care gaps and take the next step toward a more intentional, grounded life.

Featured on the podcast:
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Life can be overwhelming, but on this podcast, you'll discover practical strategies to overcome overwhelm, imposter syndrome, and negative self-talk, manage time effectively, set boundaries, and stay productive in high-stress jobs—all while learning how to say no and prioritize self-care on the Overwhelmed Worki...

Episode Transcript

Michelle Gauthier (00:00):
Take a second to celebrate if it's three
things, or if it's 18 things.
Celebrate the things that youare doing.
Well, you're listening toOverwhelmed Working Woman, the
podcast that helps you be morecalm and more productive by
doing less.
I'm your host, MichelleGauthier, a former Overwhelmed

(00:22):
Working Woman and current lifecoach.
On this show, we unpack thestress and pressure that today's
working woman experiences, andin each episode you'll get a
strategy to bring more calm,ease and relaxation to your life
.
Hi, friend, thanks for joiningtoday.
A lot of the women who I workwith as clients say that they

(00:43):
want to improve the way thatthey're talking to themselves,
the way that they self-care, andthen you're going to choose one

(01:06):
small supportive step to takein the direction of better
self-care or self-compassion,depending on which one you
personally need more.
A couple reminders before wejump in to start talking about
self-care.
One is that, in order to notfeel overwhelmed, you have to
take time to take care ofyourself.
So, as I go through thisinventory with you, remember

(01:28):
that this is for awareness, notjudgment.
So if I'm asking you, across 21different areas of your life,
where are you taking good careof yourself?
And you're doing that on threeof them.
Three is better than zero, sotry not to use this as further
judgment of yourself, but justto assess where you are today.
One note about this lesson, too, is that this exercise is taken

(01:51):
directly from the Good LifeGroup coaching program.
The registration for that isopen until tomorrow.
So if you're listening to thison Thursday, it's open until
Friday at 1159 pm.
If you've been thinking aboutjoining and you listen to this
podcast and you're reallyinterested in this topic, this
is part of one of the 12 lessonsthat we learn in group coaching

(02:14):
.
It will just give you a feelfor the types of things that we
talk about in there.
If you feel inspired, you cansign up, or you can DM me to ask
questions or schedule a15-minute chat.
Okay.
So let's jump into the self-careassessment.
We're going to look atself-care and self-compassion
across different areas of yourlife and, as I'm saying the
thing, if you're consistently oreven sometimes doing it, I want

(02:37):
you to just count it Okay.
So if I say, do you eat healthyfoods regularly?
And you do give yourself a one.
If you don't, okay, nothing forthat one.
So just keep track, as I'mtalking, of what number you get
up to and notice which onereally sticks out to you, as I'm
not doing that, but I reallywish I was.
Okay, here we go.
First is physical self-care.

(02:57):
So do you eat healthy foodsregularly?
Do you exercise regularly?
Do you wear clothes that makeyou feel good about yourself?
Do you go to preventativeappointments like the doctor,
the dentist, the dermatologistand I don't mean for your kids,
right, we're always doing theones for our kids, but do you do
those for yourself?
And do you get enough sleepmost nights?

(03:19):
Next is emotional self-care.
Do you regularly take time offfrom work?
So do you take vacation days ordo you take breaks throughout
your work day?
Do you have hobbies youparticipate in, even
occasionally?
It doesn't have to be somethingthat you do all the time.
A hobby can be a small thing.
I like to keep a little set ofcolored pencils and paper in my

(03:40):
coffee table, and when I'msitting there watching TV,
sometimes I'll draw, and Iconsider that to be a hobby.
So this doesn't have to be likea bowling league that you go to
twice a week or something.
Are you able to express youremotions in a healthy way.
Do you make time for thingsthat bring you comfort?
And then spiritual self-care Doyou spend time in nature?

(04:02):
Do you meditate or pray orpractice calming rituals,
whatever it is that helps youcalm down and feel connected to
something bigger than yourself?
Do you set aside time forthought and reflection, like
journaling or even driving,without anything playing and
just being with the silence andnoticing your own thoughts?
Do you participate in causesthat are important to you?

(04:26):
Do you feel gratitude for thegood things in your life?
This doesn't mean that you haveto have like a gratitude
practice and you're writing itdown every day but in general,
do you think about how lucky youare and what things are going
well for you?
And then the final area isrelationship-based self-care.
So do you spend time with thepeople you love?

(04:46):
Are you able to say no and holdyour boundaries in places where
you want to say no and whereyou have a boundary?
Are you able to ask for helpwhen you need it?
Do you make time for socialactivities that you enjoy?
Do you honor your preferencesfor alone time?
So some people like and want alot of alone time and some

(05:07):
people don't need that much, butdo you honor whatever your
preferences are, and then do youhonor your preferences for
together time?
So that is all of the areasthat I'm going to ask you about.
So if you were keeping trackalong the way, just note what
your score is.
Those are the areas where youare doing well right now in
self-care, self-compassion, andremember, it's just data.

(05:32):
So, whether it's a 3 or a 21, Iwould love to know if anyone
has a 21.
If so, you are definitelykilling it.
My score is pretty high becauseI've worked really hard on it,
but I am definitely not astraight 21 on that for sure.
So take a second to celebrateIf it's three things, or if it's
18 things.
Celebrate the things that youare doing well, because every

(05:53):
single one of those counts andcontributes to how good you feel
about yourself and how muchgood care you take of yourself.
Then the next thing I want youto do is think of one area that
stood out to you as somethingthat you want more of.
So, for example, in my lastgroup coaching, I had someone
who realized she wanted to eathealthier.
I had somebody else who wantedto spend more time in nature.

(06:15):
I had someone else who reallywanted to do more creative
activities, and then I hadsomeone else who was really
working on a relationship.
So just choose whatever areastood out to you as I don't do
that, but I actually wish I didyou can only pick one of them
and then focus on within thatone really small step.
So, for example, if you have adesire to start exercising, a

(06:38):
small step is not research gyms,find one and start working out
five days a week.
It's text a friend who I knowworks out and ask her about her
gym.
If you feel like you're, ifyou're really behind on all of
your appointments and checkupsand dentists and doctors,
instead of saying I'm going tocall and make all of them and
get them all done within thenext month, just jot down a list

(07:01):
of what needs to be scheduledand then maybe put it on your
schedule to make those calls.
If you're desiring moreconnection, if you're lacking in
that relationship area and youwant more connection, text
someone you miss and just tellthem you miss them and suggest
that you grab coffee together orwhatever works for your
schedule.
So remember this isn't a leapfrom getting a three on this

(07:23):
assessment to a 21.
This is just one little stepforward on just one of those
things.
The reason why I'm alwaysencouraging you to take a small
step is because if a step feelstoo big, we as humans are just
not going to do it.
It puts us into overwhelm, wetell ourselves all the reasons

(07:43):
why it can't work or it won'twork, and then we just don't do
it at all.
So one tiny step in the rightdirection is the way to go when
you're trying to create a newhabit or change something about
yourself.
Today, you took that self-careassessment.
You identified the area thatyou'd like to improve and you
chose your one small step.
My challenge to you is betweennow and Monday, which is when

(08:05):
the next podcast comes out, takethat next step and pat yourself
on the back for the progress.
This lesson is from the actualGood Life Workbook that we use
in group coaching.
It is part of one of 12 lessonsthat you will learn in the
group, and each week we learn anew tool that will help you
create a calm and intentionallife where you feel much more

(08:28):
present.
So if this lesson resonated andgroup coaching sounds
interesting to you, come andjoin us.
I'd absolutely love to have you.
There's a link in the shownotes for you to sign up for
group coaching and there's alsoa link for you to set up a 15
minute session with me If youthink it sounds interesting.
But I have some questions.
I'd love to answer yourquestions for you.
Have a great week.

(08:49):
Thank you for listening to theOverwhelmed Working Woman
podcast.
If you want to learn more aboutmy work, head over to my
website at michellegauthier.
com.
See you next week.