It's Time to Stop: 5 Signs You Are Taking on Too Much 0 11

Often, women take on more than they can handle, not because they want to appear heroic, but because they fear letting others down, disappointing them, or not meeting expectations.

Women’s coach Valentina Krasnikova provided five simple yet accurate markers to help you understand: it’s time to stop.

You are constantly tired, even after resting

You go to bed exhausted, wake up drained, and increasingly catch yourself thinking that life is becoming difficult. Your fatigue is not about being busy, but about internal burnout. When you don’t allow yourself the right to "not keep up," "not want to," and "not be able to," your body eventually stops recovering. It simply burns out from the inside. Fatigue that doesn’t go away is your body’s way of screaming: "I can’t cope anymore."

You feel irritation towards your closest ones

If hugs from your child or jokes from your husband used to bring you joy, but now they irritate you, this is a warning sign. When your resources are depleted, even love cannot save you. We cannot give warmth if it’s winter inside.

Irritation is not your fault. It’s a symptom. A symptom that your attention is constantly directed outward and hasn’t returned to yourself for a long time.

You don’t remember the last time you felt joy

Have you ever noticed that even on vacation you can’t relax? That a walk with the kids turns into a to-do list, and a trip to a café becomes a necessity to "quickly grab a bite"? When life loses its flavor, and even little things don’t bring joy, it’s time to admit: you are stuck in "must" mode and have long lost "want." This state is often accompanied by a feeling of inner emptiness — everything is there, but happiness is not.

You have no time for yourself — at all

The morning starts with breakfasts, school, work, activities, laundry, cooking, checking homework, planning, organizing… And where are you in this list? When your day is scheduled down to the minute, but there isn’t a single segment of time just for yourself, you turn into a function. First — a good mother, then — an organized wife, then — an indispensable employee. But where is the person in this? The woman? The individual?

You don’t know how to ask for help

Or you know how, but don’t do it. Because it’s "inconvenient," "I can manage on my own," "everyone has their own problems." This pattern is destructive. The world doesn’t demand heroism from you. Moreover, in a healthy community, it’s appropriate to ask for help, and it’s important to know how to receive.

Refusing help is a path to emotional loneliness and chronic tension. Being strong doesn’t mean doing everything alone. It means not destroying yourself for the sake of others’ convenience.

How to stop carrying everything on your shoulders?

Prioritize. Not everything is important. And definitely not everything is urgent. Learn to cross off from your list what doesn’t lead to your goals and values.

Delegate. Children can put their things away themselves. Your husband can cook dinner. A colleague can respond to an email. Stop trying to control everything.

Include yourself in the schedule. Right now. Plan an evening alone, a bath with salt, or just a walk without gadgets. This is not a whim. It’s a necessity.

Learn to say "no." Not rudely. Just firmly. The ability to refuse is one of the main conditions for inner freedom.

Find your person. A friend, a mentor, a community. Someone you can talk to about your feelings without pretending to be strong.

We live in a culture of female self-sacrifice, where "being good" is more important than being alive. But it’s time to reconsider these beliefs. Because a strong woman doesn’t have to be exhausted. She can be rested, calm, and happy.

And if you recognized yourself in this text — that’s already the first step. From here — only forward. To yourself.