The Lawyer’s Well-Being Brief. . . Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time
“It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.”-E.E. Cummings
The Myth of Being “Too Busy”
Ask almost anyone how they’re doing, and you’ll hear the same answer: “Busy.”
Not just busy—but overwhelmed.
We wear it like a badge of honor. A signal that we’re working hard, doing our best, holding it all together. But what if that constant state of overwhelm isn’t a reflection of how much we have to do—but how we’re thinking about time itself?
In Overwhelmed, Brigid Schulte challenges a powerful cultural narrative: that there is never enough time.
But here’s the truth—most of us don’t just have a time problem.
We have a priority, attention, and permission problem.
The Hidden Cost of “Always On”
Many of us live in a state of what Schulte calls time confetti—fragmented moments scattered throughout the day. We’re answering emails during meetings, checking our phones during dinner, thinking about work when we’re supposed to be resting.
The result?
We’re rarely fully present anywhere.
And over time, that fragmentation drains more energy than a full schedule ever could.
Reframing Time: From Scarcity to Intention
One of the most powerful shifts we can make is moving from:
“I don’t have time”
to“This is not a priority right now”
That small language change forces clarity. It puts you back in control.
Because the reality is, we all have the same 24 hours—but we don’t all use them with the same level of intention.
The Permission We Don’t Give Ourselves
Here’s where this really hits home:
Many people feel overwhelmed not just because of obligations—but because they don’t feel allowed to rest, to play, or to do nothing.
Schulte emphasizes something that often gets lost in high-achievement cultures:
Rest is not a reward. It’s a requirement.
Without it, everything else—our work, our relationships, our well-being—starts to erode.
A Simple Practice for This Week
Try this:
At the end of each day, ask yourself two questions:
When was I most present today?
What actually mattered?
Not what felt urgent. Not what was loudest.
What truly mattered.
Over time, those answers will start to guide your schedule more than your to-do list ever could.
Final Thought
Being overwhelmed isn’t a sign that you’re failing.
But staying there without questioning it—that’s where we get stuck.
You don’t need more hours in the day.
You need a different relationship with the ones you already have.
