The Emotional Weight of 'Shoulds'

Getting back into a routine after time away can feel harder than starting from scratch. Whether your break was planned or unexpected — a sabbatical, illness, caregiving, burnout, or simply life — restarting often comes with pressure, guilt, and unrealistic expectations. Photo by tatonomusic on Unsplash In this episode of The Productive Woman, we explore a gentler, more compassionate approach to restarting routines, one that honors where you are now and helps you rebuild momentum without overwhelm. In this episode, we talk about: Why restarts often feel emotionally and mentally difficult The role of expectations (and “shoulds”) in making restarts harder than they need to be Why you don’t restart where you left off — you restart where you are How to reset your expectations before resetting your schedule What a “minimum viable routine” really looks like The power of choosing one small anchor habit instead of rebuilding everything at once How anchor habits create confidence and continuity Why urgency sabotages restarts — and what to use instead How to rebuild routines with compassion rather than pressure A simple Gentle Restart Framework you can use this week The Gentle Restart Framework: Choose one anchor habit you can do consistently Schedule one short planning check-in (10–15 minutes) Add one act of self-support to make restarting easier Reflection questions from this episode: What expectations am I carrying that no longer fit this season? What does “enough” look like right now? If I could do just one small thing consistently this week, what would it be? What do I want more of — and less of — in this season of my life? Remember: You’re not behind — you’re beginning Consistency comes after kindness Productivity isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what matters Resources mentioned: Download the Gentle Restart Worksheet Articles worth looking at: Urgency, Intention, and Inner Peace — Autumn McKenzie (38) Post | LinkedIn The Minimum Viable Routine: How To Make A Personalized MVR & Transform Your Life - A Destiny By Design | by Destiny Olivia What's Your Minimum Viable Routine? - by Sarai Mitnick (38) The Minimum Viable Routine: Everybody Has a Plan Until They’re Punched in the Mouth | LinkedIn How to Create a “Minimum Viable Routine” for Tough Times | Motivation Why Your ‘Perfect’ Morning Routine Might Be Setting You Up for Failure | by Lakshmi Jyotsna | Medium The Problem With "Should" Statements - Central Valley Family Therapy Letting Go of the 'Shoulds': Releasing Unrealistic Expectations in Mental Health and Life - Genesis Counseling Instagram The Tyranny of “Shoulds” - The Summit Counseling Center The Cult of Productivity is Breaking People (39) Post | LinkedIn Rethinking Productivity: 3 Lessons I Wish I Knew Sooner | by Vincent Weng | Medium Coming up next: Decluttering With Purpose, Not Pressure — how to clear space in ways that support what matters most. Productivity isn’t about getting more done — it’s about getting the right things done so you can make a life that matters. Help Spread the Word! Tell a friend about The Productive Woman podcast. Share an episode using the social sharing buttons at the top of this post, and consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.   Click here to discover my favorite apps! I would love to have your help! Subscribe, rate, and review The Productive Woman in Apple Podcasts or subscribe in Stitcher. Join the conversation at The Productive Woman on Facebook. Your feedback matters to me. Please share your comments, questions, or suggestions. Royse City, Texas I Was Just Thinking . . . Legal Blog: Real Estate Law Blog Follow @LauraMcMom window.twttr = (function (d, s, id) { var t, js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src= "https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); return window.twttr || (t = { _e: [], ready: function (f) { t._e.push(f) } }); }(document, "script", "twitter-wjs")); Contact me