Do less.

How do you know when it's time to take a step back?

I have always been someone who likes to have a lot on my plate. I thrive on feeling busy. I enjoy being involved in things. I’m known to be organized and energetic, and I like that I have a reputation as a person who gets stuff done.

But…

In 2026, that hasn’t been so easy. Since my most recent eye surgery in January, I haven’t been able to find my way back into my former routine. Recovery from surgery took longer than I wanted (and is honestly still ongoing). I’m almost always tired, sometimes close to running-on-empty. Exercise—dance class or yoga or the weight training I took up last year—is harder than it used to be. I’m taking more naps.

In short, I am fatigued.

Just doing my best over here…

And so, what I’m thinking about this week comes from a conversation I had recently, centered around self-care. I opened up a little bit about how worn out I’ve been feeling, and a consensus quickly formed in the group:

I need to do less.

Suffice it to say, I am not particularly good at doing less.

Especially—and this is important—when I already feel like I’m not doing enough.

I am an author who is currently between book deals. The longer I go between book deals, the harder I feel like I have to work to catch up. I know this about myself; I’ve been in this place before (see: the gap between publishing How It Feels to Fly in 2016 and getting a book deal for the Class Critters series in 2020). The instinct is, it’s up to me to make something happen! I need to be ready to hit the ground running when the slump ends! The more manuscripts I have ready to go and irons I have in the fire when things take off again, the better!

And, you know…I’m not wrong! It’s just that I can start to shift from “productive” to “frantic,” and that’s not necessarily the happiest or healthiest place to be.

Meanwhile, my other work (particularly freelance journalism) has also slowed down a bit in recent years. Not having as much work to do makes me antsy—which makes me more likely to throw myself into other things, both to fill my time and to feel like I’m doing something worthwhile. As in, I may not have a big writing deadline right now, but that just means I can chaperone more field trips, do more work for the PTA, get more done around the house, and so forth.

Those non-writing things are valuable and meaningful! (Particularly when they involve spending time with my wonderful kid!) But they also take time and energy.

When I’m feeling like I’m not doing enough, I tend to overcompensate and do too much.

Lately, that doesn’t seem to be working for me.

Hence, do less.

Does this resonate with any of you? Any tips for me?

Here’s where I am right now:

• Prioritize what’s most meaningful. For me, that category includes family time, my creative writing, and moving my body.

• Let go of what’s “extra.” I’ve already taken a step back from a few things that were causing me additional stress. I’m looking for other areas where I can let go without creating too much hassle or strain for other people involved.

• Ask for help. I need to remember that I don’t have to go it alone—and if the help costs money, the expense can be well worth it for what I get in return.

• Volunteer more sparingly. In the weeks and months ahead, as I try to get myself back on track, I’m going to be more choosy with what I say “yes” to.

My Word of the Year in 2025 was “Refill,” and as I reflected on my year in December, I felt like I’d done a great job of refilling my well. Now, looking at those 2025 goals and successes through my tired, jaded 2026 eyes, it’s tempting to feel defeated. How did I let my well dry up again so quickly?

Well, it turns out that refilling my well was not a one-and-done thing. It wasn’t as though I’d solved the problem of being depleted, and now I was ready to move forward, replenished and rarin’ to go forevermore. I mean, I started my new year with a planned surgery! I should have anticipated needing time and space to recover and rebuild! (Side note: even small, so-called elective procedures can take their toll. Listen to your body, friends.) Instead, I felt frustrated that I wasn’t bouncing back as quickly as I wanted, which made me try to bounce back even harder…until I crashed.

My Word for 2026 is “Stretch,” and another friend suggested that perhaps for me, it is stretching myself not to try to do as much as usual. Taking a purposeful step back is acting against my instinct to do more, be more. So! I’m going to try to do better for myself by doing less.

And I’m going to try to be kind to myself in this time of doing less.

I hope you’re being kind to yourself right now, too.

~Kathryn