#144| The Maycember Effect: Why You’re Overwhelmed and How to Solve It Without Guilt: Overwhelm, Productivity, Time Management & People Pleasing

Are you drowning in May's chaos, juggling field trips, finals, and forgotten teacher gifts — all while trying to keep up at work and maintain relationships and get some sleep?

This episode is your calm in the storm. May often feels like a marathon of invisible labor for working women, and it’s not in your head — it's real. You’ll learn why this month feels harder than others and how to stop the burnout spiral before it takes you down.

In this episode, you will:

• Discover the one mindset shift that instantly relieves pressure and overwhelm.
• Learn how to use “B-minus” effort to get more done with less stress.
• Get three powerful ways to simplify your May calendar (without guilt or shame).

Hit play now to feel seen, understood, and supported — and to finally take control of your May with a calm, doable plan. This too shall pass!

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Wondering why you're overwhelmed? Take my "why am I overwhelmed" quiz to find out the source of your overwhelm, and what to do about it.

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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):
You don't have to do it all, and you
definitely don't have to do itall perfectly, even if your
brain tells you that you do.

Michelle Gauther (00:11):
You're listening to Overwhelmed Working
Woman, the podcast that helpsyou be more calm and more
productive by doing less.
I'm your host, MichelleGauthier, a former Overwhelmed
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

(00:34):
.

Michelle Gauthier (00:38):
Friend, hi.
I'm gonna start off today bybeing straight up with you and
tell you that I, as of yesterday, described myself as hanging on
by a thread, and you know whatthat has to do with.
It has to do with the month ofMay.
There are so many additionalthings that I have to do and
that I'm sure you have to do too.
I made a post about thisbecause I counted and there were

(01:00):
16 additional things to myalready full schedule that I had
to do in May, and everyone whoreplied echoed the same
sentiments.
So we are not imagining it.
I got all my podcast stuffready to record this podcast for
you and I thought to myself Ican't, I've got to take a nap
before I can even record thispodcast.

(01:22):
I am straight up exhausted, soI just had to lie down.
Not only did I have to take anap before I could record this
podcast, but also I didn't mealplan this week because I didn't
have time, and what that hasmeant is that I have had to
order delivery for lunch.
One day, I had delivery lunchand a protein bar for breakfast

(01:44):
and dinner.
How's that I don't think I'mhitting all my macros with that
plan, and so if you're feelinglike I am and you're just barely
hanging on, this podcast is foryou.
It's going to be short.
I'm going to tell you why Mayfeel so overwhelming, one
mindset shift that can help youcalm the chaos and then give you

(02:04):
some practical, do less tipsthat you can use this month.
Let's dive in.
Okay, let's just call it whatit is.
First of all, the craziness ofMay is real and also you're not
alone.
It's like school events, sportstournaments, graduation parties
, field trips, events case.
I had a couple work deadlinesthat I had to do too.

(02:26):
I'm helping my older son studyfor finals.
It's just sort of nonstoparound here.
The logistics and emotions andall of the things that have to
happen in May is like Olympiclevel stuff.
And then there's the part wherewe have to show up at work and

(02:47):
still be a thoughtful partnerand maintain friendships and
remember to buy end of yearteacher gifts.
And, oh my gosh, if you are ateacher and you're doing all of
this, both from the side ofbeing a parent and the side of
being a teacher, who you'reamazing.
Hang in there.
So I think it's reallyimportant for us to just
remember and you've probablyheard this from me before but

(03:07):
it's no wonder that we feeloverwhelmed, because this is a
really high volume month forinvisible labor.
You're carrying around morethan most people can see.
Probably another mom is thebest person if you want to
really be seen and understood.
So if you feel like you'rebarely holding it together,
you're totally normal, okay.

(03:29):
The second thing I want to talkabout is a mindset shift for you
to consider, and that is thatgood enough is good enough, and
this is the point where I wantto offer you some relief from
everything that's going on thismonth, because you don't have to
do it all, and you definitelydon't have to do it all
perfectly, even if your braintells you that you do, because

(03:50):
you would prefer to do things-everything- A plus, but this is
a great month for B minus.
What I see in my coachingduring all the months not just
me but if we have a thoughtlike, I have to do all these
things and I have to do themperfectly, it leads to overwhelm
100% of the time, and whenyou're overwhelmed, you do

(04:10):
basically nothing.
You sit and spin in overwhelm,not knowing where to start or
what to do first, and often wehave negative self thoughts in
that moment.
So, in order to avoid thatfeeling of overwhelm, changing
your thought and this might bean unconscious thought that
you're having but I have to doall this, and I have to do it
perfectly to doing my best withwhat I have today, or doing my

(04:34):
best for today, is enough.
Let me give you some specificexamples of where you can do B
minus work and still get thething done.
So I have a special person in mylife who's graduating from
college.
She was our nanny for likeeight years.
She's one of my best friend'sdaughters and she's graduating
from college and I'm ultra,ultra proud of her and I had

(04:55):
this idea to get her like a coolleather work bag with her
initials on it.
That just sounded like theperfect gift for her, based on
what I know about her.
And then, as we get closer andcloser, I'm thinking it's too
late to order anything that'spersonalized.
Then I was like maybe I can gosomewhere and just buy it.
No, I can't go somewhere andjust buy it because I don't even

(05:15):
have time to do that.
So what I ended up doing iswhen I was taking my nephew to
Target to buy him a present forhis birthday, because he wanted
to pick out his own present.
I bought a graduation card andI went to the ATM at Target and
I got cash and I am going totake the time to write her a
really heartfelt note about howproud I am of her and I'm going
to throw some cash in there andthat's going to have to be good

(05:38):
enough and she's still going toknow I love her and even though
it feels uncomfortable to mebecause I would really rather
have gotten her that other thing, giving her the money and
writing down my special words isenough.
So where can you do somethinglike that?
Where can you downgrade youreffort?
The third thing I want to sayis a strategy that I recommended

(05:59):
in my newsletter a couple weeksago.
But just in case you don't getmy newsletter, you should.
If you don't, it's calledSimple Sunday and it gives you
good tips for the week.
So sign up.
In the show notes I'll put thelink, but sign up for that if
you don't get it.
But if you did get it, youprobably read it at the
beginning of May and you mighthave forgotten the suggestions
that I gave you.
So I'm just going to remind youor tell you for the first time.
Here's what I suggest you doLook at your calendar for May.

(06:30):
Literally write, write downeverything or highlight
everything on your plate thismonth that is above and beyond
your normal schedule.
Look at the whole list of thosethings and ask yourself what
can I let go of without feelingguilty?
I was talking to another momyesterday.
She was telling me that her sonhas two different hockey
tournaments this weekend andthat he has a total of eight
games.
And she said I just cannotbelieve I have to go to eight
games.
And what we talked about was doyou really have to go to eight

(06:53):
games?
Could you go to five games ortwo games, you know?
Could you split with yourpartner, with his dad?
So think about that for you.
Just because it's on yourcalendar or your to do list
doesn't mean you have to do it.
See if there's something thatyou can cross off.
I'm crossing off going to mydaughter's horse lessons.
She likes for me to stay thereand like, video her and just be

(07:15):
with her, and I have to crossthat off during this time
because I'm helping my other sonstudy for finals.
Not my other son.
I only have one son.
I'm helping my son study forfinals, so I have to cross off
my daughter's horse lessons.
So now you have your remainingthings.
Look at those and see how youcan simplify them.
Can you make things easier?

(07:37):
Can you batch errands, like howI was taking my nephew to
Target and I got the graduationcards and also one for the
handsome man friend's son who'sgraduating too, and went to the
ATM while I was there.
Can you batch your errands?
Can you ask for help?
I just texted my dad and askedhim if he could take my daughter
to the orthodontist on Monday,because I don't think I can

(07:57):
swing it.
So after you've made your list,crossed things off and
simplified or made those taskseasier or made a plan to do B
minus work, then we're left withthe essential tasks and we have
a toned down version of them.
But I think it's just mostimportant to remember that May
does have a last day.
May 31st we'll be here beforewe know it and we'll be into

(08:20):
summer and hopefully things willbe much more relaxing for you.
But for now, I just want toremind you that you're enough.
You're already enough.
You have been enough in everymonth of the year so far and
that I know if you're a personwho listens to this podcast, you
like to try your best ateverything and you're doing a
great job.
Have a great week.
I'll see you on Thursday.
Thank you for listening to theoverwhelmed working woman

(08:46):
podcast.
If you want to learn more aboutmy work, head over to my
website at michellegauthier.
com.

Michelle Gauther (08:53):
See you next week.