How thin is too thin?

[threadwalker]

when you spread yourself thin across multiple commitments, how do you decide you've spread yourself too thin?

Is it a physical failure?
Mental paralysis?
Sudden unexpected shopping trips?
The insane desire to take on more, proving that you weren't overcommitted before but you might be nudging close to it now?
Friends warning you that you are frazzled or perhaps insane?
Or do you even notice before you collapse in a confused haze of exhaustion?

And what do you do to recover?
Do you cut out activities?
Freak and do a 180, becoming ultra-uncommitted?
Do you continue to try to keep all the balls in the air until you go to system failure?

Just curious.

Comments

[helblonde.livejournal.com]

I know I'm spread too thin when I have no down time. If all of my time is focused on the next task and the next task and the task after that, to the exclusion of being able to get my own things done (like cleaning house, or doing laundry), or getting to do things I want to do (painting or sewing), then I am way over committed.

To get out of it, I start saying "No" to things, even fun things, just so that my calendar doesn't fill me with dread. Then I do something artistic for myself.