This was not the podcast episode I had originally planned to record.
I was meant to be joined by a guest, but she was extremely busy and after several demanding days of pet sitting, I was exhausted too.
Over those few days, I had been caring for 26 dogs, including three litters of puppies.
As you can probably imagine, I was absolutely knackered.
I could have pushed through with the recording simply because it was already in the diary.
Instead, we postponed it.
I gave myself permission to stop, had a nap and recorded a much shorter solo episode that matched the energy I genuinely had available.
That decision became the inspiration for the episode.
Sometimes self-care is not a spa day, an elaborate wellbeing routine or an entire week away from the business.
Sometimes it is noticing that you have reached your limit and choosing not to keep pushing past it.
Overwhelm Is Often Information
When we feel overwhelmed, it is easy to treat it as evidence that we are not coping properly.
We may tell ourselves that we should be more organised, productive or resilient.
However, overwhelm is often information.
It may be telling us that:
- There is too much on our plate
- Our expectations have become unrealistic
- Our systems need reviewing
- Our boundaries need strengthening
- We have not had enough rest
- Something in the business needs to change
Rather than asking:
“Why can’t I cope with this?”
Try asking:
“What is making this difficult right now?”
That question removes some of the shame and allows us to look more practically at what support or adjustment might be needed.
Three Ways to Better Understand Overwhelm
Notice Your Early Warning Signs
Overwhelm rarely appears completely without warning.
There are often signs beforehand.
You may become:
- More irritable
- Forgetful
- Emotional
- Indecisive
- Easily distracted
- Tempted to avoid messages or tasks
- Convinced that everything is urgent
You may also notice physical signs such as tension, headaches, fatigue or difficulty switching off.
For me, the clearest sign that day was exhaustion.
The earlier we recognise these patterns, the more choice we have about what happens next.
Ask yourself:
What do I notice in myself before overwhelm takes over?
Awareness is not the entire solution, but it gives us somewhere to begin.
Separate Genuine Urgency from Pressure
When we are overwhelmed, every task can start to feel equally important.
The client message, invoice, social media post, washing, booking request and email we meant to send three days ago can all feel as though they require immediate attention.
Usually, they do not.
Pause and ask:
What genuinely needs my attention today?
Then ask:
What could wait until tomorrow, later in the week or perhaps not be done at all?
Postponing the guest recording did not make either of us unreliable.
It was a sensible decision based on the capacity we actually had available.
A plan can change without becoming a failure.
Stop Treating Overwhelm as a Personal Failing
Feeling overwhelmed does not mean you are bad at running a business.
It may simply mean you are a tired human being with too many demands competing for your attention.
Try to approach overwhelm with curiosity rather than criticism.
What is contributing to it?
What could be reduced, delayed, delegated or removed?
What support do you need?
Responding to those questions is much more useful than judging yourself for struggling.
Three Ways to Create More Space in Your Week
Protect Unscheduled Time
If every available space in your diary is filled, there is nowhere for unexpected events to go.
And unexpected events are part of running a pet business.
A client changes a booking.
A pet becomes unwell.
The weather affects your services.
A task takes longer than expected.
Try to protect some breathing room.
That might be:
- An hour between appointments
- A quieter afternoon
- A regular administration block
- A morning without client bookings
- A space that is intentionally left empty
This is not wasted time.
It is capacity.
Capacity allows you to respond to real life without the rest of the week collapsing.
Choose Three Weekly Priorities
When we do not decide what matters most, the loudest or most immediate task tends to take over.
At the beginning of the week, choose three priorities.
Not 15.
Three.
A useful structure might be:
- One client priority
- One business priority
- One wellbeing priority
For example, my priorities that week could have been:
- Complete the pet-sitting work safely and well
- Record a short podcast episode
- Get enough rest following several demanding days
When another request appears, you can assess whether it supports those priorities or pulls you further away from them.
Pause Before Automatically Saying Yes
Pet professionals are often naturally caring, helpful people.
That is one of our strengths.
It can also lead us to say yes before checking whether we genuinely have the time, energy or capacity.
Create a pause.
You could say:
“Let me check my diary and come back to you.”
Then check more than whether there is technically a gap.
An empty hour does not always mean an available hour.
That time may be needed for travel, food, administration, recovery or simply breathing between demanding appointments.
Your energy is one of your business resources too.
Changing the Plan Can Be Self-Leadership
I could have ignored how tired I felt and forced myself to complete the recording I had planned.
Instead, I postponed it, rested and created something smaller.
That was not laziness.
It was self-leadership.
It was recognising what was happening and making a decision that supported both me and the quality of my work.
Before you move on with your day, ask yourself:
Where do I currently need to create more space?
Is it in your diary?
Your workload?
Your expectations?
Your boundaries?
Or simply inside your own head?
You do not have to redesign your entire business today.
One small adjustment can begin to reduce the pressure.
Join My Free Pet Business Wellbeing Webinar
Later this month, I will be hosting my first free webinar:
Why Pet Pro Wellbeing Is Essential for a Sustainable Business
During the webinar, we will explore why wellbeing is not separate from business success.
It influences our:
- Decision-making
- Boundaries
- Capacity
- Confidence
- Client relationships
- Ability to continue for the long term
You can register for the free webinar here
I will also be sharing more information about The Pet Business Wellbeing Circle+ during the webinar.
Circle+ was not originally due to reopen until towards the end of September, but there may be a brief opportunity to join sooner.
Keep an eye out for more details.
