Slowing Down to Speed Up: Why Doing Less Can Actually Help You Achieve More
The Exhausting Reality of Juggling It All
Emma’s alarm goes off at 5:30 am, not that she needed it — she’s been awake since 4am, running through her mental to-do list like a marathon she didn’t sign up for. Before her feet even hit the floor, she’s mentally scrolling through her day: lunches, school drop-offs, work, laundry, dinner, something else she can’t quite remember…
By 6:00am, Emma has tossed a load of washing into the machine, is scrambling to assemble her kids’ lunchboxes whilst also searching for her partner’s car keys. The youngest child is crying, the dog’s scratching at the door, and her eldest is upstairs wailing about how her favourite socks feel funny. Trying to mentally prepare for her online work meeting at 9:30am, she finds her husband’s car keys (in the fridge, again!), and manages to squeeze in two sips of coffee amongst the chaos, before racing out the door for school drop off.
It’s only after she gets back home, that Emma notices the school note crumpled on the bench: 34 cupcakes needed for tomorrow’s school bake sale!
Whilst Emma turns on the computer, she quickly looks in the fridge and cupboards to see if she has the right ingredients to bake some cupcakes, before finally logging into her work meeting.
She’s in full Superwoman mode, responding to emails, whilst seemingly engaging in the online meeting, when a text from her friend comes through asking, ‘When can we catch up for lunch?’. She starts typing a reply but gets distracted when the dog begins barking at the delivery driver, needing to quickly hit mute on her computer microphone.
After a busy, productive work day, Emma’s day doesn’t stop there. She needs to do the after-school pick-up, dinner prep, supervising homework, and having to re-wash that load of washing; oops she’d forgotten to hang it out during the day. That really annoyed her! Now one more thing to worry about.
It’s now into the evening, and Emma has been yelling at the kids to go to bed, burnt the cupcakes, and is now shouting over the sound of the smoke alarm for her partner to let the dog out.
At some point, Emma remembers she still hasn’t responded to her best friend’s text. She starts typing a reply but gets distracted when the dog starts vomiting on the carpet. I’ll respond later, she tells herself, as she dashes to grab cleaning supplies, all while wondering if it’s easier to just rip up the carpet and buy a new one.
Once the kids are in bed, Emma makes a quick dash to the grocery store (for cupcakes of course!). Finally, after collapsing onto the couch at the end of the day with a big sigh, she stares at her phone for a moment, thinking there was something she was supposed to do, before Googling “when do you take a vomiting dog to the vet?”, but then quickly deleting this and typing instead “how to clone myself”! After a big yawn, and muttering to herself how exhausted she feels, her partner, laying with his feet up on the couch, casually asks, “Why are you always so tired?”!
Accelerating Action by De-Accelerating
If Emma’s story feels all too familiar, you’re not alone. Women across the world are stuck in a relentless cycle of doing it all — and trying to do it perfectly.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Accelerate Action,” but maybe it’s time to challenge what action really means. Sometimes, the most impactful action we can take is to de-accelerate — to stop chasing perfection, let go of the Superwoman myth, and prioritise our mental health.
Because here’s the truth: this constant state of overwhelm isn’t sustainable. It’s not empowering; it’s exhausting. And if we don’t challenge this narrative, the next generation of women will inherit the same unrealistic expectations, believing they, too, must juggle everything without dropping the ball. After all, children are watching and learning from us!
Tips for Slowing Down
So, let’s do this. Let’s ‘accelerate action’ by ‘de-accelerating’. Here are some practical ways to put an end to this endless pursuit of ‘doing it all’:
- Say No Without Apology
The next time someone asks you to take on something you can’t or don’t want to, practice saying “no” — without guilt. Every “yes” to something unimportant is a “no” to your own wellbeing. - Ditch Perfectionism
Burnt cupcakes? Store-bought is fine. Forgot to reply to your friend? It can wait ’til tomorrow. Left the washing in the machine? So what, the kids can just find something else to wear the next day. Stop holding yourself to impossible standards — you wouldn’t expect this of others, so don’t expect it of yourself! - Delegate Tasks. Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
Superwoman might fly solo, but you don’t have to. Start thinking of yourself as being part of a team and hand over tasks to your partner, kids, or colleagues accordingly — it’s not a sign of weakness; it’s a way to protect your energy, treat yourself with respect, and encourage equality by sharing responsibility. Don’t feel the need to control everything or hold others to unrealistic standards. Your partner will ensure the kids stay alive, and your colleagues will eventually get the job done. And who cares if the kids don’t do the laundry the way you would? They need opportunities to learn and grow too! - Set Boundaries (and Stick to Them)
Block out time for you, whether it’s a walk, a yoga class, getting your nails done, or simply sitting down and reading a book. Treat this time as sacred and non-negotiable. - Make Rest a Priority
Sleep isn’t a luxury — it’s essential. Stop seeing rest as unproductive and start viewing it as the foundation of your mental health. - Model Healthy Behaviours for the Next Generation
Show your kids, partner, your friends, and colleagues what balance really looks like. When you set boundaries, say no without guilt, and prioritise your wellbeing, you’re not just helping yourself — you’re showing others it’s possible. Kids learn from what they see, and if they grow up watching you run yourself into the ground, they’ll think that’s normal. The same goes for friends and colleagues — if they see you constantly trying to be Superwoman, they’ll feel pressured to do the same. But when you demonstrate that setting boundaries and rest isn’t laziness and self-care isn’t selfish, you help shift the culture away from burnout and towards balance, and challenge society’s expectations of women.
The Key Message: How Slowing Down is Moving Forward
De-accelerating isn’t just self-care; it’s a revolutionary act. It’s how we challenge the norms that tell women they need to do it all — and do it perfectly. After all, if we don’t stop chasing perfection, who will?
This International Women’s Day, let’s remember that accelerating action doesn’t mean running faster; it means taking purposeful steps in the right direction. Sometimes, the best way forward begins with slowing down — because our real superpower isn’t doing it all; it’s knowing when to pause, rest, and recharge.
Imagine if Emma embraced this new approach. Let’s see how her day might end…
As Emma reflects on her day from the comfort of her bed, she realises that juggling everything isn’t the key to feeling accomplished. In fact, the more she tries to do it all, the more drained she feels. She begins to see that things need to change — whether it’s asking for support, prioritising rest, setting clearer boundaries, or simply saying no — this might be the most powerful actions she can take.
At this moment, Emma remembers the text she’s been meaning to reply to. She smiles and types back to her friend, “Lunch sounds great! How about in 2046?”