How to set boundaries
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Here’s the deal: 2025 has not exactly been kind to me so far, at least not in the health department. Along the way, I’ve learned some time management strategies for when you’re sick that I’m going to share with you. Let me explain.
It all started with a trip to Disney World to ring in the new year—amazing, magical, totally worth it—but I came home with a pretty nasty cold. Then, about two weeks later after our historic Louisiana snow week and my grandmother’s funeral, I got hit with the flu. And I don’t just mean a little stuffy nose—I mean full-blown, bedridden, completely wiped out flu. And just when I thought I was finally on the mend, I was still coughing…and coughing…and coughing. Turns out, that lingering cough turned into either pneumonia or bronchitis. The urgent care doctor wasn’t sure because the X-ray machine wasn’t working, but they went ahead and treated me for pneumonia just to be safe.
So yeah, 2025 has been a bit of a rough start. And while I’d love to tell you that I gracefully managed everything perfectly, the truth is—this season has forced me to slow down, re-prioritize, and really put my own time management strategies to the test.
That’s why today, I want to share how I’ve been navigating time management strategies through sickness—what worked, what I had to let go of, and the lessons I learned along the way.
So in Episode 263, we’re talking about:
- Why family systems and delegation were lifesavers—and how setting those up before I needed them made all the difference
- The unexpected gift of task batching—and how past-me unknowingly gave present-me the biggest break.
- Learning to rest without guilt—because pushing through isn’t always the answer
- And finally, why it’s okay to let some things wait—even if you’re someone who likes to stay on top of everything
Time Management Strategies While Sick: Start with Vision and Priorities
One of the biggest things that made navigating this season of sickness easier was having a clear vision and knowing my priorities ahead of time.
Because let’s be real—when you’re sick, your brain is foggy, your energy is low, and making decisions feels like way too much effort. The last thing you want to do when you’re barely functioning is spend time figuring out what’s important and what’s not. But because I already had clarity on my biggest goals and priorities, I didn’t have to think twice about what needed to stay on my plate and what could wait.
*For example, back in December, I set my top two biggest goals for January:
- Hiring an Enrollment Coordinator
- Hiring an Associate Time Management Coach*
Those were my main focus areas. So even when I wasn’t feeling my best, I knew that if I spent my limited energy moving those two things forward—even if it was at a slower pace—I’d still be making progress. And honestly, that’s exactly what happened. The process moved a little slower than I originally planned, but by the end of February, I’ll be introducing both of these new team members to you.
Now, on the flip side, this clarity also helped me decide what wasn’t worth my energy. There were emails I left unread. There were things on my to-do list that I just…didn’t do. And you know what? Everything was fine. Nothing fell apart.
Questions to Ask to Clarify Your Vision and Priorities
So here’s my encouragement to you: If you don’t already have a clear vision or priorities mapped out, take a few minutes today to think about them. Ask yourself:
- What’s truly important right now?
- What’s worth my energy, even on my hardest days?
- And what’s okay to put on pause if I have to?
Having those answers ahead of time means that when life inevitably throws a curveball—whether it’s sickness, an unexpected family situation, or just a season of low energy—you’ll already know exactly where to focus and what to let go of. No extra decision-making required.
Time Management Strategies for When You’re Sick
Family Systems
Alright, now let’s talk about another thing that made this season of sickness so much more manageable: Family systems. Because let me tell you—having these in place before I needed them was a total lifesaver.
I’ve always believed in the power of systems. Systems help things run smoothly without requiring constant decision-making or micromanaging. But here’s the thing about systems—they’re only truly effective if they’re already in place before you need them.
My friend and CPA, Kimberly Tara, says, “The best time to apply for a loan is when you don’t need one.” And that same idea applies here: The best time to ask for help or set yourself up to be helped is before you actually need it.
Thankfully, my husband and I had already set up a few key family systems that kept us going while I was sick.
- For one, he’s already fully in the loop with the ins and outs of our household. He knows where everything is, how things work, and what needs to happen on a daily basis. I wasn’t stuck trying to explain how to handle things from my sick bed. There was no mental load of “holding all the instructions” in my head.*
- We also had a shared understanding of who could step in where. On the day I decided to take our daughter Camilla out for her special haircut and lunch date—despite feeling completely wiped out—I knew I’d need serious rest the next day. So I told my husband, “I’m taking her out Saturday, but Sunday I’ll be in full rest mode.” I set the expectation out loud, and he made sure to help me follow through on it.*
- He kept the girls entertained and even took care of grocery shopping so I could stay in bed as long as possible. And that day of rest made all the difference.*
If we didn’t already have those systems in place, if I hadn’t shared responsibilities with him long before I got sick, the pressure would’ve been completely on me. And in that situation, it’s easy to spiral into overwhelm and burnout.
So my encouragement to you: Start small. Think about one or two areas where you can build a system or ask for support. It could be as simple as setting up a shared family calendar, walking your partner through a weekly routine they aren’t familiar with, or creating a checklist for an area of your life that could be streamlined.
Having those systems in place means that when life throws you a curveball, your family knows how to keep things moving without you having to hold it all together yourself.
Task Batching
Alright, next up—let’s talk about the gift of task batching and how it helped me stay consistent with my podcast, even when I was at my absolute worst.
One of the biggest surprises in all of this? The fact that my podcast episodes kept going out each week—even when I was sick in bed. And that wasn’t because I mustered up some superhuman strength to record in the middle of having the flu. It was because of something I did months ago, without even realizing how much future-me would thank past-me for it: task batching.
Back in November, I recorded a ton of podcast interviews in advance. I was in the zone, in full-on interview mode, and I just knocked them out. At the time, I was thinking, “Great! This will give me a little breathing room during the holiday season.”
What I didn’t realize was that I was also giving myself the biggest gift for January—because when I got sick, I didn’t have to worry about writing, recording, or producing new episodes. They were already done. All I had to do was schedule them, and boom—the podcast kept running without me actively working on it.
Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, but I don’t have a weekly podcast, so how does this apply to me?”
Well, I’d bet there’s something in your life that you do on a recurring basis—something that you could batch ahead of time to save yourself from future stress.
- Maybe it’s meal prepping on Sundays so that weeknight dinners are easier.
- Maybe it’s setting up automatic bill payments so you’re not manually handling them every month.
- Or maybe it’s creating templates for emails you send over and over again, so you’re not typing the same thing from scratch every time.
Whatever it is, task batching is like putting little time-saving gifts on your calendar. And when life happens—whether it’s sickness, unexpected travel, or just a busier-than-usual week—those little gifts can be the difference between feeling completely overwhelmed and feeling like, “Wow, I actually set myself up for success.”
So if there’s something in your life that you could batch ahead of time, I highly recommend it. Because even if you don’t need the extra breathing room right now, future-you will appreciate it when you do.
Rest
Speaking of appreciating things, let’s talk about something that I used to not appreciate but now value so much more—rest. Specifically, learning to rest without guilt. Because let me tell you, this season has been a wake-up call in the best way.
For the longest time, I told myself, “I’m not good at resting.” Maybe you’ve said something similar before—maybe it’s “I’m not good at slowing down,” or “I’m not good at taking breaks.” Whatever the words are, they feel true because we’ve repeated them so many times. But that doesn’t make them facts. They’re just beliefs we’ve ingrained in ourselves.
And here’s the tricky thing about beliefs—they shape our actions, even when we don’t realize it. When I believed I wasn’t good at resting, I subconsciously made choices that proved that belief right. I’d push through exhaustion. I’d stay up late even when I desperately needed sleep. I’d tell myself, “I’ll rest after I finish just one more thing.” Sound familiar?
But this season of sickness? It forced me to face the truth: Rest is not optional. It’s necessary. And if I wanted to actually get better, I had to stop treating rest like a luxury and start treating it like the non-negotiable that it is.
So I made a decision. Every time I caught myself thinking, “I’m not good at resting,” I immediately replaced it with, “Actually, I’m GREAT at resting.” Even if I didn’t fully believe it at first, I said it anyway. And slowly, my actions started aligning with this new belief. I let myself take naps without guilt. I went to bed early instead of trying to power through. I reminded myself that resting now meant I’d recover faster and be able to show up fully when I was better.
And you know what? Everything was fine. The world didn’t fall apart. My business didn’t crumble. My family didn’t suddenly forget how to function. In fact, I needed that rest to be able to come back stronger for all of those things.
So if you’re someone who struggles with rest, I challenge you to start shifting that belief today. The next time you catch yourself thinking, “I’m not good at resting,” replace it with, “Actually, I’m GREAT at resting.” Because the truth is, rest isn’t a weakness. It’s a skill. And like any skill, it’s something we can practice and get better at.
Letting Things Wait
Alright, next up—let’s talk about another thing I had to make peace with during this season: Letting some things wait. Because as much as I love a good to-do list, there were just some things I had to leave undone, and that’s okay.
If you’re anything like me, you probably like to stay on top of things. You love a good to-do list, you enjoy the satisfaction of checking things off, and you feel your best when everything is handled. But during this season of sickness, I had to make peace with the fact that not everything was going to get done. And I had to be okay with that.
There were unanswered emails sitting in my inbox. There were projects that had to pause. And there was even a week without a podcast episode because I physically couldn’t do what needed to be done to get it out there.
And you know what? It was fine. Everything was fine.
In moments like these, I remind myself that not everything in life requires a hard-and-fast rule. I’ve never believed in things like Inbox Zero or the Sundown Rule. The Sundown Rule was a policy from a past job where every single email had to be responded to by the end of the day. And let me tell you—that’s a recipe for anxiety.
Instead, I’ve always embraced the gray area. Not everything is urgent. Not everything needs an immediate response. And sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is let something wait until you have the capacity to handle it properly.
For example, those emails in my inbox? I’ll get to them this week. The projects that paused? They’ll pick back up soon. And the podcast episode that didn’t happen? It’s okay. Missing one week didn’t erase the value of the other 160+ episodes I’ve created.
So here’s what I want you to remember: It’s okay to let some things wait. Life isn’t a productivity contest. And just because you’re capable of doing it all doesn’t mean you have to do it all at once.
If you’re in a busy or stressful season, ask yourself: What truly needs my attention right now, and what can wait? Give yourself permission to focus on what matters most and trust that the rest will be there when you’re ready for it.
3 Takeaways for Time Management Strategies When You’re Sick
If you remember nothing else from this episode, I hope you’ll hold on to these three things:
1. Set yourself up for success before you need it
Whether it’s creating systems at home, getting ahead on recurring tasks, or just having clarity on your priorities—do future-you a favor. Preparation isn’t about expecting the worst; it’s about making life easier when things get tough.
2. Rest is not a weakness; it’s a strength
We’ve all been conditioned to believe that rest is something we have to “earn” after everything else is done. But the truth is, rest is what allows us to keep going. It’s what makes us better partners, parents, business owners, and leaders. When you rest, you’re not falling behind—you’re taking care of yourself so you can keep showing up for the things and people that matter.
3. Some things can wait, and that’s okay
Not everything in life is urgent. There’s power in knowing what truly deserves your time and energy and what can sit on the back burner for a while. The world won’t fall apart if you don’t respond to every email immediately or if a project takes longer than you planned. Give yourself permission to let go of perfection and focus on what matters most.
And finally, if you’re in a season that feels overwhelming or unexpected, I want you to remember this: You are doing the best you can with what you’ve got. It’s okay to slow down. It’s okay to ask for help. And it’s okay to take care of yourself, even if that means letting some things go for a little while.
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