Overwhelmed Working Woman: Boost Productivity, Master Time Management, Overcome Overwhelm & Stop People Pleasing
Imagine feeling calmer, more focused, and in control . . . even with a full plate. That’s what Overwhelmed Working Woman, a top 1.5% podcast, delivers for accomplished women every week.
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Each episode offers simple, practical strategies to help you reduce overwhelm, improve productivity, and stop people pleasing. You’ll learn surprising time management hacks, how to do less without guilt, and why the path to calm begins with changing how you think. All of this comes with guidance from host and Life Coach Michelle Gauthier, who has 8+ years of experience coaching hundreds of women.
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If you're ready to reclaim your energy, focus, and peace of mind, you’re in the right place. Start with listener favorite: “The Power of a To-Don’t List.”
Overwhelmed Working Woman: Boost Productivity, Master Time Management, Overcome Overwhelm & Stop People Pleasing
#179| Declutter Challenge Day 2: One Small Space: Overwhelm, Productivity, Time Management & People Pleasing
Does your office, car, or even bathroom make you feel heavy and drained every time you walk in?
Clutter isn’t just about stuff—it’s about the weight it puts on your energy and focus. For Day 2 of the Declutter Challenge, Michelle guides you through how to pick the one space that feels the heaviest and break it down into a manageable 30-minute win.
When you listen, you’ll discover:
- The 3-pile method to clear any space without overwhelm.
- How to tackle even the most chaotic rooms by breaking them into bite-sized zones.
- The surprising way a clean space shifts your mindset and makes you feel more in control of your life.
Press play now to learn the simple steps to transform one cluttered spot into a calm, energizing space today.
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Life can be overwhelming, but on this podcast, you'll discover practical strategies to overcome overwhelm, imposter syndrome, and negative self-talk, manage time effectively, set boundaries, and stay productive in high-stress jobs—all while learning how to say no and prioritize self-care on the Overwhelmed Worki...
You're listening to Overwhelmed Working Woman, the podcast that helps you be more calm and more productive by doing less. I'm your host, Michelle Gauthier, a former Overwhelmed Working Woman and current life coach. On this show, we unpack the stress and pressure that today's working woman experiences and in each episode you'll get a strategy to bring more calm, ease and relaxation to your life.
Michelle Gauthier:Hey friend, welcome to day two of the declutter challenge. Yesterday we set our intention and did a quick micro declutter. I've heard from some of you clearing out your wallet, say your nightstands or a car cup holder, and those really tiny wins do shift how you feel, don't they? That little hit of relief is proof that even small, tiny steps matter. I heard from a bunch of you yesterday which was awesome, just a reminder that when you send me your wins, either a voice note or reply back to my email, you will get entered to win a prize. And when you do that every time, each time, you'll get entered to win a prize, and when you do that, your wins might get shared on the podcast. I will just use your first name, by the way.
Michelle Gauthier:Okay, so for today, we are going to go a little bit bigger than yesterday's micro declutter and we're going to stick with simplifying a physical space. So this is about choosing one area of your life that feels heavy and making some progress in that area. So maybe it's your office, maybe it's a room or a section in your house, maybe it's your car Sometimes my car really gets a little out of control. You could literally live in it at some point. So we have all the sports equipment, sweatshirts, water bottles, all the things you can imagine in there. So today I want you to think about the question what area of your home or a physical space that belongs to you feels the heaviest right now. Just ponder that for a second and if you have officially registered for the challenge, you will see this question in your workbook, along with several other questions to help you think about what to simplify for today. Again, if you haven't done that yet, it is absolutely not too late to join. Go to the link in the show notes and you will instantly get the workbook that goes along with this challenge when you think about that space for you.
Michelle Gauthier:So I was just talking to a client who's feeling very uninspired by her office. She had a lot of paperwork there and it was just kind of blah and drab. So if that's you and let's just say it's your office, because today we're trying to make small progress and as part of this challenge, what I've promised you is that you have to listen to the podcast in the morning five, 10 minutes and then you can spend as much time as you want, but I'm imagining most people setting aside like 30 minutes to do their declutter. If you can do more than that, that's amazing. But take the space that you're thinking of and break it down so that if you just spent 30 minutes there, what could you declutter?
Michelle Gauthier:So if we're talking about the office and you're a person who's feeling overwhelmed by your office, where could that 30 minutes be spent? Could it be spent on the top of your desk? Could it be spent on a closet in your office? Could it be spent on a bookshelf or a specific section? If you're thinking about your basement, is there like a little corner or an area that you could work on? If you're thinking about your bathroom, could you do like one of the drawers or two of the drawers? If you really want to go through all of your clothes, could you just do the hanging clothes in one section today? So think about what space feels the worst to you, and then how to make that space smaller and do just like you did yesterday, where you set a timer for 30 minutes and then you take the three simple steps, which are to take it all out, take out every single item. This step, by the way, always makes my children feel panicked. They always know when I've taken everything out that I've like had it with something. Don't worry if your family panics, it's normal. It's normal, okay. Sort it into three piles Keep, throw away, give away and by throw away you can also mean recycle.
Michelle Gauthier:Be a little brutal in this section. Okay, we tend to overkeep stuff. There is really no reason to keep more than one of essentially anything, unless you like have backup tubes of toothpaste that you've purchased on purpose. But, for example, kitchen utensils, do you really need like five spatulas or do you really need? Actually, I have two ones for the grill and ones for not the grill. So think about how many of each one of these things that you really need. Think about if you've used or worn this item in, like the past year, even if you're like, oh, I might need this for that one time.
Michelle Gauthier:Really, will you or will you feel better having that space in your life and then put back only the keep pile and then everything else gets discarded or donated. If you're following along this week, you might just want to get like a big trash bag or something and start making your giveaway pile so you don't have to run to Goodwill or wherever you donate things every day. And once you have it all back in, take a picture, send me the picture and notice how you feel. So when you finish that, take a second to notice the difference and see how the space feels compared to before, and what difference do you notice in yourself when you walk into or spend time in that space? Now, I was talking earlier about my car and how sometimes it looks like we could live in there. When I get it cleaned like take it through a car wash and then get all the junk out of it and put it back where it belongs, like where the water bottles go and where all the sweatshirts go, etc. I seriously feel like the thought that I have is I have my life together when my car is clean. I feel like I have my life together when it's messy. I do not. So notice the difference in yourself before and after you do that Declutter.
Michelle Gauthier:Okay, great job, friend. I would love to hear your wins. Reply to your daily email. If you're registered for the declutter challenge, you will get an email from me every morning so you already have one from today. Or leave me a quick voice memo the link is in the show notes for that. Every time you share, you'll be entered to win a prize. That's it for day two. Pick your small spot, follow the steps and celebrate your progress. Tomorrow we're going to move into digital clutter and clear some space in your inbox or apps or photos. Have a great day. See you tomorrow. Box or apps or photos. Have a great day, see you tomorrow. Thank you for listening to the Overwhelmed Working Woman podcast. If you want to learn more about my work, head over to my website at michellegauthier. com. See you next week.