Love Letter's From A Therapist's Journal: Dear Multitasking You

Hello, Love Letter Family,

Good Morning, Afternoon, Evening or Night! I hope this week finds you well.

Welcome back to Love Letters From A Therapist's Journal.  Each blog post, there will be a different love letter written to a specific version of you.

Please visit the blog to view the previous letters I have written to you. And the one I wrote to me.

This week’s love letter is Dear Multitasking You. This is the version of you that "has a lot of different pots on the fire." You have become a master of doing several things at once. Sometimes, many different things at once: work, family, school, marriage, finances-the list can go on and on and on. When does it stop? As usual, I will share my experience to provide you with some tips you can use.

Let's begin with this week's letter:

 Dear Multitasking You,

Now I see why you're exhausted all the time! Look at what you're doing! You remind me of the woman who HAS to carry all her groceries from the car in one trip-no matter how painful, how uncomfortable. It has to be done in one trip! But what did you win? Why does eveything have to be done at once? Why can't you pace yourself? Does it make you more valuable as a person to complete everything all at once. Have you heard of the phrase, "a jack of all trades is the master of none?"

*Fun Fact: The term “multitasking” actually comes from computers, not psychology! Early computers couldn’t even perform multiple tasks at the same time, they just switched between task quickly, so it appeared they were doing everything at once. If computers can't really multitask, what makes you think you can? Let's review some takeaways from this.

1. Pick A Few Things To Do-And Do Them Well

Remember the "jack of all trades" quote I referenced earlier? It is better to slow down and pace yourself and perform a few tasks well and thoroughly than to performa lot of tasks in mediocrity. It also conserves your energy-emotionally and physically. So you can do other things, or to do nothing, your choice.

2. Question The Value To Attach To Doing Everything At Once

Do you view yourself in a more favorable light because you can do everything all together? Is that where your worth for yourself lies? Are you only as good as the things you do? They say, "never mistake activity for achievement." Busy work is not always productive. You can be busy, but you are still deserving of rest, care and compassion-remember, we have to show ourselves the same compassion we show others.

3. Multitasking Can Look Like Strength, But Leads To Burnout

Remember, even computers (read machines) are unable to multitask. They participate in rapid switching. That is really what we are doing when we "multitask," rapidly switching. And what do you anticipate will happen when you are constantly rapidly switching? You know a shut down is coming soon. So we have to slow down before our bodies shut down!

Rest is not laziness-it is a necessity. And it is self-care!

Closing the Letter

Dear Multitasking You, 

You gotta slow down, girl! You HAVE to slow down! Y0u cannot do everything at once (literally you can't). Even if you could do everything at once, you are sacrificing quality in your efforts and the quality in your life. You cannot burn the candle at both ends. You are doing well. Because you are recognizing that something has got to change. Go. Rest. You do things more effiicently and thoroughly when you are well rested. So rest literally makes you more productive. Not burning yourself out. You deserve rest. You don't have to earn it.

With Love,

From Your Therapist’s Journal

If you’re tired of spinning your wheels and feeling like you’re never “enough” because of all the things you try to juggle, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why I created The Manual, a therapist-written self-care system designed for busy women who want sustainable emotional support, not quick fixes.

It helps you build a customized self-care plan that fits your real life, so you can focus on what matters most without burning out or feeling guilty.

✨ Launching March 2nd! Until then, start with my Free Reset Tool + Affirmation Cards to gently reset and recharge, without pressure or perfection.

Download Your Free Reset Tool + Affirmations

Leave a comment below—tell me what you are going to do to rest today, so you can be more productive!

Encouraging Words for the Week

"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you."

- Anne Lamott

About the Author

Lauren Cartwright, MS, LCPC, is a licensed therapist with over 20 years of experience helping women prioritize self-care, emotional wellness, and balance in their everyday lives. She specializes in supporting professional women who feel overwhelmed, burned out, or disconnected from themselves.

Through Love Letters From A Therapist’s Journal, Lauren blends clinical insight, compassion, faith, and honesty to help readers reset their mindset, practice grace-filled self-care, and reconnect with who they are, without guilt or pressure. She believes self-care should be realistic, sustainable, and personalized, not another impossible expectation.

Lauren is a Black woman, a Christian, a mother, and a breast cancer survivor. Her work is grounded in the belief that healing begins with compassion, intentional rest, and learning how to care for yourself in ways that truly fit your life.