Ep. 92 - Releasing Mental Busy Work

We all know what busy work looks like at the office — tasks that take time, energy, and focus away from making meaningful progress on the projects that actually move the mission forward. They feel productive, but at the end of the day, they just keep us occupied.

And we do the same thing in our minds.

We spend hours ruminating, second-guessing, and mentally rehearsing conversations — not because it helps us move forward, but because it keeps our brains busy.

It gives us the feeling of productivity, while quietly pulling energy away from the real inner work that could actually create clarity or change.

For me, thinking felt safer than not thinking — because as long as I was thinking, it felt like I was at least trying to solve the problem… of my life.

When I wasn’t thinking, my brain would panic — worried I was being irresponsible, like I wasn’t doing enough to “fix” things.

So I stayed in motion — even if it wasn’t getting me anywhere.

In this short, insight-packed episode, I share a simple but powerful shift:

Overthinking, ruminating, second-guessing?
They’re not clarity. They’re mental busy work.

And once I started labeling them that way — something changed.

I stopped treating every thought like it deserved my full attention.
I stopped exhausting myself trying to figure it all out.

And I started to feel what it was like to reclaim my mental space — without having to fix or finish every thought first.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through:

• Why mental effort isn’t the same as mental effectiveness
• How to recognize “mental busy work” in the moment
• Why we default to it (and how it keeps us stuck)
• A permission-giving shift that can help you feel lighter, clearer, and more capable

If you’re tired of carrying the weight of constant thinking, this episode might be the emotional permission slip you didn’t know you needed.

You might discover that your thoughts have been getting in the way — not because they’re wrong, but because they’ve just been...mental busy work.

If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to share it with someone who might find it helpful.

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Life can be so much more than we think. And that's where we start - with your thinking. See how your thoughts have been holding you back, and how mindset tools can help you cut through the noise and move forward.

At the end of the day, we have one life.

How do you want to live yours?

Think about it.

And then, let's get to work.

Book a call. Visit KariWatterson.com.